Absence (2013)

In 15-20 first minutes you can see where this movie goes to and what is it about. Script was so similar with so many movies, that i don't know where do i start from to compare.Although there was some good casual scenes that support gradually the plot of the story. lighting and direction was i guess OK because it suppose to be pseudo- documentary movie,if i have to vote only for these two i will vote 4 cause when the lighting was good the direction wasn't and reversed. HOWEVER i put a 7 because i love the acting.The actresses play so natural like i felt sometimes that i was actually part of their group. I think that if you liked the trailer you will like the movie too,even if it seems to me that it was spoiler.

Expectant mother Liz (Erin Way) wakes to find her nearly-to-term pregnancy has disappeared overnight. When doctors can find no medical explanation for the loss, police treat Liz and her husband Rick (Eric Matheny) as prime suspects in what has now become a missing child case or an inconceivable late stage abortion. Only Rick and Liz's brother, Evan (Ryan Smale) trust her version of events. As word spreads, the young couple is subjected to the unwanted attention of the police and prying neighbors. Evan feels for his sister and, as a film student, begins documenting her story. Even though he can't prove Liz's innocence, he sets out to tell her side of what happened and to set the record straight. To relieve some of Liz's grief, Rick and Evan take her on a vacation to the mountains. Things begin to settle down and Liz's spirits even start to improve. But as Evan continues documenting their vacation, unusual patterns arise. Liz still has no real answers for the disappearance of her baby despite his interviews and questions. When the trip spins out of control they realize that whatever happened with Liz and her baby isn't over.Interviewing the victim and getting their perspective was a good idea for a found footage movie. But, when you start running around in the middle of the night with the camera in hand, that's when things start to feel a bit contrived. When I first saw the movie a few weeks back, I was so angry. This movie had so much potential and the makers ruined it. The movie starts off slowly which was perfectly good in my opinion, but there's no payoff in the end, nor is the movie very suspenseful to be honest. The suspense was sprinkled here and there, but wasn't sustained throughout. When the time came for the tension to build and for a worthwhile ending, they blew it big time. The brother gets on your nerves at times with his 'acting' and words, but he's being like that for the sister which is understandable and makes it a bit less irritating. Neither Megan's nor the town's weirdness were explored which was disappointing, to say the least. The acting by Erin Way is very good though and her subdued struggle still burns in my memory. That is the only reason this movie gets any points and feels like it wasn't a complete waste of time. I also did learn that fetal abduction was a real thing, kinda...4/10

I read the reviews and waited for the film to pick up but all it did was p**s me off. The slow pace did allow you to connect to the characters but as I waited for the tension to build the film ended. don't waste your time with this rubbish movie, you'll have more fun staring at the wall. I recently watch the conjuring and truly enjoyed that. I saw this recommended and hoped for similar thrills but feel I wasted over an hour of my life. I hate to write negative reviews but I hope to save you the same fate as me and would suggest to avoid at all cost. There were a couple of points when I thought it might pick up so I hung in there until the end and even after the credits just in case, but nope.... it was p**s poor to the end

First of all before I begin this review, I would like to say I watched this movie expecting an average found footage movie and weren't expecting an amazing blockbuster movie so if you're a fan of the found footage sub genre then check it out, if not then stay far away.With the recent wave of alien movies hitting our shelves/big screens (such as Unaware, Dark Skies, Tape #4 in V/H/S/2, etc.) I was excited to see what directors could offer us next. Here we have Absence, a brand new immediately underrated creepy and suspenseful found footage sci-fi horror movie, before I say anymore, here's a quick rundown on the movie's plot:The movie begins with Evan, a camera obsessed student filming his sister, Liz and her husband, Rick in hospital where they have just been told that the previously pregnant Liz is no longer pregnant which soon becomes a missing child case which leads to Liz and Rick being the talk of the town and being hassled by the media, etc. so to get a break from it all they decide to go to Rick's family cabin in the woods for a while and it's from this point on where things start to get really weird...After the hospital scene at the start of the film it does become very slow moving which in my opinion is a good thing because whilst the film is at a slow pace it gives you time to get to know the characters better so when the bad stuff does happen to them you'll care more about whether they live/die. It also adds a great sense of realism to the film when you see them cooking, playing pranks on each other, etc.When the scares do eventually show up it's worth the wait as this film has some very creepy moments, one in particular with a visitor at the back door at night time, which is a very quick but effective scare. I don't want to spoil anything but as with most found footage endings the ending is also very effective and the least I say about it the better.Overall I've gave this movie a solid 9 out of 10 because I thought it was a great found footage scare-fest that fans of movies such as Paranormal Activity, Unaware, The Fourth Kind and Dark Skies will enjoy, however, as I mentioned at the start of the review, if you hate found footage films and are expecting a blockbuster movie with amazing special effects and amazing actors then stay clear, this isn't for you.