Absentia

A rare (and total) misfire from Mike Flanagan, Absentia follows Courtney Bell’s Tricia as she and her sister (Catherine Parker’s Callie) link a nearby tunnel to a series of mysterious disappearances – including Tricia’s own husband (who vanished seven years earlier). It’s immediately apparent that Flanagan is working with a shoestring budget here, as Absentia suffers from a decidedly rough-around-the-edges feel that’s reflected primarily in the low-rent visuals and less-than-professional performances. Flanagan’s initial efforts at cultivating a ominous atmosphere are relatively successful, at least, and there’s little doubt that Absentia fares best in its sporadically creepy first half (which seems to promise a far more engaging and horrific third act than we ultimately get). The often excessively deliberate pace becomes more and more problematic as the spare picture slowly unfolds, as it’s increasingly clear that there’s just not enough material here to sustain a full-length running time (ie the movie is rife with overlong, padded-out sequences that wreak havoc on the almost non-existent momentum). It’s not surprising, then, that the late-in-the-game introduction of Lovecraftian elements falls disappointingly (and distressingly) flat, with the movie’s low budget forcing Flanagan to eschew overt instances of special effects in favor a more discreet (yet often confusing) approach. There is, in the end, little doubt that Absentia is simply unable to coalesce into a consistent (and satisfying) piece of work, which is a shame, certainly, given the tremendous strength of Flanagan’s subsequent endeavors.

** out of ****