After seeing the spy thriller, Black Bag, I decided to watch another Steven Soderbergh and David Koepp collaboration. I enjoy supernatural and horror thrillers, and anticipated some scary and adrenaline tension in Presence (2025). Turns out, the marketing is a hoax and this made many fans believe it's a horror film. Maybe because there's a ghost involved. But does the presence of ghosts in a film make it a horror story? Not always.
Presence (2025) is a unique drama movie with a difference. Not a horror or supernatural thriller. There's a hint of the supernatural but that's it. Steven Soderbergh and David Koepp present this movie in a manner that is refreshingly rare and that got my attention.
The opening scene shows a big house from the inside. All the rooms are dark, lights from outside peek through the window slits. Someone moves around, from upstairs to downstairs. Morning comes and a lady rushes into the house, drops her bag on the kitchen counter, straightens her hair and clothes. Then she opens the door, welcoming a family who wants to view the house. This family comprises the husband, wife, and two teenage children.
The husband, Chris (Chris Sullivan), and wife, Rebecca (Lucy Liu), have a quick discussion in the kitchen whether or not to take the house. Rebecca makes the decision and tells the realtor so even though Chris seems to have reservations. In the next scene, the family has moved in and settled down.
It turns out the couple's teenage daughter, Chloe, recently lost a friend to drug overdose before they moved in. She's in a fragile mental state and the father worries more. The mother is unconcerned. On the other hand, their son, Tyler, is perfect and does great at school. He's also Rebecca's favourite.
When Chloe begins to feel a ‘presence’ in her room and around the house, no one takes her seriously. Tyler bullies her about it, thinking she wants some attention until an incident where this ghost trashes Tyler's room, putting them all on edge. Chris invites a psychic medium to the house. She confirms the ‘presence’ but tries to warn them of an impending danger. Who or what is this ‘presence’? Why does it have a strange attachment to Chloe?
My Review And Rating
From the synopsis, I'm sure you can tell that this movie is not really a horror thriller as marketed. I watch with that in mind and am disappointed it's not so. Still, Steven Soderbergh and David Koepp found a way to make it worth watching.
I earlier said this movie is rare because of the way the ghost is represented. In most horror films, we might see a scary figure or a shadowy one. In Presence, the ghost is the main character and the story is told from its perspective. We don't know what it looks like. The camera is kind of the ghost and we see the other characters and surroundings through its eyes. That's new and fascinating, in my opinion.
The plot is good—a cool, haunted house story. The storytelling however is the icing on the cake. The house harbours a ghost but not the scary, wicked type out for haunting or vengeance. Rather, this one, according to the psychic medium, doesn't understand why it's there. We don't know what kind of spirit it is. As the story unfolds, the ‘presence’ purpose becomes clear. I think this is brilliant and I'm beginning to like this Steven Soderbergh and David Koepp collaboration. They should make movies together more often.
As always, Steven Soderbergh and David Koepp pull us through mystery and some tension that makes us question who this ghost is and what it wants. By the end of the movie, our questions are answered. Whether it is satisfactory or not is debatable.
I find the end a bit satisfactory but feel some parts of the movie are not well developed. We don't know much about this ‘presence’ at the end. Also, there are hints of trouble in Chris and Rebecca’s marriage, and Rebecca's work. She makes a call in a scene saying she sleeps well at night, alluding to something immoral or unethical in her business. These parts are left hanging and not properly concluded.
The pacing of the movie is good, evenly done. I understand Soderbergh was personally in charge of the camerawork so I can see why this movie stands out. He captures the heart of the story very well through the eyes of the ghost.
The acting is good though I wasn't too impressed with Tyler and his friend's character in the movie. But they reveal the reality of the world we live in.
Rating this movie, I will give it 6.5 stars out 10. The unique perspective held my attention all through the one hour, twenty minutes. It shows interesting things about the afterlife and its connection to the present. If you have seen this movie, let me know your thoughts.
All images above are from the movie screenshots
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