jaemilkowski
I went into this movie expecting the typical lame, but comical haunted ghost movie - full of all the usual points: one note characters, bad acting and stupid dialogue.What I walked out with? Way more than I expected and I'm now ready to list this movie in my Top 10 Favorite Horror Films.The way the movie started, I was all set for my cheesy, B-movie night. But after about the first fifteen minutes, I found myself invested. So much to the point that I didn't even check my phone once or look away from the movie. The characters, which start with all the stereotypes, end up being characters you find yourself getting attached to. As you're with them longer and longer, this film takes its time for character development in between the paranoia-filled scares.And not that "rushed" development like most modern horror movies love to do. You know. The ones where it's like...two lines in the entire movie and it's only done before the final scare scene? This movie doesn't do that. And the characters this film created, I thought, were very realistic, as were their reactions and responses to what's happening.With all of that going for it, and with the movie never showing you what exactly is going after them - which a lot of the fear comes from you never seeing anything - I found myself getting nervous. How were they going to end this film in a clever way that doesn't spit on the rest of the film? You know how a bad ending can ruin an otherwise great film? I was so scared that was going to happen.While I can't say how it ended, what I can tell you is that the build up and execution is perfect. You never see it coming and that's what makes it so great.In reality, if I had to pick one flaw from the ending, it's the very last scene before the credits roll. Again, I won't say what it is, but it was the only thing I found myself disliking. If for any reason, the movie is an otherwise great psychological case study.The pros to this film are the pacing and characters. At certain moments, I literally teared up! I got that attached to these characters! And that's not something easily done in horror films - especially anything coming out after the mid-70s. This movie had me scared. And being a horror movie junkie, I don't usually get scared. I'm one of those that will sit through movies like "The Hills Have Eyes" and "The Conjuring" and laugh my way through them due to how stupid and over the top they are.So, yeah. I do recommend this movie. Not just to the horror movie junkies like myself, but anyone who's willing to have their mentality tested.
Plapirate
This unpretentious little indie caught me and my family just at the right time - after recently walking out of a pretty disgusting horror film. We loved Abandoned Mine for what it is - perfect for younger and family audiences who want a fun ride with twists and turns in some very creepy mine locations. It keeps you guessing up to the very end. If you're claustrophobic, you'll feel it. The acting is very believable. Ethan is hilarious. It seems to be more of a parody on horror films. The generic title Abandoned Mine, "Happy Valley" is where they live, telling ghost stories around the campfire in front of a haunted mine on Halloween - all seems to be purposefully cliché and poking fun. So if you're looking for real serious blood and guts horror, watch something else. This is for those who want some fun scares with psychological twists and turns but don't want to be offended by gratuitous language and nudity. It's a Faith & Family-friendly movie. Great for weekend sleepovers now that school is back in session.
Reaper-of-Souls
Some people amaze me when they review a movie that they only watched for 15 minutes and automatically rate it the lowest possible score. No way this is a 1 out of 10. It's not even a 3.6 out of 10, which is its current rating. I give it a solid 6, give or take 1 point depending on how graphic you like your horror films to be.There's no need for me to give the plot outline, it's already been given. For a low budget film, the acting, the lighting, the setting and the story are all above par. And let's not forget it is a bit claustrophobic at times as well. Not as much so as THE DESCENT, but still very good for the small amount of money involved. Again, I would like to give props for the lighting. For a movie like this, set inside an abandoned mine, the lighting couldn't have been any better. Great job all around. Not violent, but very well paced, acted and directed. If nothing else, great fun for the entire family. Kid-friendly stamped and approved.
Paul Magne Haakonsen
"Abandoned Mine" is sort of a scary movie for children. Or at least I hope so, because if this was seriously meant as a horror movie, then it just failed utterly and completely. There was absolutely nothing scary about the movie, aside from the fact it was lacking scared and the level of boredom it managed to invoke.The story in "Abandoned Mine" is about a group of young friends who go out to an allegedly haunted mine together to celebrate Halloween. They have a good time and goof around, until one of them starts telling the tale that took place one hundred years earlier. And as a storm starts to roll in, the youngsters seek shelter within the mine shaft, and as curiosity gets the better of them, they decide to venture deeper into the mine to have a look around and see if they can scare up some spirits and ghosts for Halloween.For a family movie, then "Abandoned Mine" would be adequate, as there is no gore, no mutilation, no scary parts, no nothing, in it to upset the viewers. But if you sit here and watch it, hoping it to be a proper horror movie, like I did, you will be sorely disappointed.As a movie taking place in a haunted mine, there never was any sense of dread, claustrophobia or panic to be felt throughout the movie. Whether it was because of a fairly weak storyline or because the actors failed to portray such emotions, well I am most likely to say because of the lack of a proper storyline.The people hired for the roles in "Abandoned Mine" were doing good enough jobs with their given characters, although they just didn't have much to work with.If you want to be properly entertained by one of the spelunking horror movies, your money would be better spent on either of the "The Descent" movies. "Abandoned Mine" failed on many levels.