Abandon (2002) User Reviews

Katie's Creek

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 18 November 2011]

Upwardly mobile Katie Holmes (as Katie Burke) tries to concentrate on her college thesis while thinking about a career after graduation. Understandably a little stressed, Ms. Holmes has occasional flashbacks about beautiful blond ex-boyfriend Charlie Hunnam (as Embry Larkin). A rich bohemian artist-type, the charismatic Mr. Hunnam disappeared two years ago. Holmes has had no steady lover since then, although tree-hugging Gabriel Mann (as Harrison "Harry" Hobart) shows interest. Meanwhile, recovering alcoholic detective Benjamin Bratt (as Wade Handler) is assigned to investigate Hunnam's mysterious disappearance as Holmes is frightened by a stalker who looks just like him...

Multi award-winning writer turning director Stephen Gaghan gets good, steady cinematography from Matthew Libatique. However, the positioning of actors and set direction is sometimes obvious and distracting. Holmes has the messiest imaginable room but likes to straighten Bratt's pictures. Matches her psyche. Getting Holmes crotch-level with therapist Tony Goldwyn (as David Schaffer) matches the script. So, there is cohesion. However, you care more about what happened to poor "Harrison" than the lead characters, who come together for the predictable surprise ending. There is life-sustaining support from friendly Zooey Deschanel, mousy Melanie Lynskey and clean-cut Mark Feuerstein.

***** Abandon (3/1/02) Stephen Gaghan ~ Katie Holmes, Benjamin Bratt, Charlie Hunnam, Gabriel Mann

Not perfect but worth seeing

[Rogue-32 · 6/10 · 16 September 2004]

Caught this on cable last night and I liked it. I thought Katie Holmes did extremely well with a very tricky role, and I thought there were a lot of well written exchanges between the characters, excellent atmospheric touches, and enough psychological ambiguity to allow me to figure out what was really going on before the ending, but this didn't make the film predictable - it made it clever. And the title is a good one - extremely telling, a clue in itself. Of course, it's not a perfect film by any stretch; there's too much stuff that really doesn't need to be in the movie but I still give it a 6 (my IMDb equivalent of *** - a decent premise, decently executed).

a very average movie

[famousmonster00 · 4/10 · 18 December 2002]

Abandon is a very average movie. It's nothing that's going to blow the viewer away, but it's not a terrible movie either. Katie Holmes does a good job playing Katie Burke a student nearing the end of college, trying to get her thesis done and land a good job. The movie focuses on the investigation by Wade Handler (Bratt) into the disappearance of Katie's boyfriend two years earlier. Although the film had some good twists and wasn't really predictable, most of the characters other than Katie Burke came off as kind of flat and boring. Embry Larkin played by Charlie Hunnam as Katie's ex-boyfriend was made out to be a wonderful, highly talented genius, but he didn't seem anything special to me. I didn't think Wade Handler, the police officer investigating the disappearance, came across as an very interesting character either. Overall, I'd say that this is an all right movie, but I'd only watch it if nothing else better was available.

Why did people stay away ?

[dozanddoz · 13 December 2002]

I went with my younger sister for the sole purpose to see the lovely Katie Holmes. I didn't expect much. But trash, the movie was not. I was very impressed with the story, the acting, the Hitchcock-like suspense, and the turn that occurred at the end. My favorite part was the library scene with the eyes behind the bookshelf. A big stepping-stone for Katie Holmes, who I think will continue to get starring roles and turn into a Natalie Wood like star. She is both beautiful and a good actress. This film is definitely a renter, and should have been better accepted when it was released, critic-wise and box office-wise. *** out of ****. Watch it and enjoy.

i found it mostly non-believable,pointless and confusing

[disdressed12 · 4/10 · 16 December 2007]

mostly i found this movie non-believable,pointless and confusing.i didn't find it really predictable,but most people probably will.the acting was OK,but not great.Zooey Deschanel was the only bright spot,in my opinion.Benjamin Bratt appeared in the movie and was adequate.Katie Holmes was supposed to be the star,i think.i found her sub par,as usual.i don't really like her that much,and have yet to see he in a good movie.or rather i have yet to see her put in a good performance in a movie.the ending was something most people will probably see coming a mile away.it's not something i predicted,but it wasn't surprising either.my vote for Abandon is a 4/10

Time

[oboigh · 2/10 · 22 May 2003]

I want the 98 wasted minutes I spent on this flick back! Thank God cutie Charlie Hunnam was in it or I would have fallen asleep! I also thought there must have been some key scenes cut to make this film more compelling but even the deleted scenes from the DVD didn't help makes this mess into a watchable flick. Ben Bratt--you quit Law and Order for this? As Gomer Pyle used to say---SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!

Just as I feared: a cookie-cutter kiddie creep-out movie

[chartrookie · 2/10 · 25 November 2005]

I'd been putting this DVD on the bottom of my "to see" list at the library for a few weeks: I'm no fan of Bratt nor Holmes but I like Drama, and a critic who's usually worthwhile had some positive comments on the cover. And I was out of other movies to take a chance on.

Wow. How is it possible for respected writer like Gaghan to direct a "thriller" with UTTERLY no suspense? Compare this to Michael Mann's Insider where he takes what could have quickly degenerated into a dry plowing-through of mounds of legal-scientific documents and turned it into an EXCITING DRAMA. Maybe after writing the very successful Traffic Gaghan had an automatic Green Light for whatever he wanted to do, so he hauled this script out of his own slush pile.

Actually the final twist itself was pretty good. (But then failing to see twists coming is my weak spot, or perhaps strength.) But that's a skill some directors have in spades: building suspense. It's certainly not Gaghan's forte.

Misguided Thriller/Character Study, but not as bad as many claim it is

[MissCzarChasm · 7/10 · 8 June 2003]

B-

I was a little hard on this film when I initially reviewed it upon its release. After watching it on DVD again I realized that there is a very clever and beautiful story to be told but problems in the script prevent it from truly taking off. The performances, cinematography, and music are all great but it just can't seem to find a solid direction.

A film's trailer is a gateway to success and sometimes failure. In the case of Abandon, it proved to be the latter. The film was marketed as a non-stop psychological thriller but to be honest the thrills are few and far between. Abandon is more a character study with the atmosphere of a thriller. The film's main priority is to tell a story and I think audiences were really disappointed when they saw a movie that was short on thrills. That could explain its not so great $10 million dollar box office gross.

Abandon is about a beautiful young girl named Katie Burke (Katie Holmes) who is nearing her graduation from a very prestigious school. She has a nice future ahead of her, including a potential job at a top New York firm. However, things begin to unravel when Katie's past comes back to haunt her. A police detective, by the name of Wade Handler (Benjamin Bratt), is investigating the disappearance of Embry Langan (Charlie Hunnam), Katie's wealthy and sometimes eccentric ex-boyfriend. Embry has not been seen or heard from in 2 years, and the lawyers for his estate want to know whether he's alive or dead. When the detective begins to bring up several events from the past, Katie begins to see Embry around campus and other various locations. Has Embry come back for love or revenge?

Abandon has a lot of positives but a thriller it certainly is not. Abandon falters when it tries, at great lengths, to scare and surprise its audience. Stephen Gaghan, who won an Oscar for writing Traffic and is directing for the first time with this film, can't seem to properly direct scenes that are suppose to keep us on the edge of our seats. However, He does a good job of making us wonder if Embry is really back or if Katie is seeing things. Most of his encounters come about when she's half asleep or frustrated and the possibility of these two different outcomes are one of the scripts strengths. Another scene that resonates involves a truly alarming surprise for our main character when she's alone in the library. Other than that, all the thrills are by the book or non-existent.

Abandon's biggest strength is what isn't shown in the trailers. First and foremost this film works as a very deep character study. As a character, Katie is very interesting and her past experiences with men (including her father) who have left her plays an important part into the mysterious disappearance of Embry. The character is well developed and several scenes give us great insight into her inner struggles. We learn about her relationship with Embry through beautifully filmed flashbacks that are probably the best aspects of this picture. The flashbacks are backed by a very moody score and a sense of realism that make for really good scenes. We learn through these sequences that Embry and Katie were a very happy couple, with a possibly nice future ahead of them. When the film switches back to real-time we realize why his disappearance has hurt her so much. There is also an interesting tidbit about how she attracts men and doesn't even realize it. This part of the story establishes many key points in the plot that I simply can't reveal here. Needless to say Katie's development as a character is far more interesting than the thrills, or lack thereof, that are present in this film. More emphasis should've been placed on the characters and not on what might scare us.

I must give major kudos to Katie Holmes for conveying all the emotions necessary to establish Katie Burke as a very interesting character. Katie Holmes proves that she can carry a film all on her own. Holmes usually turns in adequate performances in supporting roles such as in Wonder Boys and The Gift. In this film everything is on her shoulders and she comes out of it on top. A crucial scene during her job interview for the law firm is not just a statement of power for the character, but for Katie Holmes as well. The scene shows us that Katie Holmes is ready to play a WOMAN and is prepared to leave the fickle role of Dawson's Creek's Joey Potter behind. She carries herself so well during this film it makes you wonder what she can really do in a movie that has a better focus. Another asset that Katie brings to the role is a nice mix of naivety and sex appeal. Katie Holmes has a look of pure innocence but she carries herself with a sex appeal beyond her years. This works for the character during several key scenes. After Dawson Creek comes to an end this year Katie will be one of the few to have a flourishing movie career once the Creek dries up. The cast members should get in touch with her agent.

> Benjamin Bratt is stuck in a thankless supporting role that isn't much of a challenge for the actor. This is essentially the same part he played on Law & Order and in Miss Congeniality. I heard that he displayed a great deal of range in the critically acclaimed Pinero so maybe he should focus more on leading roles instead of throwaway supporting roles. I will say that I did buy the relationship between he and Katie that developed during the film. Some critics found it unbelievable but for this story I felt that it worked on a certain level.



Charlie Hunnam has a very difficult task of making Embry an interesting character. Since Embry is only shown through flashbacks and his few "return" encounters with Katie it must've been really hard for him convey the emotions necessary to make Embry the eccentric character that everyone describes him as. Hunnam is quite adequate in his few scenes. He does a good job of making Embry into a very spoiled and eccentric personality but there is something about this that hurts his character development. Half the flashbacks show him as a pampas asshole. The entire time they were trying to figure out if Embry just left town or if he was dead I really could care less. When a character is mostly unlikable it's very hard to care about what dastardly deed was committed against them.

Supporting performances from Gabrielle Union, and particularly Zooey Deschanel are quite good. Deschanel provides the film with much needed comic relief. When the film begins to lag she brings it back up with a very sharp delivery of some funny lines.

I guess the most disappointing thing about this film is that Stephen Gaghan's directorial debut is flawed, mainly because of his very own direction. There is a more compelling story to be told here and I think if he would've explored it more this film could've been much better. His script lays down the foundation for some great ideas but his direction doesn't allow them to shine through. He did some great work with the complex Traffic screenplay, creating interesting characters and interesting circumstances for them to fall back on. This is what makes this muddled effort a minor letdown. While watching a making of feature on the DVD I learned that he had never even picked up a camera to record anything as he was growing up. Maybe some more experience could've helped him as he was making this picture.



Technically the film is almost a masterpiece. The cinematography paints a very moody and effective atmosphere for the film. The cinematographer also did work on Requiem for a Dream and some of the brilliant work he did on that film is evident here. The use of beautifully lit backgrounds and scenery paint a perfect portrait for the flashback scenes and his use of dark blues and muddy greens provide set the mood for the darker themes of the story. For instance, there is a scene where Katie first sees Embry's return in a room that consists of a strobe light. The scene is so well done that it's one of the scenes that generates any tension. It's a scene that proves that atmosphere is key. The music, which was composed by another Requiem for a Dream team member, is also great. The score supplies a unique voice for the main character and almost serves as a way to get into her mind. There is a scene where Katie ventures back to Embry's country house for the first time since his disappearance and the scores soft yet moody use of the piano during this scene is enough to convey the emotions that the character is feeling.

I also was a bit hard on the film's ending when I first reviewed it but upon second viewing I think it actually works. It is a bit cliché but the acting throughout this sequence makes it bearable.

I recommend Abandon only if you're willing to accept the film for what it is: a character study that is light on the thrills. If you're going in expecting something that's going to keep you glued to your seat in fear then you may be disappointed.

B-

I was really disappointed.

[fawnbrown · 2/10 · 22 October 2002]

When I went to see this movie with my husband, I honestly was expecting something more interesting and, well I guess scary. I was utterly disappointed. It is a somewhat interesting movie and I would recommend it for a boring night when you have nothing better to do. This is more of a rental movie.

Highbrow exercise in a usually lowbrow genre.

[gridoon · 7/10 · 24 December 2003]

Katie Holmes is well-cast as an intellectual college student in this intellectual thriller, a strange bird of a movie to sit alongside the current batch of "teen" horror films (did you know that in this one the students actually - gasp!- study?). Admittedly it moves at a measured pace (some would say "like molasses"), and doesn't really take off until the last 2 minutes or so (!), when it presents a final twist which I, for one, did not see coming, and which saves the entire picture. All through the film you get the feeling they have something to show you at the end, and indeed they do, but perhaps they shouldn't have waited so long to get there. Excellent score and cinematography. (**1/2)

More bad here than good, unfortunately...

[Glampire · 2/10 · 30 August 2003]

*WARNING, SPOILERS BELOW!*

Okay, I'm not going to outline the plot for you here, because I assume that if you're reading this, you probably already know what "Abandon" is about.

That being said, I try not to be completely mean when commenting on a movie, because usually there's always some good point, no matter how small. So that's where I'm going to start, with the "good" stuff.



The Good:

• Nice cinematography. I thought that the scenes were well shot.

• Charlie Hunnam is quite good looking.

• Benjamin Bratt did the best he could with the script given.

...and I'm coming up short on anymore good points.



Now, for the bad:

• Through out the movie I found myself watching in astonishment, not because the story captivated me, but because I really couldn't believe what I was seeing. The characters actions and reactions were so grossly inappropriate that it defied logic.

• The pacing was a bit slow for my tastes. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a nice leisurely little movie, but at times it felt like this was just going through mud in terms of its slowness.

• Very sparse character background information. Sure we know that Katie grew up in a little town and her father left as a child, and we know that Embry was a rich orphan, but aside from that, they give us little else to go on. How can we be expected to feel for characters when we hardly know them? I mean, why did Katie's father leave? Who raised Embry once his parents died? I could go on with more questions, but it's of no use, because they'll never be answered.

• The "twist" ending was not much of a twist at all. Someone else watched the first 20 minutes of the movie with me, and before they left due to boredom, they said to me, "I bet she killed him". I mean seriously, they were able to deduce this by only watching the FIRST 20 MINUTES! That should tell you something right there. And as for the other half of the twist, the part where we realize she was just imagining Embry coming back to her, that wasn't very shocking at all. That same basic idea was used much much MUCH better in "A Beautiful Mind" and "Fight Club".

Going back to my first complaint, I really felt that the characters did things that made no sense at all. The roommate Samantha was one of the worst offenders. Zooey Deschanel did a fine job in her portrayal, but the character itself was just, for lack of a better term, mentally deficient. Maybe I'm off the mark with this, but I felt that she acted as though she was hepped up on some kind of drugs. At one point her actions seemed so seriously bizarre that I wondered why they even included it into the movie. The scene I'm referring to is when she talked to the cop and inexplicably invited him up for a drink! There were also several other moments where Samantha seemed not quite right to me.

And Katie. Okay, I'll buy the whole abandonment issues thing with her, but didn't it seem a little strange that supposedly before Embry she was a virgin, and yet the first moment they are alone she willingly hit the sheets with him? I don't say this to be a prude or anything, I say it because I couldn't believe a girl without prior experience would just give it up to a guy she hardly knew, especially a girl who seemed as intelligent as her.

Also, I take issue with something else that happens in the aforementioned sex scene. Embry casually throws her books out the window...and she appears to have NO problem with it! Now I don't know about you, but if a guy cockily threw anything of mine out a window, I'd be kicking him where it counts so fast his head would spin, not boinking him! It made NO sense to me at all.



Basically, there was a lot more bad than good in "Abandon". There were so many things that just seemed illogical and confusing to me. Like why didn't Katie remember killing Embry? Had she blocked it out? What compelled Embry to act like such a jerk in the first place (and don't give me the rich kid excuse)? That whole bit with Wade, the cop, at that meeting where he talked about hitting something with his car...was it a person he hit, or just an animal? I know it's supposed to be implied that it was in fact a person, but if that were the case, how is he now a police officer? If you commit an offense such as vehicular homicide, wouldn't that bar you from joining the force?

I have many more questions besides those above, but it would take too much of my time and the site's space to list them all.

So, if you want to take a chance, then go ahead, watch this movie. But if you'd rather spare yourself, just pass on it.

Something unexpected

[oddjob99 · 8/10 · 14 October 2002]

I wasn't sure what to think of this film during the first hour. I thought it was unfocused and a bit confusing at first. But sit through this one, once you get to the end, you will see there is a reason for the unfocused quality of the film. I will not say anymore about the story than that. Katie Holmes is fantastic in this film, I will watch her movie career with interest. Her acting is somewhat reminiscent of Ashley Judd, but not completely. It may seem to some people that this film is slowly paced, but stick with it. It's worth it. 8/10

2002 was not ready for this movie

[jennybeverage · 7/10 · 18 March 2018]

I thought this movie was great! I'm surprised I never saw it, as I love Gabriel Mann, Katie Holmes, Zoey Deschancel, etc.

This movie has a 4.9 right now and I can't believe that. It is more artsy than perhaps people were ready for back when it came out, but now I think it's a really great movie. "Slow" maybe but not more than a hundred films in the 2000s and 2010s that got much higher ratings. It's not horribly confusing either, although you do get to think during it to figure out what you think is going on. It's pretty good.

I give this a 7.5.

Not the "sleeper hit" it was intended to be

[FiendishDramaturgy · 1/10 · 23 September 2003]

Written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, this time-waster is quite obtuse in its intelligence. The characters wander around seemingly with no direction or idea what they are doing or where they are going...which is nowhere with THIS script.

The screenplay attempted to be clever and edgy, but it failed miserably and while the characters were somewhat interesting, regardless of their inability to keep a single coherent thought, they were about as deep as the bowl of a spoon.

Only after the entire first half of the movie, does it become even remotely interesting, and then...it stops being interesting and borders on pure drivel. The acting, instead of being dramatic, tense, fresh, edgy or even remotely scary, grows infantile and even campy.

I liked Benjamin Bratt, and I like most of what he has done, but even he doesn't redeem this "work." He couldn't possibly with the putrid direction he was given.

This is probably one of the worst movies I've ever seen. It is highly overrated, as if the cloned sheep of the world believed the hype on the box as a "...spellbinding psychological thriller with ingenious plot twists that will keep you guessing until its electrifying conclusion..." That could not be less correct! By the boring end, I didn't CARE who did what to whom, or for how many cookies!

It was unintelligent to the point of insulting the audience! The box also claims that this movie has "... pulse pounding suspense and riveting performances ..." If that isn't intentionally misleading, nothing is. This "movie" was anything BUT suspenseful and riveting.

There was one bright and shining performance in this cast (besides Benjamin Bratt). They were Melanie Lynskey (Stephen King's Rose Red, Coyote Ugly, Detroit Rock City, among many others) as Mousy Julie. She was a rose on the screen.

Again, the directing was atrocious! I mean it stank UP the place! The horrid use (and over use) of strobe lighting was obnoxious and just wrong, the camera angles and flash-backs and flash-forwards were distracting and demonstrated a lack of maturity, art, and any sense of style.

About the "twists" it promises? They were so predictable that we had it figured out about 1/3 of the way through the movie. So completely not any fun to watch.

Extremely disappointing.

It gets a 0.0/10 from...

the Fiend :.

A little unbelievable, but entertaining

[allieshipley · 26 April 2003]

When I first saw previews for this movie, I was a little weary, but when I saw that it was out to rent I thought that it looked interesting (and if I didn't like it, I could always make fun of it), but I actually found it fairly entertaining. The movie, since it is classified as a thriller, has scenes that make you jump, or surprise you, and it has some parts that are a bit unbelievable, but overall, I thought it was pretty good. My one complaint is that Embry (Charlie Hunnam) is so gorgeous that it's difficult to believe his character, that's not a reflection on his acting because he really does do a good job, but for me, he has a look that doesn't suit what I would have anticipated his character to look like (but he's cute)! Other than that, the movie held my attention and I actually watched it multiple times, so if that's any reflection on the movie, I'd say that I liked it! If it was down to star ratings, I'd say 3.5 or 4 stars (out of 5)!

Trick endings...

[witheld · 5/10 · 29 August 2008]

This movie isn't as bad as the worst reviews have it, and not as good as the best reviews. It muddles through on mediocrity, and a plot twist.

Here's the good news; it's not a completely out there plot twist. If you watch it knowing it's coming, you start to understand some parts of the movie better. It's not a cut and paste ending that leaves you scratching your head.

Bad news; it's still not very good.

The movie captures two things pretty well. One, the drive and ambition it takes to try to get out of college in the top ten, and two, the college life. Oh, and three, but that's a spoiler.

I watched Sixth Sense again, once I knew the ending. And you know what? It had a whole other story to tell, different from the narrative you thought you had been seeing the first time. Every scene, every line, was laden with subtext.

There's some of that in this movie, but not as much, frankly. It doesn't work as well. The first time, it's tolerable. And if you're wondering now 'will I care about the characters,' you won't. And you shouldn't.

Everything about this movie feels a little 'film-school,' if you know what I mean. Ultimately, watchable, but not great.

Better off as a one hour TV episode

[Turfseer · 4/10 · 19 March 2009]

Detective Wade Handler (Benjamin Bratt) is the sad-sack protagonist of 'Abandon' (which should have been more aptly named 'Abandoned'). Handler has just returned to his assignment on the police force after being suspended (presumably) for a DWI or drinking on the job. Handler's supervisor won't allow him to use a squad car and wants to break him in slowly so he assigns Handler to a missing person's case. What's so unusual about this case is that the missing person in question, Embry Larkin, an artsy but rebellious college student, disappeared two years ago. It seems unlikely that a detective (even one who is returning after a suspension) would be assigned to a missing person's case (especially one that is two years old) since typically missing person's cases are not considered priority matters for a police investigation.

Nonetheless, Handler focuses his attention on Embry's last girlfriend at the college, Katie Burke (played by Katie Holmes). Katie at first appears to be a bright Ph.D. student who's about to finish her dissertation and apply for a high-powered corporate job at a successful consulting firm. After awhile, Katie starts believing that she's been seeing Embry pop up around campus. The film's scenarist, Stephen Gaghan (of Syriana fame), intentionally keeps you in the dark until the film's end as to whether these Embry sightings are merely figments of Katie's imagination or actual appearances by the former boyfriend.

The story unfortunately drags on much too long with Katie's fleeting glimpses of Embry. Nothing much happens in terms of the plot until another one of Katie's long-term suitors, Harrison Hobart, disappears. Katie's confrontations with Embry become more aggressive as she accuses him of having a hand in Harrison's disappearance. Katie is becoming more unhinged and starts seeing a shrink to cope with the disturbing confrontations she's been having with Embry.

Meanwhile, the clueless detective Handler has not been acting like a very good detective. Instead of being suspicious of all possible suspects (including Katie), he seems to accept everything she tells him at face value. As it turns out, Handler has been attending AA meetings and soon decides that police work is not for him so he hands in his badge. But just as he has resigned, he receives some important news from a crime lab buddy who informs him that a note Katie claimed she had recently received from Embry was actually two years old.

Before the film's climax, Harrison pops up at the college graduation and the audience learns that his disappearance had nothing to do with foul play on Embry's part (Harrison simply lost his way while hiking in a State Park). Fortunately for him, he already decided to walk away from Katie. But former detective Handler is not so lucky. He already had an intimate moment with the psycho college co-ed. Now that it's finally dawned on him that Katie has been imagining all these encounters with Embry, he tells her that he doesn't want to go away with her as they previously had planned.

Abandon's conclusion takes place in an abandoned building near campus. In a flashback we now see what actually happened: Embry got sick of Katie and told her that he was planning to leave her so she knocked him over the head with a cement block and he falls into a pool of water, dead. The same fate awaits former Detective Handler: we see him floating dead with a bashed head in the grimy pool of water along with Embry's two year old skeleton.

Abandon has some excellent cinematography, capable acting and a brooding score resulting in a nice, overall 'noirish' feel. But the story does not develop organically. It was designed primarily to showcase its 'twist ending'. Ultimately why should we really care about Katie, the film's antagonist? Does she really stand out as a unique 'femme fatale'? Not really. Sure there are a few good scenes suggesting that she's good at manipulating people (the job interview for example) but there are way too many of those clichéd childhood flashbacks suggesting parental abuse as well the aforementioned multiple 'Embry' sightings which slow the story down considerably. The same goes for Detective Handler, the protagonist, who never seems to be able to put two and two together. It's hard to like a protagonist who is so passive and pathetic.

After watching Abandon for the first time, I was forced to go back and watch it again just to try and refresh my memory as to the important plot points. So many of the scenes simply are not memorable; they tend to blend into one another. Abandon's story feels more like an hour-long TV episode stretched out to fulfill the requirements of a feature film. Had it been done on TV, it would have been much more effective.

SnoopyStyle is right... Confusing and muddled

[bellino-angelo2014 · 5/10 · 20 April 2023]

I have heard for years about ABANDON and hoped to watch it as well for years because of the star studded cast and also because despite it has a score of 4,9 I am always willing to give badly reviewed films a chance. Unfortunately this wasn't the case and when I saw it I ended up agreeing with nearly all the other low reviews.

Katie Burke (Katie Holmes) looks like a girl with a perfect life: she gets good grades in college and it's next to graduation and is about to start a new job. But she is having also an hard time because of the final exams and the preparation of the thesis and can't overcome the abandon of her former boyfriend Embry Larkin (Charlie Hunnam) that disappeared two years earlier. Soon detective Wade Handler (Benjamin Bratt) comes for investigating on Embry and Katie seems to be the only one that can see him wandering around on campus and after even starting a relationship with Wade she discovers that Wade went to college for taking Embry's place and in fact he ends up killed in Embry's same way: smacked on the head with a rock in the abandoned dormitory that is soon to be demolished.

The concept looked great, but after a while it became more and more confusing thanks to some bad writing and some hard to believe moments, and it's a miracle that I understood the ending: Katie felt that Wade and Embry were connected because in the past she also suffered other abandon crisis. The acting was a bit stilted in some points especially in Holmes' case.

Overall, a thriller that could have been great but instead it opted for being more confusing than full of suspense, and that is it's major strike.

"Take me with you"

[PredragReviews · 7/10 · 15 September 2016]

"Abandon" plays out like a B-movie, but a very good one at that. It's not as polished as most Hollywood fare; it's gritty and dark, and I think this does the film a huge service (thought I was gonna say 'disservice' didn't you). 'Abandon' is at moments chilling and this is thanks in large part to Holmes performance. Katie has always had potential but it wasn't until just before she went cuckoo for Tom Cruise that she actually began to tap into it. The rest of the cast does a fine job as well. Benjamin Bratt does his best to stand out but doesn't fare so well. His scenes are smothered with Katie's commanding presence. Zooey Daschanel is funny and witty as Katie's friend Samantha and the beautiful Gabriel Union delivers as Amanda (although I really wish she had more screen time). The ending was great and left you in a state where you knew that there had to be a sequel.

Stephen Gaghan's script is tightly woven and, while not exactly mind blowing and or original it manages to strike fresh blood; creeping us out as well as making us think. The only problem with "Abandon" is how it is a little slow at the beginning, and the scene when they are drunk or high at a party, I felt that that scene was a little too much. The film follows a very dark and ominous tone, everything done in dark color schemes, voice's low and images grainy, and that adds to the mystery bound to be unlocked. So, all in all, if you don't mind that the story develops very slowly, and that some things don't add up, then you might like this film!

Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

HArd to follow

[richard-lee-morris · 5/10 · 13 September 2019]

Usually I like detective stories. But this story was hard to follow . The crime under investigation was never revealed. The ideas presented were vague without a motivation or purpose. The actors were good. The conclusion was nebulous and I felt lost mostly.

Predictable and Forgettable Low-Budget Movie

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 20 April 2005]

Detective Wade Handler (Benjamin Bratt) is assigned to investigate the disappearance of the millionaire Embry Larkin (Charlie Hunnam), who vanished two years ago. Wade looks for Embry's former girlfriend, Katie Burke (Katie Holmes), in the campus of their university. Katie is under pressure, completing her thesis, disputing a job in a reputable and prestigious company and having sessions with her psychiatric, Dr. David Schaffer (Tony Goldwyn). Katie misses Embry, since she has no family, but she feels a great attraction for Detective Wade. During the investigation, Embry returns without any explanation and her colleague Harrison Hobart (Gabriel Mann) that has a crush on her disappears. Katie believes that Embry is the responsible and tells to Wade. But nobody can find Embry.

"Abandon" is a predictable and forgettable low-budget movie. The storyline is interesting but the screenplay is boring and deserved to be improved. It is not difficult to foresee the plot when Embry returns. The conclusion is excellent. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Sem Pistas" ("Without Tracks")

Note: On 25 November 2015, I saw this movie again.

Don't expect much...

[Pookyiscute · 5/10 · 27 May 2006]

You might find going into this film, that it borderlines being a 'B' film. Not that it's bad, it's just not very good. Katie Holmes, being what I consider a mediocre actress, should really consider sticking to what she's good at. Playing, 'Joey' on "Dawson's Creek".

For a part this size and with this dark force behind it, the casting really made an error in hiring Holmes for the lead in this piece. While beautiful, and not a bad actress, her innocence and small voice make her the wrong flavor of tea for the pot they were preparing. It was not a bad film overall, however there were times, when it tended to drag on, not make a lot of sense, and although I did enjoy the end of the film (especially the last fifteen minutes, or so), the rest of the time, it was carried a bit awkwardly. Only one part was a bit intense, while the rest of the film, was in my opinion somewhat silly. For some, it might leave you guessing, but I unfortunately figured out the gist of the end of the film, right from the beginning. And, while there is a twist at the end, it still leaves one wondering why you wait nearly an hour and a half to get to that point.

The writing was average, the lighting and set design was good for this type of film, and again the casting was off, not only with Holmes, but also with Benjamin Bratt, who played the cop investigating the disappearance of Holmes' ex-boyfriend.

If you're bored and need a good Friday night flick, and want something a little intense, and dark...you might find that this is right up your ally, however don't hold your breath with an outstanding film, because you won't find it here.

Everybody Loves Katie!

[lavatch · 8/10 · 1 July 2019]

The protagonist of the film is Katherine "Katie" Burke, a hotshot financial consultant with a mysterious past. The strength of "Abandon" is the rich detail in the characters and the carefully crafted screenplay. There was a fascinating variety of interesting roles drawn with care. This includes such secondary characters as Katie's best friend, Samantha "Bad Sam" Harper, who do not even figure prominently in the main narrative.

As the film progresses, it becomes clear that nearly everyone loves Katie Burke! From her past, there is Embry Larkin, the charismatic performance artist whom Katie calls "an arrogant, preening bore," who had suddenly disappeared after his graduation. Then, there is the kind cop named Wade Handler, who simply cannot resist Katie after she tells him he has "kind eyes." There is the tag-along, tree-hugging environmentalist, Harrison "Harry" Hobart, who has been infatuated with Katie for years and finally girds himself to declaring his love. There is Bob Hanson, the employer and work supervisor from her first job with the distinguished financial firm of McKisson. Finally, there is Dr. Jack, the psychiatrist who can't keep his hands off Katie. The little librarian, "Mousie Julie," has the distinction of speaking the best line in the film: "Guys are drawn to her (Katie) like bugs to a bug lamp."

The film unfolds a suspenseful storyline around Queen Bee Katie Burke. The audience is kept guessing and the film pulls out all of the stops with a surprise ending. One of the most interesting details in the script was the background on Katie's relationship with her father.

The film was loosely adapted from the novel "Adam's Eyes" by Sean Desmond. The novel was primarily a ghost story set in a haunted dormitory of Harvard University. Writer-director Stephen Gaghan, noted for the brilliant screenplay for the Academy-award-winning "Traffic," completely revised the novel into a much stronger thriller based the multi-dimensional protagonist played effectively by Katie Holmes. The work on editing and the camera angles added to the tension. Benjamin Bratt is also memorable as the sensitive, bookish cop.

The Wikipedia article on "Abandon" refers to the film as a "fiasco." Although it was not a box office hit in 2002, twenty years later, it is apparent that the film is superior to today's run-of-mill potboilers. This was a carefully crafted film with enough suspense to fill a pond in a nearby abandoned dormitory full of mystery and lead the audience into the darkest caverns of the human mind.

Pretty Good

[chelseajmbelehar · 7/10 · 24 December 2018]

Other than the scenes jumping from one to the next from past to present, not a bad movie. The plot is very good mysteries yet it still gives you a connection to the characters, something some mystery movies can really fail at.

However the ending will leave you spinning! I definitely recommend it.

"Abandon" this awful mess of a film

[rob-236 · 2/10 · 17 March 2004]

Slow paced, boring and plain terrible mess of a "thriller" has pretty student Katie Burke (Katie Holmes) "haunted" by visions of her former boyfriend Embry Larkin (Charlie Hunnam) who mysteriously vanished without trace 2 years previously.

Detective Wade Handler (Benjamin Bratt) is on the case, trying to find out what really happened to Larkin, and pays more than a little attention to Katie in the process.

Is Katie seeing things?, is she crazy?, does anyone care?

The "shock" conclusion is lame and predictable and the whole mess makes 95 minutes seem like an eternity.

Its easy to see why this shambles went straight to video in the UK.

Avoid like the plague.