The Enduring Appeal of Mike Flanagan Traces Back to His Kickstarter Origins

The Big Picture

Mike Flanagan explores themes of suffering, moral penance, and mental collapse in his horror films, with Absentia serving as an unofficial commencement for these themes.

Absentia revolves around two sisters who are struggling to cope with the sudden disappearance of someone they love. They are haunted not only by their traumatic past but also by an eerie neighborhood tunnel that holds great significance in the movie. Despite the constraints of a small budget and limited production resources, Absentia may not rank as Flanagan's finest piece of work. However, it does demonstrate his ability to create horror through well-developed characters and hints at the patient, almost literary style that he would later employ in his subsequent projects.

Mike Flanagan is undeniably one of the most captivating and skillful horror filmmakers in the industry today. From his spine-tingling works like Oculus and Hush to his ambitious projects like the Haunting shows on Netflix or Midnight Mass, Flanagan fearlessly delves into unexplored realms of terror, all of which stem from mundane yet devastating losses. In Doctor Sleep, his underrated sequel to The Shining, Flanagan portrays the unsettling transformation of a madman's child into a disillusioned adult. In the 2016 horror film Before I Wake, a couple adopts a child plagued by nightmares, hoping to solve their personal issues through this act, only to discover the chilling consequences. The Stephen King adaptation, Gerald's Game, explores the dark undercurrents of a couple's sex game gone horribly awry, delving into a sea of emotional scars. Flanagan's characters are perpetually haunted by their pasts, often knowingly engaging in battles they cannot win, but choosing to fight nonetheless. This year, Flanagan expanded upon these tropes in his final Netflix show, The Fall of the House of Usher, magnifying their impact to a grand scale.

However, it was the intensely eerie micro-budget film Absentia that marked Flanagan's intriguing entry into the themes and motifs he would continue to explore throughout his career. Even prior to Absentia, Flanagan was still in the process of discovering his artistic identity and voice. Having been born in Salem, Massachusetts (ironically poetic, isn't it?), Flanagan initially ventured into the world of film through a series of dialogue-driven independent features, such as Makebelieve in 2000 and Still Life in 2001. While Flanagan has not disowned these early endeavors, they bear little resemblance to his later works like Ouija: Origin Of Evil and The Haunting of Bly Manor. Therefore, Absentia holds significance as Flanagan's true introduction to the supernatural genre.

What Is Mike Flanagan's 'Absentia' About?

Image Via Phase 4 Films

The movie Absentia, written, directed, and edited by Flanagan on a limited budget of $70,000, was a challenging undertaking. The majority of the funding for the project was obtained through crowdfunding on Kickstarter, and it was filmed in the quiet neighborhood of Glendale, California. While it may not be Flanagan's most remarkable or convincing horror creation due to its financial and production constraints, the filmmakers should be applauded for their achievements with limited resources. Despite this, Absentia holds significant meaning in Flanagan's filmography as it explores themes of suffering, moral redemption, and mental deterioration, serving as a prelude to his later works.

The story of Absentia begins like many horror and mystery films, with the disappearance of a loved one. Callie and Tricia, two sisters with unresolved pasts, struggle to coexist harmoniously. Tricia is in the process of accepting the loss of her long-missing husband, Daniel. Callie's role in the story is to support Tricia and prevent her from falling apart while dealing with this traumatic event and moving forward.

If only it were so simple! Absentia takes on a more captivatingly eerie vibe when the film's main concept – a sinister neighborhood tunnel, weaponized in a similar manner to the mirror in Oculus – emerges as a pivotal plot point. Daniel, the husband who vanished, eventually resurfaces in his wife's life, yet he appears burdened with profound mental and emotional scars. Although he isn't technically deceased, Daniel's eyes seem to have lost all signs of life. Additionally, there's the haunting presence of a mysterious stranger named Walter Lambert (portrayed by the frighteningly talented Doug Jones, a frequent collaborator of Guillermo del Toro), whose disturbing condition might hold the key to unraveling the mysteries behind Daniel's disappearance.

'Absentia' Is an Impressive, Low-Budget Debut That Foreshadows Flanagan's Later Works

Image Via Phase 4 Films

The title Absentia suggests the concept that individuals thought to be deceased are actually alive and drifting through our world in a hazy state, existing in a limbo that separates the living from the dead. Even when Flanagan chooses not to center his films explicitly around ghosts, the specters of the past continue to haunt his characters throughout their waking moments. Flanagan has further explored and expanded upon this creative drive over time: if anything, his more recent works have become even more leisurely, showing increased patience, as the character development seen in shows like Bly Manor and Midnight Mass, with their meticulously crafted monologues and soliloquies, take on a distinctly novelistic quality.

Knowing that, a significant portion of the foundation laid in Absentia is relatively unrefined. It is evident that Flanagan faced resource limitations that hindered him from fully realizing his creative vision at the time. As a result, the production value and aesthetic choices may appear less sophisticated compared to Flanagan's later works. However, it is quite remarkable that Flanagan and his collaborators were able to essentially accomplish what they set out to achieve, despite the daunting task of working with limited resources.

Mike Flanagan's Horror Is Character-Driven

Image Via Phase 4 Films

Flanagan's early career as a writer and director of low-concept seriocomic character studies may have assisted him in preparing for Abstentia's dramatic shift into full-fledged horror. What sets Flanagan apart from other horror filmmakers today is his genuine humanistic approach, evident even in the opening moments of Absentia. He skillfully draws the audience to deeply empathize with the characters in his shows or films, intensifying the impact of their eventual unfortunate and tragic destinies.

It is not recommended to start with Absentia as your first Mike Flanagan movie. However, if you want to explore the narrative obsessions of one of the most brilliant living horror storytellers, this film serves as an excellent introduction. Watch it on Prime Video for rental.