Like a cicada's buzz, Director Mike Flanagan's "Absentia" slowly but surely causes the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.
The movie snared Best Horror Feature during this year's International Horror and Sci-fi Film Festival, part of the Phoenix Film Festival. And one could not ask for more from a low-budget thriller. "Absentia" tells a gripping supernatural story that carefully works its way under the viewers' skin.
Katie Parker stars as Callie, a young woman who comes to stay with her older sister Tricia (Courtney Bell), whose husband Daniel (Morgan Peter Brown) has been missing for 7 years. The pressure is mounting for Tricia to declare Daniel "dead in absentia."
However, Tricia is reluctant to do so, always holding out hope for his safe return. Callie, on the other hand, thinks that it is time for her sister to move on, as does the detective assigned to the case (Cave Levine) who has grown quite close to Tricia.
Then Callie finds herself drawn to an ominous tunnel near Tricia's house which may be linked not only to Daniel's disappearance but several others, as well. Moreover, they might be suffering a fate far worse than death.
"Absentia" is definitely more of a slow-burn, but Flanagan makes the quality work for this particular story, which almost resembles a dark fairy tale. Moreover, his project carefully balances both the horror and drama genres, appealing to a wide variety of viewers.
Still, horror fans may be left wanting a little more. "Absentia" does not feature any blood or guts nor does Flanagan ever show us the insect-like creature rumored to be responsible for the disappearances. Then again, sometimes the unseen feeds our fear more than anything else.
"Absentia" is well-deserving of the honor it received during the Valley's film festival and Flanagan is, without a doubt, a director whom both horror fans and cinephiles in general should keep their eyes on. Something tells this critic that his best is yet to come.
Listen to Joseph J. Airdo's “Movie Maverick” segment every Friday morning during “The Daily Blender with Jeffry O'Brien,” 6-9 a.m. weekdays on NBC 1260 AM and 96.1 FM.
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