Absentia

Last night, with not much fare on cable, I decided to watch Absentia. A recent horror film by Mike Flanagan.

First off let me start by saying that horror is my favorite genre. Not your "slasher" flicks though… but well crafted Gothic horror like Robert Wise's original THE HAUNTING.

Creepy atmospheric films that get you thinking and make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

You can read the synopsis here on IMDb, so I won't go into that. As far as reviews go, Variety couldn't have said it any better! (http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117945387/)

The low budget only proves that a cool story, some nice direction, well paced editing and a more than capable cast don't need to come from a big Hollywood studio… and they rarely do these days!

At times the scares are so subtle (ala the cult classic B film, "Let's Scare Jessica to Death") you won't believe your own eyes. Is Daniel really there or a figment of his wife's (played brilliantly I might add by Courtney Bell) imagination?.

The real standout here though is Mike Flanagan, the writer/director.

I await his next project with great anticipation! 8 out of 10 stars!

PS-Notice some of the character references to some horror director icons. Carpenter, Del Toro, Romero... :)

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.

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.

After enjoying Ouija origin of evil and hush, and after ADORING oculus, i decided to watch some of flanagan's other movies. you can see his raw talent at work in this indy flick. you could definitely feel the low-budget nature of the movie, but you could also feel the clever story-telling and creative scares, not to mention the general sense of dread and suspense. i had a good time with this movie (1 viewing, 3/21/2021)

Summary: Mike Flanagan's first horror feature is an effective psychological thriller, packed with surprising moments, good performances and clever scares. 80/100 (B+)

Tricia's husband Daniel has been missing for seven years. Her younger sister Callie comes to live with her as the pressure mounts to finally declare him dead in absentia. As Tricia sifts through the wreckage and tries to move on with her life, Callie finds herself drawn to an ominous tunnel near the house. As she begins to link it to other mysterious disappearances, it becomes clear that Daniel's presumed death might be anything but natural. The ancient force at work in the tunnel might have set its sights on Callie and Tricia... and Daniel might be suffering a fate far worse than death in its grasp. Absentia is a great psychological horror film that will leave you guessing about what was real and what was not. It is a very well done low-budget flick, superbly acted, original and sinister.

Absentia is a strangely original movie. I really liked all of the psychological aspects of it. Flanagan surprises us with a bunch of unexpected scares, and some relentless drama. Also, the acting was quite good. The film does not feel hampered by its extremely low budget ($75,000 US), all of the scares have quality. It is impressive how well this film is directed. The performances were great, and I cared about the characters. If you are a horror fan you should not miss this hidden gem. It is amazing what Flanagan can do with a micro-budget. In spite of a kinda boring musical score, I still loved Absentia. It is one of the most thought-provoking horror films I have seen, it deals with a very moving story that is painfully sad. The ending leaves some questions, but it makes the film even more debatable. (B+)