Julia Streak (Louisa Krause) plays a rookie security guard initiated on her first shift by the wholly obnoxious Cooper. As an embittered, well-practised sex pest, Jason Patric plays him to perfection. When mildly creepy things begin to occur in the vast building they are guarding, it is irresistible to wish the worst for him.
Many things happen. We learn about Streak's past and that there is more to her than we realised. We also get to grips with the true monster Cooper has become. We also learn about the history of the building which, as you will imagine, is ripe with a dark past and nasty, secrets with ongoing, supernatural effects.
The story is hardly new, but that's okay. Sometimes if a chilling atmosphere is conveyed well, it's a familiar chill to go through it all again. Director and co-writer Nacho Cerdà certainly gives us reason to be chilled as events become more horrific and at times, genuinely moving. There are also enough character moments and set-pieces that allow 'The Abandoned' its own breathing space. My score is 7 out of 10.