Absentia (2011) d. Flanagan, Mike
Seven years after the disappearance of her husband, grieving widow Courtney Bell is in the process of legally finalizing his “deceased in absentia” status when he begins to appear to her in increasingly disturbing visions. At the same time, her drifter sister Katie Parker has a number of strange encounters with individuals (including genre fave Doug Jones) in and around a creepy underpass tunnel. Writer/director Flanagan conjures an intriguing horror story with some serious smarts and well-conceived characters going for it, mostly balancing out any obstacles that accompany its clearly diminutive budget.
AC,
ReplyDeleteI saw this @ Shriekfest last year, when it was still on the festival circuit. I was COMPLETELY invested in everything this had to offer. Haunted by this days after seeing it. And majorly impressed w/ the performances. I've added this to my all time fave list after only two viewings (actually, it made it on the list after the first time).
Same here. Sure , this one has its (mostly budget-based) flaws, but it's got its heart in all the right places. It kept me involved all the way through and didn't leave my intelligence feeling insulted at the end, and hell, any low-budget horror film that pulls off those two feats is already a prize -- and the creepy, mournful ambience and well-drawn troubled characters elevate it even higher. Definitely worth a look.
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