Absentia

10/18/2015

Three Billy Goats Gruff. Written and directed by Mike Flanagan, Absentia finds Tricia (Courtney Bell) and Callie (Katie Parker) as two sisters who come to believe that the underpass nearby could be linked to the many disappearances in the area. A slow burn indie horror is not everybody's idea of a good time, but Flanagan has crafted a smart atmospheric chiller, one with a nifty fairy tale fantasy bubbling away under the surface. Narratively it's low-key, though the air of grief and terror is palpable. The setting is a low rent area of Los Angeles, a place where the girls are told to always keep the doors locked, with the ominous underpass haunting the edges of every other frame. Flanagan filters his story through the urban locale while populating it with characters who are haunted

9/19/2016

Pure filmmaking. Has the atmosphere that is by and large missing from the horror genre, opting for character development, tension, engagement and grounding rather than jump scares and gross-out gore effects. Still a horror movie, to be sure (and therefore not for everybody) but one that stands on its own. _ Final rating:★★★½ - I strongly recommend you make the time._

5/21/2020

I watched this film without knowing it was actually directed by Mike Flanagan. When I saw his name in the beginning of the film, I immediately knew I was in for a treat! I was not wrong! There is something special about the way he tries to scare people who watch his films. I can't tell you exactly what that is. All I know is that he is bloody good at it! You could see the film had a limited budget but actually the fact that its budget was limited made the film even better. Its atmosphere was unique. The "jump scares" were not really a traditional jump scare but rather an amazing collection of moments where you wished you were so glued to the screen. Would I watch it again? Definitely! Would I make my friends watch it? ASAP!

1/15/2021

Fantastic watch, would watch again, and do recommend, especially for horror fans. This is a movie that took from "Alien" and "Jaws" significantly in regards to seeing the danger. Admittedly, this movie does have some ramp up time where it spends a lot of time establishing the setting in the 1st act, but it (mostly) comes into play as somewhat important as the 2nd and 3rd as the story progresses. Once it starts getting creepy it increases exponentially throughout the movie, and with such a great concept and even execution. This is probably my favorite low budget horror movie, and while the movie looks a little grainy in parts, and it's a cast of (mostly) unknowns, you can tell exactly where the majority of their budge went, and it was worth it. If you have ever liked a creepy

1/15/2025

10/10 for creativity. The storyline is easy to follow, and the scares are fantastic. I also love the creature design.