Prolific filmmaker Steven Soderbergh has never been shy of experimentation, having delivered a wide range of films that vary in both genre and approach. With his latest, Presence, he presents a unique ghost story that defies categorization. It is unlike anything that has come before in the genre. Rather than a traditional fright fest, the filmmaker turns the audience into casual observers of a crumbling family devastated by death, making for a somber yet comforting meditation on the afterlife and our yearning to believe that the end is only a new beginning. Chloe (Callina Liang) and her family have just moved into a new home. Still reeling from the tragic passing of a close friend, Chloe’s mother, Rebecca (Lucy Liu), can hardly stand being around the grey cloud that hovers over her. Her popular brother, Tyler (Eddy Maday), thinks she’s a loser. Only her father, Chris (Chris Sullivan), is there for her, a man desperately struggling to keep his family together. The teen girl is lost, unsure of how to move on…until she senses a presence in the house. Is it the ghost of her best friend, or someone else? What does it want, and why has it latched onto her so closely? Shot entirely through the P.O.V. of the presence (with Soderbergh handling the cinematography), there’s a soft sadness to the title spirit. It floats aimlessly through the dark house. Peers out the windows at people on the street. Hides from Chloe and her family in the girl’s bedroom closet. We don’t hear or see the spirit, but Soderbergh’s purposeful direction allows us to sense its yearning for Chloe’s attention. Another lost soul like the teen girl who goes unseen within her own family. You would think this would induce an eerie chill, to have this voyeuristic view of the main characters, but outside of rare occasions, that isn’t the case. Soderbergh’s intention isn’t to scare, but to bring something beautiful to the conversation around death. Sure, the presence occasionally moves things or blows on someone’s hair to make itself known, but it hardly ever feels threatening. With his latest, the filmmaker asks the viewer to consider our relationship to death as more than something to fear. And as someone who recently lost a childhood friend, that’s an approach that gave my heart strings a good strumming. Like last year’s In a Violent Nature, this story unfolds through an atypical perspective, keeping the audience at arm’s length from the characters. Soderbergh and writer David Koepp’s script allows us bits and pieces of the lives of Chloe’s family, hinting at various dramas while giving the bare minimum of details. That creates a bit of distance for the viewer, but it also enhances the sense of isolationism felt within the presence. It’s like being a fly on the wall for a family’s most personal moments, whether it’s Rebecca confessing to Tyler that he’s her favorite child or Chris breaking down by himself over his inability to keep everyone together. No stranger to writing great characters, Koepp gives us just enough to understand each of them despite the approach, supported by heart-wrenching performances. Sullivan especially stands out with a sincere portrayal of a good yet broken man fighting for the family he loves. Of course, Presence is still a ghost story, and outside of the unique viewpoint, it contains many of the tropes we associate with haunted house films. One member of the family who can sense the presence more than the others. A spiritual communicator with the other side brought in to help the situation. Even a sinister secret or two to provide some short-lived but tense terror in the final act. Remove the P.O.V. of the spirit, and this is a rather standard haunter that I doubt will surprise audiences familiar with the genre. Nevertheless, seeing these elements play out through a rare viewpoint makes them feel fresh, and besides, it isn’t really about the mystery haunting the edges of this tale, anyway. Soderbergh’s primary aim is to confront audiences with the question of what is death, what happens to us after, and can we still believe in some kind of unexplainable magic to our existence? Because to think that there is nothing, no afterlife, no connection to loved ones once they’re gone, well, that’s a lonely way to see the world, isn’t it? If you’re looking for a spooky ghost story, look elsewhere, because Presence isn’t that. No. Soderbergh’s latest is a thought-provoking tale about eternal bonds and opening ourselves up to the world around us. A quiet, heart-felt ghost story, Presence intends to provide some comfort around a subject that is anything but comfortable. As someone who is still mourning a close friend, I can say it certainly brought me some much-needed peace. Presence haunts theaters on January 24th from Neon. By Matt Konopka
21 Comments
ERIC
1/23/2025 10:54:17 am
RAY WISE WILL BE RETURNING THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS FULL TIME
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1/23/2025 10:56:12 am
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ERIC X
1/23/2025 11:02:29 am
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1/23/2025 11:04:18 am
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RAY WISE WILL BE RETIRNING THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS FULL TIME
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RAY WISE WILL BE RETIRNING THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS FULL TIME
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RAY WISE WILL BE RETIRNING THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS FULL TIME
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RAY WISE WILL BE RETIRNING THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS FULL TIME
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RAY WISE WILL BE RETIRNING THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS FULL TIME
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1/23/2025 11:21:51 am
RAY WISE STAYING THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS FULL TIME
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1/23/2025 11:23:42 am
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1/23/2025 11:26:53 am
RAY WISE STAYING THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS FULL TIME
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ERIC
1/23/2025 11:27:44 am
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1/23/2025 11:28:29 am
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