Welcome back to another installment of Disc Dive! This week I am revisiting a horror movie that I usually watch at least once a year now. Stay with me on this side of the tunnel as we explore… Absentia (2011).
Title: Absentia
Director: Mike Flanagan
Released: March 3, 2011 (Theatrical – Netherlands, Romania, United States)
Runtime: 1 hour 31 minutes
Disc Format: DVD
Tricia (Courtney Bell) is finally ready to start a new chapter in her life. Her husband, Daniel (Morgan Peter Brown), went missing seven years ago and Tricia is now ready to accept that he just isn’t coming back. She is ready to declare him dead in absentia.
Callie (Katie Parker), a recovering addict and Tricia’s younger sister, has planned to come stay with Tricia so she can be there for support. Knowing that her sister is pregnant with the child of her quasi-boyfriend/lead detective on her husband’s missing persons case, Detective Mallory (Dave Levine), Callie is determined to get her sister into a new apartment so she can truly have a fresh start.
Though now that she’s begun the process of moving on, Tricia is having recurring nightmarish visions of Daniel. And she’s not alone in experiencing strange visions and occurrences.
While out on a run, Callie passes through a tunnel under the highway, just up the road from Tricia’s house. Callie passes through, noticing the graffiti on the walls and trash on the ground. However, on her return run, Callie notices a disheveled man lying in the tunnel. When she acknowledges his presence, the man seems absolutely gobsmacked that she can see him.
The man says his name is Walter Lambert and begs Callie to get in contact with his son. Understandably shocked and confused, Callie takes off and runs back to Tricia’s. She puts together a plate of food for Walter and runs back to the tunnel but there’s no trace of Walter ever being there.
If that wasn’t strange enough, while Tricia and Detective Mallory are leaving her place for date night, they notice someone walking up the road from the tunnel. As the person gets closer, it becomes clear who this mysterious person is.
Despite looking worse for wear, there is no mistaking that the man who appeared from the tunnel is Tricia’s missing husband, Daniel.
What exactly is going on within the tunnel walls?
If you are a fan of horror movies that guide you into how to feel or when to jump/scream, Absentia (2011) is not going to be for you.
However, if you’re a fan of Mike Flanagan’s and haven’t yet seen this, you’re probably going to love it.
The horror in Absentia (2011) lies in the unknown.
It’s the unknown that leaves a sense of uneasiness and dread hanging over you for the entire runtime. Flanagan also toys with the audience throughout, fueling the uncertainty of what to expect and leaving us questioning what is real.
The performances, most from fairly green actors, are also solid throughout, especially Katie Parker as Callie. She gives what feels like a very lived-in performance.
It is wild to see how firm of a grasp Mike Flanagan had on the horror genre from the beginning.
I’ve intentionally kept things a bit vague because Absentia (2011) is best experienced knowing as little as possible about it.
So if you haven’t seen it, but appreciate smart low-budget horror, please seek this one out.
Now, those of you that have you seen Absentia (2011), what did you think?
Leave a comment below or reach out on Bluesky and tell me all about it!
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