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Plot Summary

Absence (2013) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2013 · Chinese
JustWatch #22,958 3
Directed by
Jimmy Loweree

A family is thrown into turmoil when an expectant mother mysteriously loses her pregnancy. Authorities struggle to understand the inexplicable event, leaving the husband and brother to investigate. As fear and confusion escalate, they must confront unsettling possibilities and work together to uncover the truth behind this extraordinary and disturbing phenomenon before it’s too late.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like Absence
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch Absence (2013)

Where can you watch Absence? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on fuboTV, Midnight Pulp and True Story: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Absence: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Absence (2013) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Expectant mother Liz, played by Erin Way, awakens one morning to a shocking reality: her nearly full-term pregnancy has mysteriously vanished overnight. In searching for answers, doctors are baffled and unable to provide any medical explanation for this bewildering loss. As the investigation unfolds, the police quickly zero in on Liz and her husband Rick, portrayed by Eric Matheny, as primary suspects in a case that has spiraled into a missing child investigation, raising grave concerns about a possible late-stage abortion.

However, Liz's brother, Evan, depicted by Ryan Smale, remains steadfast in his belief in her innocence, becoming one of the few who truly trust her account of events. As rumors and suspicions spread, the young couple faces the burden of unwanted scrutiny from both the police and nosy neighbors. To help lift Liz’s spirits amid the chaos, Rick and Evan arrange a getaway to the serene mountains, hoping that a change of scenery might soothe her heartache.

During this respite, Evan forms a connection with a local girl named Megan, played by Stephanie Scholz, and moments of laughter and joy begin to emerge amid the tension. Yet, as Evan continues to document their experiences in the mountains, ominous and troubling patterns begin to surface. Despite his efforts to capture Liz's story, her unanswered questions about her baby’s disappearance only serve to deepen the mystery.

As her emotional and physical condition deteriorates, the trio realizes the unsettling truth: something profoundly troubling lingers in the air regarding Liz and her baby. When their vacation swiftly descends into chaos, it becomes painfully clear that the harrowing ordeal they thought was behind them is far from over. Now, the question looms large: are any of them truly safe? The journey continues as they confront the chilling reality that shadows their lives.

Last updated: May 12, 2025 at 07:04

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Plot questions answered

Absence Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Absence (2013): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

What medical explanation is given for Liz's pregnancy disappearing?

Doctors are completely baffled and cannot provide any medical explanation for how Liz's nearly full-term pregnancy vanished overnight. The summary states they are unable to explain the loss, leaving the family without answers. This medical mystery is central to the film's tension and contributes to the police suspecting something more sinister occurred.

  • pregnancy disappearance
  • medical mystery
  • unexplained loss
Q2

Why does the police treat Liz and Rick as suspects?

The police investigate Liz and Rick as suspects because their case is classified as a potential missing child investigation, with concerns about a possible late-stage abortion. With no medical explanation for the vanished pregnancy, authorities suspect criminal activity rather than a natural occurrence, leading to intense scrutiny of the couple during their personal crisis.

  • police investigation
  • missing child
  • suspects
Q3

Why does Evan document Liz's experiences?

Evan begins documenting Liz's experiences because he believes her account of events, unlike most others who doubt her story. He hopes his documentation will help clear her name and provide evidence supporting her claim that the pregnancy truly vanished without explanation.

  • Evan
  • documentation
  • evidence
  • trust
Q4

What happens to Liz at the mountain vacation?

At the mountain vacation, Liz's physical and emotional condition deteriorates significantly despite the initial hope that the change of scenery would help her heal. Evan notices ominous and troubling patterns in her behavior while documenting their trip. The vacation ultimately spirals into chaos as whatever caused her pregnancy loss appears to be far from over.

Foreshadowing: The trip is arranged specifically to help Liz recover, making her declining condition during the stay a crucial warning sign.

  • mountain vacation
  • Liz deterioration
  • chaos
Q5

Who is Megan and what role does she play?

Megan is a local girl whom Evan meets during the mountain vacation. They form an immediate connection, and their budding romance provides brief moments of happiness amid the surrounding tension. Megan represents the normal life and hope that contrasts with the dark mystery surrounding Liz.

  • Megan
  • Evan
  • romance
  • mountain
Q6

What is the ongoing danger that threatens the family?

The family realizes that whatever caused Liz's pregnancy to vanish is still present and continues to pose a threat. The summary indicates something profoundly troubling lingers and that their safety is in jeopardy. The film suggests this danger may be supernatural in nature, with the ending question implying no one is truly safe.

  • ongoing danger
  • threat
  • supernatural
Q7

Does the movie explain what happened to Liz's baby?

The movie does not provide a clear explanation for what happened to Liz's baby. The summary ends with the question of whether any of them are truly safe, leaving the fate of the baby and the nature of the threat ambiguous. The mystery remains unresolved, with the central question of the vanished pregnancy never definitively answered.

Foreshadowing: Early in the film, doctors cannot explain the loss, foreshadowing that no satisfying explanation will come.

  • baby
  • ending
  • ambiguous
  • mystery
Q8

Why does Liz's health decline during the trip?

Liz's health declines both emotionally and physically during the mountain trip. While she initially shows improved spirits away from the scrutiny, her condition deteriorates significantly as the trip progresses. This decline signals that whatever mysterious event caused her pregnancy to vanish is still affecting her, and the family can no longer ignore the gravity of their situation.

Foreshadowing: Evan's documentation of unusual patterns in Liz's behavior during the trip serves as an early warning of her deteriorating state.

  • Liz health
  • deterioration
  • pregnancy loss effects

Movie threads

More Movies Like Absence, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Absence tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Found footage horror movies like Absence

Unraveling mysteries through subjective, shaky cameras that amplify fear and distrust. For viewers who liked the raw, immediate dread of Absence, this collection features similar found footage horror movies. These films use the first-person perspective to create immersive experiences of supernatural terror, psychological breakdown, and desperate investigations into the unknown.

  • found footage
  • paranoid
  • claustrophobic
  • suspenseful
  • unsettling
  • investigative
  • Tone: tense, dark, unsettling
  • Pacing: variable, often building to chaotic climaxes
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Films in this thread typically follow characters documenting an unexplained event that quickly spirals out of control. The narrative is driven by the act of recording itself, as the camera becomes both a tool for investigation and a source of escalating tension, blurring the line between observer and participant in the chaos.

Why they belong together: They are grouped by their shared use of the found footage format to create an immersive, claustrophobic, and highly subjective experience. This technique directly links the viewer's perspective to the protagonist's fear, making the descent into paranoia and the confrontation with the unknown feel intensely real and unsettling.

Movies about family trauma from supernatural events like Absence

Families shattered by a bizarre event, forced to confront grief and the inexplicable. If you appreciated how Absence explored a family's devastating grief and search for truth after a mysterious loss, this list features similar movies. These stories focus on domestic life ruptured by supernatural or unexplained phenomena, leading to heavy emotional weight and psychological distress.

  • grieving
  • oppressive
  • ominous
  • family trauma
  • supernatural mystery
  • emotional distress
  • Tone: dark, heavy, ominous
  • Pacing: variable, with moments of slow dread and fast-paced terror
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern begins with a traumatic, often supernatural inciting event that destroys a family's normalcy. The story follows their struggle to cope with grief and disbelief, often facing skepticism from authorities, which pushes them to investigate on their own, leading to a tense and emotionally heavy journey.

Why they belong together: They share a core focus on the intersection of supernatural horror and deep-seated family trauma. The similarity lies in the emotional journey of a family confronting an impossible reality, the heavy weight of their grief, and the oppressive atmosphere of uncertainty that permeates their lives.

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Movies Like Absence

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Every angle

Absence (2013) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Absence in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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