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Timeline

Abandoned (2022) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2022 · 102 min · English
Echo score 41
JustWatch #1,880 28
Starring
Michael Shannon, Emma Roberts, Paul Schneider, John Gallagher Jr., Kate Arrington, Paul Dillon
Budget
$1.8M

While settling into a remote farmhouse, new parents Sara and Alex discover their home holds dark and unsettling secrets. As they try to uncover the truth behind the crumbling structure, Sara’s mental state deteriorates, leading her down a frightening path. She struggles to discern reality from delusion, putting her own life and the safety of her baby in peril.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (14)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Abandoned
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Abandoned (2022)

Where can you watch Abandoned? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Hoopla and Kanopy: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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14 events in order · contains spoilers

Abandoned Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of Abandoned (2022) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Moving to the Countryside

    Sara and Alex decide to leave their old life behind and relocate to a quiet farmhouse in the countryside. They hope this change will help Sara cope with her postpartum depression and offer a serene environment for their newborn, Liam.

    Where
    Countryside Farmhouse
  2. The Chilling History Revealed

    Upon arriving, their realtor, Cindy, shares the unsettling backstory of their new home. Sara learns that, forty years prior, Anna Solomon murdered her infant and abusive father before taking her own life within the very walls they now inhabit.

    When
    Forty years ago
    Where
    Countryside Farmhouse
  3. Eerily Similar

    Intrigued by Anna's tale, Sara starts experiencing visions that evoke a deep sense of connection to the deceased mother. She notices a disturbing resemblance between herself and Anna, leading to a growing obsession with the past.

  4. Haunting Experiences Begin

    Sara begins to wear Anna’s old belongings, which trigger frightening visions of both Anna and her father, Robert. The occurrences become more unsettling as strange noises resonate through the house and household items mysteriously disappear.

    Where
    Countryside Farmhouse
  5. Concern Over Local Farmer

    While Sara struggles with her mental state, Alex becomes consumed with the mysterious illness affecting farmer Harrington's pigs. This subplot hints at deeper issues within the community surrounding the farmhouse.

    Where
    Local Farm
  6. Meeting Chris Renner

    Sara encounters Chris Renner, an unusual neighbor, who unexpectedly reveals himself to be Anna’s brother. He shares a tragic story about their mother’s death at childbirth, providing insight into the family’s dark history.

  7. Secrets of Anna's Past

    Renner's silence regarding the fate of Anna's other children unnerves Sara. He warns her against listening to the mysterious childlike voices that echo throughout the house, further deepening the mystery surrounding Anna's family.

    Where
    Countryside Farmhouse
  8. Seeking Help from Dr. Carver

    Fearing for Sara’s mental health and its impact on their family, Alex insists she consult psychiatrist Dr. Carver. Although he prescribes anti-psychotic medication, Sara hesitates, fearing it may hinder her bond with Liam.

    Where
    Doctor's Office
  9. A Ghostly Encounter

    The tension escalates as Sara seemingly faces an attack from Robert Solomon's ghost while bathing Liam. In a moment of terror, the baby unexpectedly disappears, heightening Sara's fears and confusion.

    Where
    Bathroom
  10. Discovery in the Attic

    After recovering from a near-drowning scare, Sara hears Liam's cries leading her to the attic. There, she discovers a collection of missing items and encounters two feral boys, claiming they are Anna's other children and that Liam belongs to them.

    Where
    Attic
  11. Confrontation with the Boys

    The encounter with the boys escalates as one of them threatens Sara with an ax, intent on claiming Liam. The tension reaches a peak, forcing Sara to confront the horrifying legacy of Anna's past.

    Where
    Attic
  12. A Moment of Victory

    In a dramatic turn of events, the scene cuts to a joy-filled Sara holding Liam in the attic. She triumphantly declares, 'He’s mine,' signifying her newfound strength and connection to her son.

    Where
    Attic
  13. Reassurance to Alex

    When Alex returns home, Sara confidently reassures him that the ordeal is finally over. This moment marks a shift in their family dynamic as they attempt to move forward together.

    Where
    Countryside Farmhouse
  14. A New Beginning

    The couple embraces a hopeful future, now relieved to be raising Liam together. However, a fleeting shadow of uncertainty crosses Sara's face as she grapples with the reality of potential motherhood once more.

    Where
    Countryside Farmhouse

Last updated: October 25, 2024 at 10:33

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Timeline questions answered

Abandoned Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of Abandoned (2022): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why does Sara become so obsessed with Anna Solomon?

Sara becomes obsessed with Anna after discovering the house's dark history and noticing a striking physical resemblance between herself and Anna. This similarity triggers a psychological spiral, as Sara begins unconsciously connecting her own struggles as a new mother with Anna's tragic story of murdering her infant. Her wearing Anna's old belongings represents a dangerous merging of identities, amplified by her postpartum depression which makes her vulnerable to distorted thinking.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, the realtor mentions that Anna killed her infant, which Planted the seed for Sara's obsession with the connection between motherhood and violence.

  • sara
  • anna solomon
  • obsession
  • postpartum depression
  • resemblance
Q2

Who are the feral boys in the attic?

The feral boys are Anna Solomon's other two children, who were apparently hidden away in the house after their birth. They have survived in the house for years, living in the attic and subsisting on their own. They appear severely traumatized and feral, having been left alone without proper care. They believe Liam belongs to them because Anna could not care for her children, explaining their attempt to take the baby during the confrontation.

Foreshadowing: Chris Renner warns Sara about Anna's two other children but refuses to explain what happened to them, hinting they were never found.

  • feral boys
  • anna's children
  • attic
  • hidden children
Q3

What happened to Anna Solomon's other children?

Anna's other two children were hidden in the house and lived there in secret, becoming the feral boys Sara encounters in the attic. Chris Renner, Anna's brother, knew about them but kept their existence secret, possibly to protect them from their grandfather Robert or from being taken away. The children were never found by authorities during the original investigation forty years ago.

Foreshadowing: Renner's vague warning about Anna having 'two other children' and his refusal to discuss their fate plants the mystery early in the film.

  • anna's children
  • chris renner
  • hidden children
  • family secret
Q4

Why does baby Liam disappear during the ghost attack?

Liam appears to vanish during what Sara experiences as a ghost attack from Robert Solomon while bathing him. However, the movie leaves this ambiguous - the disappearance could be supernatural, a hallucination caused by Sara's deteriorating mental state, or the feral boys actually taking him to the attic. The mysterious vanishing creates the driving tension that leads Sara to search the house and ultimately confront the truth in the attic.

Foreshadowing: Strange items have been disappearing throughout the film, building toward this climactic vanishing act.

  • liam
  • baby
  • disappearance
  • ghost attack
  • robert solomon
Q5

Why is Chris Renner Anna Solomon's brother?

Chris Renner is revealed to be Anna Solomon's undisclosed brother, sharing the traumatic family history. He explains that their mother died during childbirth, which triggered their father Robert's severe abuse toward Anna. Renner has lived in the area for years, keeping his family connection secret while watching over the house from a distance. He warns Sara to stop investigating but never directly interferes until the confrontation forces the truth to surface.

Foreshadowing: Renner's unusual interest in the couple and his knowledge of the house's history become suspicious long before his true identity is revealed.

  • chris renner
  • anna's brother
  • family secret
  • neighbor
Q6

Why does Sara refuse to take the antipsychotic medication?

Sara refuses Dr. Carver's prescribed antipsychotic medication because she fears it will interfere with her ability to breastfeed and bond with Liam. This decision reflects her deep maternal instinct and the tragic irony that her very dedication to motherhood becomes part of her unraveling. The fear of losing the intimate connection with her baby through breastfeeding represents her resistance to accepting that her mind is betraying her.

Foreshadowing: Sara's strong attachment to breastfeeding is established early as a central part of her identity as a mother.

  • sara
  • dr. carver
  • medication
  • antipsychotic
  • breastfeeding
  • bond
Q7

What are the childlike voices whispering in the house?

The childlike voices are meant to be ambiguous - they could be supernatural manifestations of Anna's guilt over killing her infant, the actual spirits of the children, or projections of Sara's unstable mind. Chris Renner warns Sara against listening to them, suggesting they represent something dangerous. The voices are eventually revealed to belong to Anna's two feral children who have been living hidden in the house, though whether they are spirits or living beings remains unclear.

Foreshadowing: Early mysterious sounds and the discovery of missing items foreshadow the presence of someone - or something - hiding in the house.

  • childlike voices
  • whispers
  • supernatural
  • hallucination
  • anna's children
Q8

Is Sara experiencing real ghosts or hallucinations from postpartum depression?

The movie deliberately blurs the line between supernatural haunting and psychological breakdown. Sara's postpartum depression makes her highly susceptible to visual and auditory hallucinations, yet genuine supernatural events also occur - the feral children are real, items do disappear, and other characters witness some phenomena. This ambiguity is central to the film's tension, leaving viewers to decide whether the house is actually haunted or if Sara's mind is creating the haunting.

Foreshadowing: Alex's skepticism about the supernatural combined with Sara's visible mental deterioration keeps the interpretation uncertain throughout.

  • ghosts
  • hallucinations
  • supernatural
  • postpartum depression
  • reality vs delusion
Q9

What does the ambiguous ending mean - is the threat really over?

The ending is deliberately ambiguous. Sara successfully protects Liam from the feral boys and reassures Alex that 'it's over,' appearing to have won her battle. However, her final expression of uncertainty about her second pregnancy suggests the trauma and potential supernatural threat may continue. The 'happy' resolution could be real, or it could represent another psychological episode where Sara has simply replaced one delusion with another.

Foreshadowing: The earlier ambiguity between reality and delusion, combined with Sara's unresolved mental state, sets up the uncertain conclusion.

  • ending
  • ambiguous
  • second pregnancy
  • resolution
  • threat
Q10

Why does Sara look uncertain about her second pregnancy at the end?

Sara's uncertain expression during the final scene suggests she recognizes the pattern repeating - her first pregnancy led to postpartum depression and a terrifying encounter with the house's dark history. This look implies she may face the same psychological struggles again, or worse, that the supernatural threat from Anna's legacy will continue with another child. It leaves the audience with dread rather than closure, questioning whether the 'happy' ending is sustainable.

Foreshadowing: Sara's history of postpartum depression and the unresolved mystery of Anna's children suggest this peace may be temporary.

  • second pregnancy
  • ending
  • uncertainty
  • sara
  • sequel tease

Movie threads

More Movies Like Abandoned, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Abandoned tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Slow Burn Psychological Horror Movies like Abandoned

Stories where perception fractures under the weight of isolation and unseen threats. If you liked the tense, psychological unraveling in Abandoned, you'll find similar stories here. This collection features movies like Abandoned where characters face a slow-burn descent into paranoia, blending supernatural dread with deep-seated psychological fears in claustrophobic settings.

  • slow burn
  • psychological
  • unsettling
  • paranoid
  • claustrophobic
  • atmospheric
  • Tone: tense, unsettling, paranoid
  • Pacing: slow burn, variable
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Narratives in this thread typically follow a character, often in a vulnerable state, who is placed in an isolating setting. The story unfolds through a series of ambiguous events that challenge their perception, leading to a gradual psychological breakdown. The central conflict is internal—the struggle to maintain sanity—while external threats may or may not be real.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped by their shared focus on psychological deterioration, a slow-burn pacing that amplifies unease, and a tense, atmospheric tone. They prioritize psychological distress and a pervasive sense of dread over jump scares, creating a deeply unsettling viewing experience.

Movies about Psychological Hauntings like Abandoned

Where the terror of a haunted home mirrors the fractures within a troubled psyche. Explore movies similar to Abandoned that blend supernatural horror with deep psychological themes. These films, like Abandoned, use a haunted setting as a metaphor for internal struggle, creating a heavy, tense experience where the true horror lies in the blurring of reality and delusion.

  • haunted house
  • psychological
  • atmospheric
  • unsettling
  • family trauma
  • isolation
  • Tone: tense, heavy, bleak
  • Pacing: variable, atmospheric
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a vulnerable individual or family moving into a location with a dark past. The haunting events they experience often parallel their own psychological baggage, forcing them to confront both external supernatural forces and their internal demons simultaneously. The resolution is often ambiguous, leaving questions about the source of the horror.

Why they belong together: These films are connected by their core theme: the symbiotic relationship between a haunted setting and a troubled mind. They share a heavy emotional weight, a tense atmosphere, and a complex narrative that explores whether the horror is supernatural, psychological, or a terrifying combination of both.

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Every angle

Abandoned (2022) Explained: Plot, Ending, Timeline & Characters

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