Absentia

This somber yet deeply unsettling film managed to give me the willies even in the less-than-ideal Horrorhound Weekend screening.

Not soon after a pregnant woman (Katie Parker) declares her missing husband (Morgan Peter Brown) legally dead, she begins to having terrifying visions that hint that maybe she spoke too quickly. Writer/director Flanagan pulls off an incredible feat with this film. He manages to reinvent the ghost story, then takes it to an unexpected, even creepier place.

Don't be fooled by the show-burn pacing, because the almost-suffocating tension had me squirming in my seat, forgetting to breathe.

It's been almost a year since I've seen ABSENTIA. What haunts me most is not the disturbing visuals or even the deeply unsettling story line. It's the mood. When I simply think about the title, I hear in my head its stark, two-note funeral organ score and my chest wells up with emotions not usually incurred by watching a horror movie: grief, loss and perhaps the most terrifying of all…the dread of inevitability.

Toss in a pitch perfect cast, including a heart-wrenching cameo from the always delicious Doug Jones, and BOOM! You've got my favorite horror movie of 2011.

"Absentia" actually turned out to be a rather nice surprise of a movie. I must admit that I had expected somewhat more horror from it, whereas it turned out to be a character driven mystery instead. But still, it was quite nice.

The story is about Tricia Riley (played by Courtney Bell) whose husband Daniel Riley (played by Morgan Peter Brown) has been missing for seven years, and now ready to have the death certificate issued and brought the case to a closure, something unexpected happens...

The movie is slow paced, but that actually works out well enough in favor of the movie, as it helps to build the setting and set up the mood for the entire story. The director, Mike Flanagan, is great at adding little bits to the story while building up a good sense of mystery and dread, and at the same time leaving almost everything up to the imagination of the viewer.

"Absentia" was really brought to life on the screen by the people they had cast for the various roles. Sure this wasn't a major Hollywood production with an obscene amount of money put into the project, but Mike Flanagan proves that you don't need a ridiculously huge budget in order to make a memorable movie that sinks right in. So despite it being a smaller budget movie, the end result was far better than what I had expected.

If you like movies that are thick on suspense and a dire mood, then "Absentia" is well worth checking out. Don't watch this movie with the hopes or intentions to be scared out of your brain, because it is just not that type of horror movie.

I was thoroughly entertained by "Absentia" and I do love it when I happen to fall upon the odd movie here and there that is a gem in disguise. And it was a nice treat to sit in the dark and sort of being fed just enough information to make you start to think and try to figure out what was going on, and at the end being left in the dark to draw your own conclusions as to what was really going on.

Thumbs way up for "Absentia".

An early film from Director Mike Flanagan, ABSENTIA is about sisters Tricia (Courtney Bell) and Callie (Catherine Parker). Tricia has finally decided to have her missing husband declared dead in absentia, after 7 years. Unfortunately, it's not that simple, and bizarre circumstances unfold that point to something far more sinister than a disappearance.

Dark, mysterious, and, in spots, terrifying, this low budget film is evidence of what can be accomplished with some imagination and talent. While there are no big special effects, there is a well-written story, as well as great acting from the principal characters.

The strained yet close relationship between Tricia and Callie feels authentic, and their dialogue is natural / unforced. This makes the otherworldly threat they face seem more real, and in the end, more devastating. Ultimately, this is a tale of love and tragic loss, accentuated by horror. There's a tie-in to folklore that helps to flesh things out.

Creepy, disturbing, and satisfying...

This movie is not perfect. For those who expect perfection, you'll be hard to please with this one.

I've read some negative reviews and many of them seem to be harping on how the lead actress is pregnant when her husband has been missing for 7 years or whether the events that transpired are supposed to be mere hallucinations of her younger drug-addicted sister. These things are definitely clarified in the movie, so if you find yourself being bothered by such trivial matters, you probably weren't paying attention.

The scary/horrifying moments are good; some of them did send shivers up my spine. The possibilities of what caused the horrific events are explained, and it's a phenomena that is in fact discussed in the real world. So its not entirely a senseless fantasy.

Yes there are moments that seem unexplained, but again, with enough attention paid, you'll be able to figure out why this character was doing that or why that character said this. In a way, this movie reminds me of Rosemary's Baby, in that much is left up to your imagination; no in-your-face creatures and gore. BUT this is definitely MUCH BETTER than Rosemary's Baby as just the right amount is revealed to terrify while just the right amount is left a mystery, for added suspense and thrill.

In my opinion, it worked. I'd give this a 6 only because the soundtrack of the movie bothered me a little. But it deserves a 6.5. I mean Rosemary's Baby annoyed the crap out of me for too much was left unknown and unseen. Yet that's got a whopping 8/10. Give this movie a shot.

While I try to be more lenient with Low Budget productions, I still try and give my honest opinion on what I saw. It mas made very well and all the actors did a fine job.. But for me suspenseful thrillers should keep building and then have a satisfying climax. Unfortunately Absentia does neither... It starts off by creating an eerie atmosphere, offers several paths to take, but then just keeps doing that same attempt to pull you in over and over.. Once you already "pulled" the audience in,, you should then take them on a wild ride forward, not keep repeating the previous premises till it's monotonous,,.. Anyway, it was okay for a single viewing and I do wish all involved the best of luck on their next adventure...