This was a weird one. I watched it, and didn’t really understand it, so I looked it up on one of those “explainer” web sites. That gave me the gist, it didn’t generate enough of a reaction in me to warrant reviewing it.

But, I dunno… “Abandoned” kind of stuck with me. Days after I watched it, I found myself thinking about its themes (once I understood them.) And I finally had to concede the film had… something.

The plot is as follows. Sara (Emma Roberts) and her husband move into an isolated cabin, despite the admission from the real estate agent that murders took places years before. The distance between husband and wife is immediately evident, and it probably has something to do with the fact that their newborn baby just will not shut the ef up. (Serious, the sound designer deserves an Oscar for creating baby cries that drill into your soul.) Creepy stuff happens, Sara sees things, and the movie falls into the realm of “Is Sara crazy or is something genuinely weird happening?”

There’s also an interesting side plot, involving Sara’s veterinarian husband treating a family of diseased pigs. It all ties into a larger theme.

So what is that theme? I have to tread carefully here to avoid spoilers, but I will say, since the arrival of “The Babadook” in 2014, there have been several films that explore the idea that motherhood is not the ecstatic, bliss-filled experience it’s often sold as. “Abandoned” lives in that territory.

Also in the mix is Sara’s simmering resentment of her husband, who is loving and kind but clearly getting frustrated with her emotional undulations. 

You might sum thus up as one of the new breed of feminist horror films that center women’s lived experience. (I detest that kind of academic jargon but it seems applicable here.) But, when I consider what happens in the movie, especially at the end, I start to wonder about that. What was the film really saying? It could be interpreted in different ways, some applauding more conservative/traditional values. The actions of some characters who seem “bad” start to look reasonable.

 I guess that’s why it got stuck in my teeth and wouldn’t let go. The film lives with ambiguity.

The actor Michael Shannon, always a haunting presence, does his job well.

That’s about all I can say without ruining things.