The Abandoned - Toronto International Film Festival

Again a world premiere from yet another first time feature film director Nacho Cerda.

from the official website:

An American film producer named Marie returns to her homeland, Russia, where her Mother’s dead body has been found under bizarre circumstances. She never knew her, having been adopted and brought to America as a baby. The only clue to what might have happened is an isolated, abandoned farm in the mountains that supposedly belonged to her natural parents.

Being the only next of kin, she inherits the place, but no one will take her there as local superstitions state that the area is... DAMNED. Only one man will embark on such a dangerous and long journey... A stranger that oddly seems to know quite a bit about her history... But once arrived, the guide mysteriously disappears, forcing Marie to explore the derelict location alone.

She discovers someone else on the property... A man named Nikolai, who claims to have been lured there exactly in the same manner, so he could discover the truth behind his unknown past as well.

They become stranded in the immense compound, plagued by terrifying, ghostly visions… The problem is that the ghosts that wander around are THEIR OWN. Dead versions of themselves marauder between the buildings in the night…

Time begins to move in reverse as history re-lives itself in front of their very eyes. While both their ghosts, illustrating exactly how they will die, patiently await their living counterparts to expire. A cycle of horror comes to fruition, as they are revealed the reason they have been summoned for this perverse reunion… And the brutal secret behind their family.

I'm not really up to date with modern horror movies, but this movie was pretty damn freaky. The sound effects, soundtrack and audio atmospheres were very well made to create an exteremely distrubing film experience (it was probably enhanced by the fact that the sound at this particular showing was really really loud... and I'm sure they did this on purpose to enhance the effect). Considering this is Cerda's first feature it was well done.