Presence (2024)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan star in this supernatural horror thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh. Rebecca and Chris Payne (Liu and Sullivan) move into a new house in the suburbs with their children Tyler (Eddy Maday) and Chloe (Callina Liang), hoping for a fresh start. The family are having problems, with Chris considering leaving Rebecca while Chloe is grieving the death of her best friend. Soon, all four of them become aware of an unseen presence in the house and as its actions escalate, can they discover its intentions before it's too late? The cast also includes West Mulholland and Natalie Woolams-Torres.
- Actors:
- Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday, West Mulholland, Julia Fox, Benny Elledge, Daniel Danielson, Jared Wiseman, Robert Jimenez, Lucas Papaelias, Natalie Woolams-Torres
- Directors:
- Steven Soderbergh
- Producers:
- Julie M. Anderson, Ken Meyer
- Writers:
- David Koepp
- Genres:
- Horror, Thrillers
Reviews (2) of Presence
Posh Paranormal Activity - Presence review by AER
A good ending and a novel hook don't save Presence from being distinctly average with a few missteps plotwise.
Interesting Ghost Story - Presence review by GI
Interesting haunted house / ghost story from director Steven Soderbergh that has the camera give us the ghost's point of view as it glides around the spacious suburban house watching the family who have recently moved in.
This is the Payne family of dad (Chris Sullivan), mum Rebekah (Lucy Liu) and teenagers Tyler (Eddie Maday) and Chloe (Callina Liang). They have some issues going on and the film presents a sort of family drama situation watched by the supernatural presence which only Chloe vaguely senses. She has recently lost two friends who have died in mysterious circumstances and so has some emotional issues. There is eventually some poltergeist type incidents as the presence moves things and even throws them about when it's stressed or upset. But it's purpose as potential protector becomes evident when Chloe begins a hesitant relationship with Tyler's friend, Ryan (West Mulholland).
Soderbergh's camera movements and scarcity of cuts gives the film a theatrical vibe, it's certainly an intelligent film that has some innovation behind it but it's a little slow and perhaps doesn't deliver the impact expected. It's much more subtle than films of. similar type.