Absentia - Slow, but very atmospheric


‘Absentia’ is low budget. That's the first thing you should know about this little horror yarn. It has no big name actors in it and was financed by an online campaign. This could have been a recipe for disaster, but, I'm glad to say the writer/director pulled it off.

The film is about two sisters who investigate the disappearance of one of their husbands and find it may be connected to a mysterious (and sinister) tunnel nearby.


In some ways the film plays out pretty conventionally, ala ‘The Ring, The Grudge’ and all those other horror films where a woman investigates something creepy, only to discover some dark supernatural force at work. However, what makes ‘Absentia’ different is just how creepy the whole atmosphere is. I couldn't really put my finger on it, but it's something to do with the direction which is - deliberately - slow and focuses on strange, seemingly mundane items which helps to crank up the tension.


One thing I really liked was the actors chosen for the main characters.  Not only did they perform well and I couldn’t fault any of their performances, but – and this could just be me – but they all looked ‘normal.’ They just looked like everyday folk (not a male or female supermodel in sight!) and somehow this went a long way to show how these were just your average people getting caught up in something that turns out to be anything but average.


I focused on how ‘Absentia’ is slow. I've read other reviews where people claim this as a flaw. I can see how some may view it that way. It's definitely not a gore fest, filled with wall to wall monsters and chainsaw wielding psychopaths.  It's more psychological with a healthy dose of supernatural.


Its pace (or lack of, as some might say) may be its drawback. I don't know if this film will ever achieve much mainstream success. I'm a big fan of David Lynch's work and this film seemed to totally remind me of his work (although it is more linier and doesn't jump around so much).


If you're not looking for a rollercoaster ride of a movie and are prepared to sit back and watch much more of a `slow burner' then this one could be for you.

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that