Review of Absentia (2011) by Tibor B — 31 May 2013

A low budget psychological thriller that is notable for its layers of ambiguity and very strong atmosphere and scare skills. Despite being slightly frustrating that it never settles on a definitive cause of the disappearances linked to a historically cursed section of land, now a suburban subway, the levels of ambiguity, which are openly brought forward with flashback/imagination scenes from the totally otherwordly to cliched serial killer fare, do make the film quite engaging, allowing the audience to choose which elements to focus on with personal preference.

The downbeat ending may be too much for those weaned on traditional thriller fare, particularly in this case where the characters are quite well drawn and rooted in reality. Definitely worth a look if low-budget mindgames are your bag and writer/director Flanagan could be one to watch.