Presence, 2025.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Starring Lucy Liu, Julia Fox, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Lucas Papaelias, West Mulholland, Eddy Maday, Daniel Danielson, Benny Elledge, and Natalie Woolams-Torres.
SYNOPSIS:
A family becomes convinced they are not alone after moving into their new home in the suburbs.
Told from the perspective of a ghost, director Steven Soderbergh’s Presence (and from a screenplay by David Koepp) is less of a suspenseful horror show and more of an intriguing window into a fractured family of four, with each bite-sized scene dripping more information as to who the ghost might be and why it has chosen to wander around this particular home. It fits right in with the once-retired filmmaker’s (who is cranking out movies faster than ever, if anything) recent fascination with experimental techniques rather than ironclad plotting and rich characterization. However, that’s not to say those qualities are absent here.
In some ways, toying with camerawork and perspective on recent films such as Unsane have led Steven Soderbergh to what might be his most ambitious project yet in that lane, sticking with an unseen character while also trying to ensure that the tracking movements, rotations, and panning don’t stick out as a gimmick and draw attention away from the living, who are typically either arguing or not listening to one another.
There are times one forgets entirely that a ghost is following these people around from room to room, with Steven Soderbergh also knowing the appropriate moments to break free from that minimalism by having the ghost interact with objects or try to get the attention of these characters, typically for a protective reason. It might sound cliché, but the ghost here is well-intentioned, and the real monster is one of the human characters. That also isn’t a knock against the film since Steven Soderbergh is playing with that subversion in a formally refreshing and compelling way.
An intentionally fragmented experience that quickly cuts between a family making an offer on a home, some remodeling being done (with one contractor exclaiming off-screen one room he will no longer go into), and then moving in, Presence gradually lets viewers into its character dynamics that see each parent (played by Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan) fixated on a different child. Rebekah pays more attention to their promising athlete son Tyler (Eddy Maday) while asserting to her husband Chris that they need to leave their daughter Chloe (Callina Liang) alone to deal with her trauma and grief stemming from the shocking death of two peers, which is the primary reason the family has moved to a home in the suburbs.
There is also some marital tension brewing, although that is nothing compared to Tyler’s aggressive hatred for Chloe, shunning her as a weirdo outcast freak and doubling down on that harsh name-calling once she becomes convinced that she is in the presence of something supernatural. The parents also routinely go on work-related trips that leave Chloe and Tyler home alone, with the former developing a connection with her brother’s sketchy horndog and unnervingly manipulative friend Ryan (West Mulholland.) This happens behind Tyler’s back, but naturally, the ghost is still present and watching over everything from Chloe’s closet, as if it has decided it shares some kinship with her and must keep her safe.
Presence does morph into a thriller in ways more disturbing than I ever anticipated coming into it, but Steven Soderbergh remains drawn to the experimental perspective, the limitations of a ghost, and how he can use those limitations to enhance suspense when it’s time. The film also ends on an emotional note that doesn’t quite feel earned, yet nonetheless has something impactful to say about the nature of family, even when it involves siblings who detest one another.
Newcomer Callina Liang is given the most character range to work with and impresses, grieving and trying to move on through a questionable relationship whilst understandably beguiled by supernatural happenings around her. Her presence pulls everything together, making for a rewarding, slow-burn, eerie family drama.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association, Critics Choice Association, and Online Film Critics Society. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews and follow my BlueSky or Letterboxd
