Afrofuturism: Blackness Revisualized Presents THE ABANDON Film Review — Don’t Give Me The Light

Posted on by Breanna Henry

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Jeff hums happily while parked in the middle of a forest. This seems like an odd setting; a car parked in the middle of a forest, but it’s not odd for him. He turns his phone off and locks it in his glove compartment. He wants total isolation from the outside world.

He takes his backpack and steps out of the car. He takes a sip of water and looks around. It’s just him. There’s nobody else around; just him and the trees. He’s expecting someone else. He doesn’t see who he’s looking for, so he writes a note and sticks it underneath the windshield for whoever is supposed to find it. He looks around one last time, sighs deeply, and walks off with his backpack on his shoulder. As he’s walking, he stops and hears strange noises, almost feigning animal sounds. It’s clear by this point that there’s a being in this forest that no one knows about.

The scene cuts to four friends in a car on a road trip. They call themselves the Eastside Boys Club, and apparently, they take a road trip every year with just them, no alcohol, no spouses, and no cell phones. They’re on their way to meet up with Jeff, who was the first to make it to their usual spot. They make it to the forest and see Jeff’s car, but no Jeff. Were they too late?

Afrofuturism: Blackness Revisualized Presents THE ABANDON Asks What Would You Do?

“There’s a bright light. Don’t look at it.”

They’re all in the car arguing and carrying on until a white light shrouds them, with a loud ringing sound accompanying it. Their car stops working momentarily, and they sit confused about what just happened. They eventually keep driving, trying to bypass the event. Little do they know, that light wasn’t normal; they weren’t headlights, but something they can’t even begin to understand. 

When people start disappearing, the friends realize that there’s something weird happening back in the city. 

Will they all be able to survive the unknown? Will the friends stick together, or will their personal differences cause them to fall apart during this crisis?

The Abandon is a 15-minute thriller navigating interpersonal drama and survival. This film will leave you a bit confused; it’s not very clear what the light is, or what it does to people exactly. One thing that is clear, though, is that tensions are high and unease is present throughout. If you like suspense and a bit of mystery, you would enjoy this. If not understanding everything frustrates you, this film might frustrate you too.

 

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CAST:

Billy Eugene Jones, as Jeff
Sterling K. Brown, as Kendall 
Jordan Mahome, as Craig 
Morocco Omari, as Dennis
Jaime Lincoln Smith, as Aaron

CREATIVE TEAM:

Director/Writer: Keith Josef Adkins 
Producer: Ken Cohen, Will Vaultz, Marcus Henderson, Tres Miah
Editor: Lee Manansala

Find out more about the film on the ALL ARTS website

Images courtesy of All Arts

 

Breanna Henry

About the Author: Breanna Henry

Almost 10 years ago Breanna sat in her tiny room she shared with her younger sister in Houston, Texas writing songs, stories, and poems on the rough carpet. She mimicked songs she heard on the radio and imitated books she's read from the Scholastic Book Fair. By fifth grade, she knew creative writing would soon be her passion. Now a sophomore at Loyola University New Orleans, she has published works on her university's newspaper, literary journal, and on her own blog. When she's not writing and working towards her Mass Communication and English Writing degree, she's watching Criminal Minds re-runs, doing photoshoots with friends, and dancing wildly in her dorm room while music blasts through her speakers.

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