Through a flurry of original films, director Steven Soderbergh has established himself as a genuine “jack of all trades” visionary who rarely disappoints. His latest film, Presence, further emphasizes that Soderbergh can evolve his craft even further to deliver a delectably inventive and stylistically slick entry into the horror genre.
What makes Presence instantly unique is its central perspective, as the camera embodies the eyes of a ghost roaming the halls of a house. Throughout the film, viewers watch as it looms over a new family that moves in. Immediately, the voyeuristic nature of this spirit draws you in and creates these eerie vibes that never fade. The floating camera movement feels so perfectly unnatural and elicits a supernatural atmosphere within an otherwise grounded setting. It’s such a simple yet effective approach that gives Presence a distinct identity in an increasingly crowded genre, and it fits Soderbergh’s trademark skills for creative storytelling.
With this ghost not speaking or having a physical body to see, you’re never ever really sure what its next move will be. Sometimes it can make something change out of nowhere to make its presence known or even get direct with a character to deliver a real fright. Even when it shifts gears and starts moving faster throughout the house, you’re kind of floored by this sudden change in pace. Every time this presence does something, it completely catches you off-guard and Soderbergh finds great ways to keep viewers on their toes. Not to mention, the effects for its actions are very solid and often help escalate the unnerving aspects of its interactions. When it comes to this perspective, Soderbergh’s suspense-building is top-notch and it makes for an always distressing watch.
What this first-person perspective also does is enhance the juicy drama that constantly consumes this family — for better or worse. From a deteriorating marriage that’s literally dividing this family to past trauma that continues to haunt the younger sister Chloe (Callina Liang), there’s a lot going on with this family even before they move in. With this perspective in place, viewers essentially get to act as a fly on the wall of this family’s life and it makes the tension and burning feuds so much more interesting. Plus, given the filmmaking style, the intrigue of these dramatic interactions is a genuine testament to the sheer talent of Soderbergh’s direction and the cast. Most of these scenes are captured as long-takes, with few breaks or cuts. So, there’s virtually no room for mistakes and everyone rises to the occasion to create these compelling interactions and scenes that are boosted by strong performances.
The only drawback of being so intimately close with this family the whole time is that they aren’t exactly the most enjoyable bunch. As said before, these people have a lot of issues and can be pretty cruel towards one another. Now, that can result in some tantalizing drama and even funny dialogue that’s fun to soak in. But, often, it’s tough to find someone consistently likable and it can make following these characters a bit of a drag. Also, some of the story beats don’t always work and come off clunky. The eventual story threads that dig into supernatural lore are a little strange and aren’t all that appealing. Plus, it’s tough to figure out where things are heading at times and there’s definitely an aimlessness to Presence that hinders its engagement.
But the overall result is incredibly satisfying and shocking, as Soderbergh and writer David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible) cook up a horror story filled with jaw-dropping twists and turns. Despite the general dynamics of the family being a tad cumbersome to deal with, there are these subtle story threads that develop surrounding Chloe that converge in an unexpected way. The mysterious identity of this presence mixes with the suspicious motives of a romantic interest in very surprising ways. Throughout, they just seem like avenues to flesh out Chloe’s character and give Liang room to deliver a noteworthy breakout performance.
Yet, they eventually come together to achieve one of the darkest, most twisted turns for a horror movie in recent memory. The vile antagonist that rears its ugly head is absolutely monstrous and will undoubtedly leave viewers completely terrified from its cruel intentions. The two plot threads blend together so effectively to create revelations that really stick and ultimately build towards a final act full of heart-wrenching panic. It’s a finale that’s gripping, mortifying and fascinating all at once, and the final image that’s elevated by Lucy Liu’s soul-stirring scream will seriously leave a mark. With Presence, Koepp provides some of his twistiest writing yet, and it raises the film’s horror to an all-time high.
Presence shows that Soderbergh is operating on a completely different level than everyone else right now. His ability to do so much with a relatively simple concept never ceases to be wildly impressive, and here, it culminates in a fresh horror experience that blends smart technical qualities with a slow-burn narrative that stuns you with its dark twists and turns.
