Absentia

Bite-sized Review

Overview: This film opens with main character Tricia pulling down old, weathered missing person flyers and replacing them with crisp new copies. Early on we find out that Tricia’s husband Daniel has been missing for seven years which is the time required for him to be declared legally dead in absentia. Tricia’s sister Callie comes to help support her big sister (who happens to be very prego by the way, quick someone call Springer!) through the ordeal. Throughout the film Tricia is trying to cope with Daniel’s disappearance but is haunted by nightmarish images of the missing husband. Meanwhile, Callie begins to learn that a nearby tunnel used as a cut-through by joggers may be linked to many, many more disappearances. As Callie uncovers more evidence of sinister forces at work, the mysterious “something” starts to pay her special attention.

Impressions: What I like best about Absentia, without giving too much away (while spoil the fun?), is that this movie has a great emotional core. I found the opener with the “missing person” flyers to be very somber and helped me connect with Tricia’s mindset right away. Furthermore, every character is trapped in some sort of limbo. Tricia cannot really move on; even the death certificate in absentia doesn’t provide real closure. Tricia’s baby-daddy, the nice, well-meaning police officer, is stuck in emotional limbo because of Tricia’s situation. Callie is in addiction/recovery limbo, is also affected by Tricia’s situation, and gets drawn into and obsessed with the mysterious disappearance of Daniel and the others. Even Daniel’s parents show up in one brief but powerful scene and we’re given a glimpse of their ongoing pain at not knowing what has become of their son. And as for Daniel, well… you’ll see…

While there are some genuine scares in the film, the Daniel “apparition/hallucination” is creepy without succumbing to the “jump scare” trope, we are also, through much of the movie, left wondering if the events are indeed supernatural or just Tricia’s grief-stricken imaginings and Callie’s drug and alcohol-driven hallucinations. The real horror of Absentia comes after the fate of all the characters is revealed and you’ve had time to really let the situation sink in.

Other tidbits: Genre fans will enjoy a cameo performance by Doug Jones (of Hellboy and “just about everything nowadays” fame). Also, this was a really good work especially given the relatively low (and Kickstarter-ed!) budget.

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