LogFAQs > #946485071

DAY 29.3: Absentia
On Shudder

So I decided to watch Mike Flanagan's first feature movie and then that means I've seen every major movie/tv series he's ever done.

Absentia is about a woman whose husband disappeared for seven years without a trace. She is now pregnant and lives with her sister, but she still thinks he must be out there still, and perhaps closer than she imagines.

The story behind this one is that this is Mike Flanagan's first ever major movie he had kick-started the movie to create. And boy oh boy, this is like prototype Flanagan in every way. It's actually pretty interesting to watch this after seeing everything else he's created and just seeing his style and how he eventually got to fulfill it with a big budget.

It's a creepy story that doesn't go the way you expect. When there are scares, the scares are surprisingly good. Like I said, it's Flanagan style, and he's effective at it even with a shoe string budget and a crappy camera. The acting is fine for what it is for a bunch of nobodies. In fact, it's better than it should be.

He was always a gifted director with a mind for horror, and he even knew how to make a compelling plot too. This movie keeps you guessing until the very end. While I say the ending is a bit disappointing, it was still good.

The thing with Flanagan though is that he has a strong understanding of making his characters feel human here and getting us invested in them.

If you want to see the proto-Flanagan movie, check it out. I think it's interesting and unique enough to give it a viewing.

Rating: 7/10

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