Review of Absentia (2011) by Ethan S — 04 Oct 2014

A horror movie that does almost everything right. Things run pretty smoothly here up until the end, which isn't so much badly done as it is personally unsatisfying. Otherwise, the film is really string.

It creates horrific scenes around real human drama. The main character's husband has been missing for seven years so naturally she starts seeing his ghost. The movie does veer off at certain points to make sure we understand whats happening, which is unfortunate since it comes off as heavy handed.

We don't need to be told that Trisha's ghost are her mind's way of coping. Nothing is worse than hand holding an audience. That being said, the film still works incredibly well. It obviously has a micro budget which is noticeable at certain points, but mostly just by the actors.

Some just don't cut it. For example, the main cop's partner is obviously out of is depth with Kelly, our heroine. The different levels of acting ability took me out of the movie. The film's strengths are in it's story and it's scares.

This movie is scary! Really scary! It doesn't break any new ground, but what it does, it does well. I was genuinely creeped out by some moments, especially early on in the film. The ending didn't totally work for me since it felt a little mean spirited when compared to the rest of the film.

I won't go any further in fear of spoiling anything. All in all, this is a really good film that falls short of being great. Its scary and its emotional, but it needed better acting and a more satisfying conclusion.