Mike Flanagan is best known for his work in the horror genre, ranging from masterful television shows such as The Haunting of Hill House to terrifying movies like Doctor Sleep and Hush, but while most fans have watched and enjoyed his recent works, there's at least one movie in the director's filmography that many have likely overlooked.
We're talking about Flanagan's feature directorial debut, the 2011 movie Absentia. Flanagan wrote and directed this supernatural horror flick about a woman whose husband suddenly reappears after his mysterious seven-year disappearance.
Actress Courtney Bell, who would go on to star in other Flanagan projects like Before I Wake and Oculus, stars as Tricia, a pregnant woman finally coming to terms with her husband, Daniel's disappearance. She plans to declare him deceased in absentia, which is when you believe someone to be dead despite not having direct proof. It's a challenging process, as you might expect.
Tricia leans on her sister, Callie (The Fall of the House of Usher star Katie Parker), during her pregnancy and this momentous decision regarding her husband. But then a bloodied Daniel suddenly returns home, causing a string of new unanswered questions to arise, especially since his reappearance appears to be related to a mysterious tunnel near Tricia's home.
While Absentia doesn't quite reach the heights of Flanagan's later works, it was indicative of Flanagan's vast talent. The film won multiple awards during its festival run, including Best Horror Feature at the Phoenix Film Festival and the Director's Choice Award at the Night of Horror International Film Festival.
What makes Absentia such a compelling film is just how well-crafted and genuinely frightening it is despite its lower budget and independent status. That's no shade to indie movies as an avid fan of indie horror, but it proves how talented Flanagan is at storytelling, that he can make it work on any budget. Absentia was an exciting start foretelling what has become a legendary career.
He expertly crafts a story that could have been mundane or predictable into something far more intriguing, complete with menacing undertones and a pervasive sense of dread underscoring every scene, all while working with minimal resources.
The good news for those interested in checking out Absentia is that it's free to watch on Tubi right now! But if you'd prefer to watch it ad-free, you can also rent or buy the film from digital retailers like Apple, Amazon, and Google Play.