Absentia

Very good horror film! No, a very good film that happens to be a horror film. Even if the horror aspects were removed, it would be a good film, so well grounded was the initial situation, the setting, and the characters.The movie centers on a woman by the name of Tricia (played by a very relatable and sympathetic Courtney Bell) and her younger sister Callie (played by Catherine Parker who sort of to me at least gave off a Jennifer Lawrence vibe and was wonderful). Tricia’s husband Daniel has been missing for seven years, Tricia’s life just now starting to move on as Tricia finally moves to declare Daniel “dead in absentia.” Pregnant (the mystery of the father soon revealed but I won’t reveal it here; it isn’t Daniel, not seen in seven years), finally taking steps to move on with her life (formally be with the father of her unborn child, move out of the home she shared with Daniel), Callie has moved in to help Tricia with this process, helping her pack, file paperwork, and find a new place to live as well as reconnect with her sister, as previously Callie has had drug issues and appears to be cleaned up and ready to live a normal life now (among other things she is now Christian).As Tricia contemplates dating the husband of her child (who very much wants her) and goes through the process of declaring Daniel dead and finding a new place to live, she starts to see nightmarish visions of Daniel that only she can see. Just a few seconds, maybe Daniel standing behind someone she is talking to or more ominously over her bed as she awakens in the middle of the night, she doesn’t know what to make of this.At the same time, Callie is drawn to a pedestrian underpass tunnel very close to Tricia’s home. Not terribly dark or creepy (at first), it is lit, has a bit of graffiti, and is used a bit to cross under one side of the freeway to the other by Callie and others jogging or walking. However after using it a bit Callie feels something is not right with the tunnel and starts to see strange things and people and looks a bit into its history.Also there are shots showing missing posters in the neighborhood of many, many missing pets.Stripped of the supernatural elements, it is a well told, nicely acted, very well-grounded tale of a woman moving on with her life, of going through the last, very formal steps of declaring her missing husband dead, finding a new place to live, of getting ready for the new life inside her, and contemplating a new life with a new man. It is a bittersweet time, as these last actions put a definite end to one period of her life as she begins a new chapter.Meanwhile Callie, having bounced around the country and been in and out of drug use, is reconnecting with her sister, acting as a stabilizing influence for her sister when in the past Tricia was the one that tried to provide some stability. Perhaps still tempted by drugs, she is trying to find positivity and stability in her faith, in exercise (jogging), and in helping her sister.The cinematography, the lighting, the music, the acting, the quiet parts of the film, all of this was so well done and it felt real, my interest in the characters genuine.But it is a horror movie! The supernatural aspect is on the edges of the film at first; are the visions Tricia sees real? Is Callie just in possession of an overactive imagination, prone to conspiracy theories, and/or is she back on drugs? As the film progresses yeah, some of that may be a yes, but there is something supernatural going on, something that connects the tunnel, Daniel’s disappearance, and Tricia’s visions (and the missing pets).The film had great production values as far as sound, lighting, music, but the special effects budget, while never ever cheesy, was shall we say spartan or sparse for the supernatural elements. Wisely, the director chose the less is more approach, that the viewer fills in a lot of what is not seen but very strongly implied. There were a few scary scenes but the film, but s the film had such well grounded characters and personal situations, almost felt like a natural outgrowth of Tricia’s and Callie’s problems, that it wasn’t the sudden intrusion of a ghost say into a non-horror movie but more like another (very sinister) wrinkle to two people’s attempts to move on (Tricia to accept Daniel is gone and move on, Callie to be seen as anything other than a hallucinating drug addict and irresponsible drifter). The supernatural elements could be metaphorical or part of mental illness (something helped by the film showing one character imagining a situation and that situation being shown), all very much fitting with the trajectory of the two characters.Or they could be a real monster. The actual supernatural element was more implied than ever seen or seriously explored but was interesting and scary.Good film!

First off, let me state that if your idea of a horror film is "Saw" "Hostel" or the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or you absolutely must have a CGI "bug eyed monster" buckets of fake blood and a simplistic plot line rather than a dark, cerebral study of a subtle build up of paranoia, dread and terror, both psychological and real, this film will not be to your taste. And like many of the cranially challenged, who must have gore (the more the better) and less complex adult character development or possess the capacity to understand the concept of subtlety, might find this tediously slow paced and boring. But I assure you, this film escalates to pure horror.For aficionados of true horror, please don't pass "Absentia" up. You won't regret it. It proves that mega millions and technological wizardry are not necessary to create a superb film of unsettling terror. Mike Flannagan is a director who truly understands what makes unforgettable horror. He is a master of "less is more" and this film pays off big time.The two female leads are excellent and very convincing in their roles. They are not scantily clad "hotties" with heaving bosoms, strutting around either killing off monsters or seducing the male characters. They are real women who portray human beings trying to cope and make sense of an unbelievable and tragic situation. The frustration and sense of futility of a wife struggling to deal with a husband missing for seven years (even though their marriage was not the greatest) would take their toll on anyone.The disenfranchised "wild" and "black sheep" sometimes drug using sister, who moves around from one state to another, yet comes to her sister's aid, is totally believable. There is an underlying complexity to both these women.The wife, now pregnant, is torn between the legal and emotional responsibility of dealing with her husband's disappearance while having a sometimes relationship with the police detective trying to solve the case. She is torn between isolation, lonliness, guilt, pregnancy and just wanting closure. As she keeps seeing horrific visions of her spouse (a ghost or something worse?) she tries to cope using zen meditations and counseling to focus and keep rational, yet she knows this is an exercise in futility. You really feel for her.Her sister, who at heart, is a sympathetic, compassionate and caring person. She relies not only on her faith but also doggedly delves into research to try to uncover this mystery of not only her missing brother-in-law, but finding many unexplained disappearances of both people and animals spanning decades.There are a couple of startling jump scares but they serve to build up to the mounting horror. The lighted, graffiti covered tunnel, while innocuous at first, begins to suggest a monstrous claustrophobic gateway to... where?The missing victims whose temporary reappearance, the actual abductions and the violence of the attacks are not overdone, but are executed convincingly and are terrifying. As is the "trade" resulting from the younger sister's sacrifice. That shocking two second scene, alone is enough to compete successfully with any hatchet wielding/slasher villain or special effects chest bursting monster in far more commercial films. Again, Mike Flanagan knows what scares and horrifies you. I think sometime very soon, he will be regarded as one of the great horror film makers.What stands out to me, is the fact that this could have easily been a very well done, Lovecraftian horror film. Infuriatingly almost 95% of them are 100% trash. They are thrown together goofy scripts from a hack writer or director who hasn't read a word of HPL. It seems all that a film has to do to be called "Lovecraftian" is to mention Cthulhu, squid or the Necronomicon. And this is complete disregard for Lovecraft's subtle eldritch horror. But "Absentia" completely grasps this hard to film concept. The difference being instead of tentacled monsters, the monsters are insectoid creatures. The fact they are barely hinted at and never fully in sight, only heightens their horrific presence. The great Val Lewton was a master of this method.In my opinion, the first thing I thought of watching this film was Stephen King's excellent short story "Crouch End." And although that was set in London and this in southern California, there are similarities. Everyone is in denial about the cause of the many disappearances, yet there is an acknowledged foreboding, as if something isn't quite right about both areas.As in King's story, this does not end well and there is no solving of the mysteries or the horrors behind them. But if you want a chilling, thought provoking and disturbing film that will have you thinking about long after the credits role, don't pass this one up. A chilling masterpiece that you will watch again and again.

First off, the lead actresses in this film are great. They feel real, and do not succumb to the cliche glamor girls typically cast in horror films or otherwise. Quite refreshing.The film starts off strong, portraying two sisters coming together over a relational trauma experienced by one of the pair. Seriously, the first half of the movie is gold. It feels real, and we get subtle glimpses into the psychological trauma of the situation while still being grounded in reality, but eventually the movie breaks down into a "monster mystery". I'll be honest, I was roped in by the premise of this film, but I think it would have been a stronger piece if it focused on the psychological horror rather than devolving into a monster flick. It should have been more of a Jacob's Ladder if anything.Aside from the plot, the music and ambience were well done -- not over the top -- but minimalistic, introspective, and moody. I really enjoyed the general "feel" given off by the film.This movie is clearly not a Hollywood conception, but more of a B movie as some would say, and it shines because of it. If you are looking for something outside of the modern cliche, I truly recommend.

this movie sneaks up on you .........there are no real shocking moments, no blood or guts, but it's a good story about a man who goes missing without a word and reappears years later....... it's simply very creepy.A must for any horror fan!

Among the better low budget horror films. Well acted, directed and written. the atmosphere builds slowly throughout but i would not describe it as a slow burner. you will know what i mean if you have seen it. Definitely worth seeing.

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This was a good film,a very good story line,and easy to get into,I have kept this on the shelf as we will definately be watching it again.

Couldn't get into the film, but delivery and quality of disc I can't fault