The Indie Beat: Psychological Horror Film ‘Absentia’ Rolls Out Official Trailer
by Marc Patterson
While our friends on the east coast are digging out from our first major snow storm (I spent nearly 4 hours digging, snowblowing, and shoveling) I figured I might as well warm myself up with a nice scotch and some indie horror. We just got news of a new project called Absentia. Absentia is from the creative mind of Mike Flanagan, who we’re told is currently writing the upcoming feature Strain, which will be directed by Saw V’s David Hackl. Absentia was made on an ultra low budget and shot using the now popular Canon 5D MII camera, but in spite of its low budget and minimalist production values attempts to bring some smart character driven horror to the forefront.
Writer/Director Mike Flanagan states that “Horror is one of the most exciting genres to work in because fear is as basic and universal as emotions come. The majority of horror films on the market today are violent, exploitative, or silly. People tend not to take the genre seriously, and suddenly the fact that a film falls into the “horror” genre can even become a stigma, alienating potential audiences because of the narrow niche that the genre implies.” He continues to state that “Absentia operates under the philosophy that horror films are more successful and enjoyable if they’re taken seriously, and that starts with story and character. We set out to make a film that functioned equally well as a character-based drama as it did as a horror film. I also believe that what a viewer can create in their mind is always, always scarier than whatever we can show visually, so Absentia embraces a subtle minimalism that allows the audience to activate their imaginations instead of passively watching.“
Official Synopsis: Absentia tells the story of a woman and her sister who begin to link a mysterious tunnel to a series of disappearances. Tricia’s husband has been missing for seven years. Her younger sister Callie comes to live with her as the pressure mounts to finally declare him ‘dead in absentia.’ Tricia is reluctant, always holding out hope, but Callie is practical and wants her to move on. As Tricia sifts through the wreckage and tries to move on with her life, Callie finds herself drawn to an ominous tunnel near the house. As she begins to link it to other mysterious disappearances, it becomes clear that his presumed death might be anything but ‘natural.’ It seems that the ancient force at work in the tunnel might have set its sights on Callie and Tricia … and that Tricia’s husband might be suffering a fate far worse than death in its grasp.
Absentia stars Katie Parker (also from the upcoming indie horror film CUT), Courtney Bell, and Doug Jones (Pan’s Labyrinth)
