Few directors can release films with the same consistency as Steven Soderbergh (he averages over one a year this century), never mind in so many different genres. With Presence, he steps into the world of the supernatural. Don't be fooled by the "presence" of a spirit however, this is not a horror film, more a family drama infused with a sense of doom.
The film begins with a family, consisting of domineering mother Rebecca (Lucy Liu), unhappy father Chris (Chris Sullivan), swimming star son Tyler (Eddy Maday) and troubled daughter Chloe (Colina Laing) moving into a new home. Things are far from rosy in the Sullivan household, Rebecca is involved in some unspecified shady work business and dotes on her athlete son (the whole reason for the move is to get him into a premium school) while showing little interest in her daughter, who's best friend recently died. Chris is fed up with his detached wife's favouritism and considering divorce while both the offspring are in some way involved with a popular but potentially sketchy guy from their school. Its unclear which, if any, of these strands will lead to disaster but there is a creeping sense of dread throughout the film as the family struggle to deal with each other and the strange goings on in their new home.
The twist is, we watch all this unfold through the eyes of a ghost inhabiting the house. The movie opens with it pacing through the empty rooms of the house prior to the families arrival and it becomes clear it is unable to leave. The spirit is able to interact with objects but the range and consistency of its physicality are unclear, as are its intentions toward the family for most of the brief (85 mins) runtime. There is no passing through walls or whooshing about, mr ghost plods around in a very human way. Aside from, presumably, making things easier to film this adds to the sense that the spirit is a character rather just a disembodied camera and we can begin to piece together its personality and motives via what it chooses to witness and react to. There is the standard scene where an outsider arrives to deliver some exposition on the nature of the ghost but in this case its needed to set up the ending, which is impactful even if doesn't quite hang together logically.
The performances are all good, especially Laing who is ostensibly the main character given the spirits particular focus on the family daughter. There are issues with the dynamics though. Viewing proceedings the way we do, we know we aren't getting the characters in their entirety but there is only so much depth you can add yourself when the son, and in particular the mother, just come across as absolute villains for most of the movie. No wonder Tyler is an arrogant tool when his mother yuks it up as he regals her with the story of how he humiliated a girl at school who "deserved it". Chris may be considering leaving her but it's hard to envisage why he would have hung around so long and a conversation with his daughter designed to explain why feels forced.
It's a Steven Soderbergh movie so you know it's crisp and well shot. Marks for storytelling efficiency too as the trim runtime leaves no room for unnecessary noise. The experimental premise, single location and high concept ending make Presence feel a bit like a student film but the movie making nous on display elevates it and while a couple of the characters are a bit janky you'll be rooting for the daughter to make it through. For a none horror film it also leaves off with one hell of an unsettling scene.
7 non tampered with beverages out of 10.
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