Presence – Movie Review (3/5)

PRESENCE is a Psychological Ghost Movie out on VOD now. It might not work as a typical horror movie but it certainly has horror elements. This Steven Soderbergh movie stays with you – if you let it get under your skin. Read our full Presence movie review here!

PRESENCE (2024) is a new movie by acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp. Having these two filmmakers behind any project is enough to intrigue me. This being a ghost story with a psychological driver is a guaranteed watch for me.

This is not a typical horror movie and I’ve seen people complain that it’s slow-burn and nothing happens. And yes, it is slow-burn, but a lot happens. Just pay attention and let the story and its characters in. This is ultimately a very dark horror movie, but to say more would be a huge spoiler!

Continue reading our Presence movie review below. Find it on VOD from February 25, 2025.

You’re the fly on the wall

Okay, you’re not actually a fly on the wall but rather a ghost living in an empty house. However, the description of “fly on the wall” still matches the movie-watching experience. We see and hear everything that this presence (yes, like the title) is experiencing.

It’s there in the empty house and sees a new family come to the house and then move in. As established in many ghost stories before this one, time moves differently once you’re no longer tied to the physical world.

The same goes for this ghost.

While it witnesses various intimate, uncomfortable, and vulnerable experiences by the family, it also disappears for hours or days at a time. As a result, so do we, and then we need to catch up.

This entity or presence pays the most attention to Chloe.

Chloe (Callina Liang) is a teenage girl who moved into the house with her brother, mother, and father. While mom (Lucy Liu) and her brother, Tyler (Eddy Maday) have a strong bond – actually mom is obsessed with her golden boy – Chloe has a tighter bond with her dad (Chris Sullivan).

Also playing a key role is Tyler’s new friend at school, Ryan (West Mulholland) who finds Chloe very interesting. Something the ghost of the house isn’t crazy about.

An unusual psychological and emotional thriller

What Presence delivers is a familiar approach that also feels very unique to this particular story. I was immediately reminded of the 2017 movie A Ghost Story which starred Casey Affleck as a ghost that stayed in a house for decades. At least!

However, in that movie, we didn’t see things from the ghost’s POV, and that’s exactly what makes Presence such a unique and powerful piece of storytelling. In a sense, the POV approach reminded me more of Paranormal Activity. Not much happened there either, but then it got dark.

And yes, there is a point to this presence in the house which will become obvious in the final act of the movie. The story takes a turn so dark that attaching horror as a genre to this movie is relevant and correct.

For the most part, however, it’s more of an unnerving psychological and emotional thriller. This also works for me as it means you let your guard down before getting attacked by moments where the ghost makes its presence known – and felt.

Watch Presence on VOD now

If you’re usually a fan of director Steven Soderbergh‘s movies, series, or productions, I can’t imagine you won’t enjoy this one. Writer David Koepp (You Should Have Left) has crafted something fascinating and simple here. Just set your expectations accordingly.

As already stated several times, this is not a typical horror movie. So if you’re expecting a wild and violent movie about a haunted house, then you’ll likely be disappointed. However, this is ultimately just as dark as those kinds of horror movies.

You just have to give it time to reveal its true nature via the story told.

Presence premiered at the Sundance Film Festival back in January 2024 and went on to screen at all the big film festivals. From TIFF in Toronto to the genre darling Sitges in Spain. It was released in theaters on January 24, 2025, and now it’s out on Digital to watch on your preferred platform.

Presence is out On Digital from February 25, 2025.

Details

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: David Koepp
Stars: Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, West Mulholland