This Terrifying, Hidden Mike Flanagan Gem is Now Streaming Free
I grew up in a particular era of indie horror during the 2010s. Devouring every obscure, unknown movie to hit Netflix (both DVD and early streaming). Recently, I was fortunate enough to revisit some of them in an ode I wrote to the horror of 2010, and if you’re in need of anything to watch this weekend, there are five great movies featured in that piece (all streaming now). Those are the best of the best from back then, but since 2010, the horror genre has been desperately trying to find a cohesive identity, and that negotiation has yielded some pretty stellar results.
Remember As Above, So Below? What a fantastic subversion of found footage tropes. We got The Conjuring and Evil Dead in 2013, and both Willow Creek and Under the Skin rank among my favorite horror movies of all time. It was an excellent time for the horror creatives we know and love now, whose starts were in that awkward new decade. Case in point? Mike Flanagan’s debut film, Absentia. Now, you can catch it streaming free online. Learn more about Absentia below:
Per Tubi: The discovery of an otherworldly foot tunnel sheds horrifying new light on the disappearance of Tricia’s presumed-dead husband seven years earlier.
I’ve got a bit of a strange relationship with Absentia. Back in 2011, when I first watched it, I didn’t feel all that much from the experience. I didn’t dislike the film, necessarily, but I also wasn’t over the moon. The concept was so intriguing, though ultimately, I felt the execution was too earnest and lackluster. Then, of course, Mike Flanagan released Oculus, and then, well… the rest is horror history.
In fact, it was just last year that I decided to revisit Absentia for the first time since its release to see if I’d gotten the movie wrong. I did. At the time, I wrote, “Absentia is my resonant cry to revisit the classics and hidden gems you didn’t like. There’s no telling why something that doesn’t land suddenly does years later—maybe it’s maturity, maybe changing tastes or exposure—but when it does, there are few feelings quite as incredible.” Yeah, I love Absentia now, and I’m so grateful I decided to revisit it. With the film streaming free online right now, you can do the same.
What do you think? Where would you rank Absentia among Mike Flanagan’s filmography? Any plans to check it out on Tubi? Let me know over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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