Moving over from the stage for his debut feature film, Jason Augustowski helms the low-budget indie horror project Abducted. The film centers around four teenage friends who visit a nearby river where a mysterious figure lures them into a living nightmare that begins consuming their lives. 

Written by David Sawyer, Abducted has an intriguing idea bubbling underneath its narrative surface that simply never comes to life mostly owing to the inherent difficulties associated with the microcinema world. While it has been proven time and again that quality horror can be produced on a minute budget, Abducted lacks the chills and thrills necessary to really sell its story. Coming in at a slight 67-minute running time, Abducted still feels a tad long and likely could have amped up its impacted by aiming for a lengthier short. 

Among the film's ensemble, Cuinn Ross shines as a compelling young character known only as "The Boy." He feels like a character you've seen in horror projects before, but Ross lights up the screen and is undeniably one of the film's true highlights. 

Abducted is a difficult film to review. It's the kind of film where I can see glimpses of what might've been and it'll be interesting to see where Augustowski goes from here. An award-winning stage director, it's clear that Augustowski has a strong creative vision and an understanding of the relational aspects of acting. While Abducted falls short for me, it's promising enough that I'll look forward to both Augustowski and Sawyer's next projects. 

Abducted is aiming for a Summer 2023 streaming release and you'll be able to watch the film for yourself. You may very well disagree - the indie horror scene, in particular, is the kind of cinematic scene where pretty much every film has its lovers and haters. I definitely didn't hate Abducted. It's a promising first effort for Augustowski and a great opportunity to support an up-and-coming ensemble of actors and crew. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic