ABSENTIA (Phase 4, 2011) D: Mike Flanagan, w/ Katie Parker, Courtney Bell. Rating: NNN DVD package: NNNNN Rating: NNN
Absentia is more successful than most indie horror efforts due to its unusual story and well-drawn characters, both supplying a solid base for effective scares and a pervasive sense of supernatural menace.
Two sisters reunite when the husband of one of them is declared legally dead. He’s been missing for seven years but still haunts her in terrifying visions. At the same time, her sister finds hints of something uncanny happening in the pedestrian tunnel she passes through on her morning run.
Katie Parker and Courtney Bell bring a natural ease to the sisters’ complex love-hate relationship. David Levine adds edge as the cop with more than a professional interest in the case, and the incomparable Doug Jones cranks up the creepy level in two key scenes.
The movie looks better than most indie efforts, and the wonder is that writer/director/editor Mike Flanagan and his team shot it on approximately $20,000. The extras take a very detailed look at their methods, from their odd means of financing through camera and lights to the rigours of a 15-day shoot.
EXTRAS Director and cast commentary, director and producers commentary, making-of doc, more. English, French audio. No subtitles.
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