PRESENCE and the Nosy Ghost

PRESENCE (Blu-ray)

2024 / 84 min

From NEON/DECAL RELEASING

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat🙀

Once again, director Steven Soderbergh goes the unconventional route with the horror drama, Presence. For me, his work has been hit-or-miss, but I’ve always appreciated his willingness to return to his indie roots by indulging in filmmaking techniques and narrative approaches most major studios would scoff at. 

Working with yet-another screenplay by frequent partner-in-crime David Koepp, Presence is a deliberately paced ghost story presented entirely from the point-of-view of the ghost itself. Of course, this ultimately precludes traditional opportunities to scare an audience, but Soderbergh obviously didn’t set out to make a traditional horror movie. In fact, it’s just-as-much a somber drama of an increasingly dysfunctional family. As such, Presence isn’t without its aesthetic and narrative shortcomings, but overall, it’s a pretty interesting film.

The fractured family in question are the Paynes, who’ve just moved into a new home. The parents, Rebekah and Chris (Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan), don’t appear happy with each other, especially regarding their teen children. Rebekah is indifferent to daughter Chloe’s (Callina Lang) emotional distress over losing her best friend, Nadia, who recently died of an apparent drug overdose. Conversely, Rebekah displays far more affection for their athletic douchebag son, Tyler (Eddy Maday)...to an almost creepy level in one particular scene.

Rebekah puts off doing the yardwork.

The conflicts of this family dynamic are observed by an unseen entity, primarily from a distance in long, unbroken shots. Because it seems particularly interested in (and protective of) Chloe, the presence is presumed to be Nadia. Rebekah and Tyler initially accuse Chloe of dramatic attention-getting (at least until the entity throws sort of a tantrum), while Chris is not-only sympathetic, he believes her. 

The Paynes’ marriage is further strained by Rebekah’s illegal work-related activities, a subplot that doesn’t serve any real purpose and is ultimately forgotten. Elsewhere, Chloe instigates a romantic relationship with Tyler’s best friend Ryan (West Mulholland), a development which is integral to the story…providing a plot twist during the disturbing final act that will likely surprise the audience. 

Soderbergh’s fly-on-the-wall approach to the story, as well as the episodic nature of each scene, sometimes undermines the tension and stalls momentum. But while Presence might be a little too poky and meandering for some viewers, our patience is rewarded with a gripping climax and haunting denouement.