The Absent

The Absent (Ausentes) is a 2005 Spanish psychological thriller film directed by Daniel Calparsoro from a screenplay by Calparsoro, Ray Loriga, and Elio Quiroga which stars Ariadna Gil and Jordi Mollà.

Plot
A married middle-class couple (Julia and Samuel) moves with their children to a new estate in the city outskirts, with Julia suffering from anxiety upon settling in what turns out to be a deserted place.

Production
The film is an Estudios Picasso and Star Line production. It was shot in the suburbs of Madrid.

Release
The film was released theatrically in Spain on 16 September 2005.

Reception
Casimiro Torreiro of El País considered that the film holds for around a 95% of its footage but, in the remaining 5%, issues pop up and it becomes clear that cheating has occurred, with the whole experience underpinned by a hard-to-swallow plot device.