It stands to reason that a house must be built before it can be haunted; this movie is about the reverse. What if you could build a house already haunted?Abattoir presents this novel premise as part of an investigative-thriller. In digging into why her sister’s family was murdered, Julia stumbles across something more sinister. The performances vary a bit, but the movie works in spite of that. The production design is stellar, with impressive set work (particularly at the close). Most interesting is the progression of the film: how it starts as a simple thriller, tinges with small town creepiness, and descends into true horror at the close. With more than a few twists and turns, Abattoir is an entertaining horror experience that pushes a familiar idea in a fresh and intriguing direction.
