Absentia

I was going to dedicate today's post to the third season of FX's acclaimed and daring drama American Horror Story, which premieres tonight at 10:00 pm under the subtitle Coven, but given that the season hasn't started yet there wasn't going to be much to say about this new edition that can't be found elsewhere, so I'll wait until we're a ways into the season.

PLUS, I happened to watch a great indie horror film on a whim last night and ended up pleasantly freaked and excited to promote it. A lot of beloved and influential horror classics started off as little independent projects hoping to somehow make a mark, and though not all modern day indie horrors that dominate the film festivals measure up to Halloween (1978) or The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1973), one or two emerge triumphant from the bloodbath. Mike Flanagan's Absentia (2011) is one such film.

Absentia (U.S.)

Released: March 3, 2011

Director: Mike Flanagan

Screenplay: Mike Flanagan

Tagline: "There are fates worse than death"

Cast:

Katie Parker as Callie

Courtney Bell as Tricia Riley

Dave Levine as Detective Ryan Mallory

Morgan Peter Brown as Daniel Riley

Justin Gordon as Detective Lonergan

There's nothing quite like finding a little horror-film-that-could and watching it get by surprisingly well. You have to adopt some respect for the creative minds at work that got their project off the ground, especially a project like Absentia, which squeezes an impressive amount of horror out of a $70,000 budget. As such, if you're looking for crazy and expensive special effects and other studio money embellishments, this might not be the movie for you. IF, however, you're a fan of psychological terror and personal hauntings, then this movie might just be right up your alley.

I went into the film not knowing anything other than a basic plot line so I'm going to avoid giving away too much of the story, especially since there are a few unexpected twists to the story that will fool even the most experienced of us horror and mystery fans living in a post-Sixth Sense world. But, in a nutshell, Absentia is a dreary psychological foray into the mind of a woman, Tricia, who is about to declare her husband, vanished seven years past, legally dead, or, "death in absentia." In order to face the moment when her husband will not exist in a legal sense, Tricia calls on her younger sister Callie to help her in the final steps of moving out and moving on. But when strange things start happening in a neighborhood where "things go missing," old wounds are opened between the sisters and the tension skyrockets. Oh, and then, there's something strange about the tunnel across the road. 

If you're intrigued, throw it in your cart on Netflix Instant, just don't be put off by the awful cover art they chose. It's really not a good reflection of the quality of the film at all...

Apparently this was made by Cliche Crafts, Inc.

At first it seems like you can easily pull the threads of what's going to happen next in Absentia, but then comes a wicked punch to the chin that follows with a few other revelations soaring in from left field. The story continues to work these interesting angles and relies on atmosphere and mystery rather than violence, shock value, or profound digital visuals. Writer-director Mike Flanagan brings genuine spirit through pen and camera, playing on sinister, old folklore but then turning it around to make it all his own. There are times when the plot advances based only on conjecture, but the pacing is spot-on and makes even the weak moments work. Flanagan also adheres to one of my favorite rules for the horror genre: showing as little as possible. As the climax crawls nearer and nearer, you know that something is going on, can feel that something is lurking, but we can't see the whole picture just yet. The imagination is flexed here, and that always makes a good horror story stand out.

The cast also brings the movie up a notch, despite their generally inexperienced nature, which is great considering Absentia is very much a character-driven story. Katie Parker plays the lead as comfortably charismatic, while Bell convincingly taps into the ideal image of the older, responsible put-upon sister. 

A few plot points remain somewhat murky when the credits roll, and that may mean this film should be avoided by mainstream horror fans, but Absentia is still great in that it presents a fresh idea, a compelling story, and explores themes that have not been run into the ground as in other horror films. It proves that capable storytellers and strong performers can still serve up creepy joyrides without the big bucks. 

Absentia

5-Totally Terrifying

4-Crazy Creepy

3-Fairly Frightening

2-Slightly Scary

1-Hardly Horror