Steven Soderbergh's Presence isn't exactly the haunted house thriller it was marketed to be but it does deliver an interesting take on the genre, with a story told entirely from the perspective of the ghost.
Presence Movie Review
Ghost stories have been around as long as humans have been afraid of what happens after death. Haunted House movies are equally a staple in storytelling, oftentimes being the vehicles for untold horrors or in the case of Casper, a way to show not all spirits are evil. Surprisingly enough, there has never been (at least to my knowledge) a film in this genre told from the point of view of the ghost itself. It almost seems like a no-brainer of an idea but maybe it's due to the difficulty of POV films that has deterred other filmmakers from this approach. As we know, POV is either done extremely well, drawing us into the story like the Oscar-nominated Nickel Boys, or it comes off too gimmicky, ruining the tone.
Although Presence isn't exactly a horror film, it certainly is a supernatural thriller, one that benefits from director Steven Soderbergh deciding to shoot it from the ghost's perspective. Soderbergh, who is also the ghost thanks to him taking on cinematography duties, has teamed up again with screenwriter David Koepp to deliver a story about a family falling apart in the wake of several tragic events. The camera is the ghost, who like the audience, must sit back and watch the drama unfold, wants to intervene but struggles to do so. By removing the scares and focusing on tensions instead, Soderbergh has crafted a unique entry into a well-known genre that will likely see other filmmakers follow suit.
Rebecca (Lucy Liu) and Chris (Chris Sullivan) move into a new home with their two teenagers, Chloe (Callina Liang) and her older brother Tyler (Eddy Maday). It's quickly revealed that this isn't some happy family, there is a lot of tension surrounding the various members, permeating their relationships with each other. Rebecca is wound tight, clearly prefers Tyler to Chloe, and is seemingly involved in something that is not quite legal. Chris is laidback, loving, and is closer to their daughter Chloe. The spouses are all but estranged at this point and the siblings bicker as siblings do. Tyler is arrogant, with no patience for his sisters' sensitive nature. She is sensitive for a good reason, two of her friends died of what appears to be drug overdoses. Her closeness to death makes Chloe the first to realize there might be something supernatural lurking in the house.
As the movie progresses, the first question that comes to mind is who is this ghost? Why is it watching so intently? And is it there to harm or help the family, specifically Chloe whom it has taken special interest in. It isn't long before the specter makes itself known, by flickering lights, knocking cups off of tables, and even helping with organizing. Chloe tries to tell her family what she is seeing but they dismiss her, all except her dad who just wants her to be mentally stable again.
The ghost cannot leave the house which means the movie never does either, which is another challenge for Soderbergh. Single locations can become dull quickly without the right direction. However, his keen eye and ghost-like ways draw us into the story leaving no room to lament the lack of different scenery. Days are broken up by darkness, essentially telling us everyone went to sleep and the ghost had no one to eavesdrop on. Long gazes out windows inject the wistfulness felt by the unseen. A desire to go out and possibly have a “redo” of its life, whatever that was before. Soderbergh glides, hovers, shakes, and pulls back, injecting emotions into mere camera movements. As the audience, this gives us access to the ghost's feelings, whether it is affection for the family, frustration that it cannot intervene, or the overwhelming concern it has for Chloe.
Newcomer Callina Liang is incredible, giving Chloe a haunted quality while never going full tormented teen. She shoulders a lot of the drama but handles it well, making it hard to believe this is her feature film debut. Others in the cast are more abrasive, Liu's hard-nosed Rebecca is off-putting in a way that makes you fail to connect with her. Sullivan is more tender-hearted, reminiscent of his This Is Us character Toby. Maday is a typical a-hole teen while his best friend Ryan (West Mulholland) is as sleazy as every popular guy you remember from high school.
Verdict
Although ultimately it is not quite the horror story you thought it was going to be, Steven Soderbergh's Presence is a unique and interesting take on the haunted house thriller. The POV works well here thanks to Soderbergh's camera movements that are so precise and expressive, he is able to convey a myriad of emotions with simple jerks, shakes, or pans. Deciding to center the drama on a family falling apart rather than one terrified that their house is occupied, is a bold move that more-or-less pays off. However, when the ghost's identity is revealed, the twist will leave you wondering how you missed the signs all along.
Presence is in theaters now. It is rated R for violence, drug material, language, sexuality and teen drinking with a runtime of 1 hour 25 minutes.
Leave a Reply