• Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket

DVD Review – Absentia (2011)

July 9, 2012 by admin

Absentia, 2011.

Written and Directed by Mike Flanagan.
Starring Katie Parker, Courtney Bell, Dave Levine, Morgan Peter Brown, Justin Gordon, James Flanagan and Doug Jones.

SYNOPSIS:

A woman and her sister come to suspect that a pedestrian tunnel could be linked to a series of neighborhood disappearances, including that of her own husband seven years earlier.

Writer-director Mike Flanagan’s Absentia has been earning plenty of praise from sites such as Aint It Cool News, Arrow in the Head and Dread Central over the past twelve months, not to mention Empire Magazine’s resident genre specialist Kim Newman, who proclaimed the low-budget offering as “one of the outstanding horror releases of the year”. Having picked up a number of awards on the festival circuit, the film now arrives on DVD here in the UK courtesy of Second Sight, where it will hope to live up to the hype and stand out among the seemingly endless wave of sub-standard direct-to-video releases that line the bottom shelves of our local supermarkets.

Absentia centres around two sisters – Tricia (Courtney Bell), who has spent the past seven years searching for her missing husband Danny (Morgan Peter Brown), as well as clues as to the reason(s) behind his mysterious disappearance – and Callie (Katie Parker), a recovering drug addict. When Callie comes to stay with Tricia, she encourages her sister to declare Danny ‘dead in absentia’, hoping this will allow Tricia to move forward with her life (as it happens, she’s also heavily pregnant, to the detective investigating Danny’s disappeance no less). Unfortunately, it has the opposite effect, and Tricia soon begins to experience visions of her husband, which her therapist puts down to feelings of guilt. Meanwhile Callie encounters a stranger (Doug Jones of Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth fame) in a nearby pedestrian tunnel, who acts surprised that the woman is able to see him…

As the story progresses, the siblings discover that the neighborhood has an unusually high rate of disappearances, which may or may not be linked to the supernatural – or more specifically, linked to the aforementioned tunnel, which may or may not be a gateway to some kind of ‘underworld’ – another dimension ruled by dark, shadowy creatures. To give away much more of the plot here would be to do the film a disservice, but if you’re looking for a clear-cut explanation of what’s going on, you’ll be looking for a long time (indeed, you’ll probably declare the explanation ‘dead in absentia’). On more than one occasion the narrative deliberately leads us one way, before twisting off in another direction, forcing us to question our assumptions and, y’know, actually have to think about things.

For a low-budget independent horror, Absentia is certainly refreshing; it doesn’t fall into the categories of slasher or found footage for a start, and is well-written with strong, believable characters – particularly the two sisters, with Bell and Parker both delivering solid performances in the lead roles. At its core, Absentia is an accomplished and engaging drama with supernatural elements, so while fans of blood, guts and boobs will likely find themselves disappointed, those seeking a slow-burning, intelligent and thought-provoking character-driven chiller should find plenty to enjoy.

Flickering Myth Rating: Film ★ ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★ ★

Gary Collinson is a writer and lecturer from the North East of England. He is the editor-in-chief of FlickeringMyth.com and the author of Holy Franchise, Batman! Bringing the Caped Crusader to the Screen.

Originally published July 9, 2012. Updated April 12, 2018.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

WATCH OUR MOVIE NOW FOR FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

The Return of Cameron Diaz: Her Best Movies Worth Revisiting

The Next 007: 3 Actors Who Could Lead James Bond Into the New Era

Whatever Happened to the Horror Icon?

1990s Summer Movie Flops That Deserved Better

Cannon Films and the Masters of the Universe

The Most Shocking Movies of the 1970s

Underrated Modern Horror Gems That Deserve More Love

The Most Disturbing Horror Movies of the 1980s

7 Great Life Affirming Robin Williams Movies

Nowhere Left to Hide: The Rise of Tech-Savvy Killers in Horror

Top Stories:

Movie Review – The Roses (2025)

Indie vampire horror-comedy OnlyFangs gets a trailer, poster and images

4K Ultra HD Review – Monty Python and the Holy Grail: 50th Anniversary Edition (1975)

10 Great Horror Movies with Villainous Protagonists

Movie Review – Eden (2025)

10 Essential Comedy Movies From 1995

The Next 007: 3 Actors Who Could Lead James Bond Into the New Era

Movie Review – Pools (2025)

STREAM FREE ON PRIME VIDEO!

FEATURED POSTS:

Crazy Cult 80s Movies You May Have Missed

The (00)7 Most Underrated James Bond Movies

The Essential Action Movies of 1985

Forgotten Horror Movie Sequels You Never Need to See

Our Partners

  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Features
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Articles and Opinions
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
    • Flickering Myth Films
    • FMTV
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
  • Socials
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • Bluesky
    • Instagram
    • Flipboard
    • Linktree
    • X
  • Terms
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Articles & Opinions
  • Write for Us
  • The Baby in the Basket