Abandoned

This movie started out very promising. Emma Roberts and John Gallagher Jr play a young couple who buy a house out in the country. We learn that "a tragedy" happened in the house 40 years before, and we're meant to understand that it's been empty ever since - even though it's in perfect condition. They have a new baby and Roberts' character is suffering from severe postpartum depression, which is exacerbated by the fact that her husband's job as a country vet keeps him busy for roughly 18 hours a day, every day, even though he only seems to have like two clients. She begins to have hallucinations about the previous tenants, and her behavior becomes more and more erratic.

The setup is good, and Michael Shannon turns in a classic Michael Shannon role as their creepy Michael Shannon-like neighbor, but it never really delivers. The only reveal happens pretty early, and they telegraph it from a mile away.

Don't get me wrong, I love slow burn horror movies, but there's slow and there's SLOW, and I do expect something to eventually happen. No danger of spoilers because there's really nothing to spoil. It just sort of plods along and ends.

It seemed like they were teasing something more interesting in the backstory, but then it was like they checked their watches, decided the movie was long enough, and called it a wrap.

WTH was that? I have no idea what I just watched. I was totally lost with the ending. Maybe there was some subliminal message there but whatever it was went right over my head. Movie was extremely slow and just all around dull. Not a film I'd watch again or recommend. 4 stars.

They should have named the movie Baby Crying, it would have been more accurate to the plot and I could have easily avoided it. Stay away even if you can't find anything else to watch, just stare at a wall.

I don't think I have every watched a movie where a crying baby was the highlight of the show. It was extremely loud and annoying. And the cries didn't even match the babies expressions. Once of the few movies where I had to skip the majority of the scenes where they try to soothe the crying baby. Wish it had more to do with the haunting... if there was even one. Would have liked to know more about the ghosts but maybe i just missed the story because of all the fast forwarding I had to do. Could have been a lot better had the focus been on the thriller part and not all about the screaming crying baby.

I'll make this quick, if you don't mind a baby crying in 40% of the film, extremely boring dialog, Emma Roberts being emotionless and a drawn out story of so call eeriness, than have at. The only horror there was, was watching it.