Film Review - Presence
Steven Soderbergh's ghost story, shot entirely from the point of view of the spectre, is insubstantial but interesting
It’s been an interesting month for films exclusively told in POV shots. First, the UK finally got to see Nickel Boys; a remarkable piece of work in which the technique pays significant emotional dividends if you stick with it. Then we have this latest film from the prolific Steven Soderbergh (he’s got another film, spy thriller Black Bag, out in a couple of months). It’s the kind of experimental piece for which the horror genre is ideal, in this case, a ghost story told entirely from the point of view of the ghost.
The identity of the spirit in question isn’t immediately revealed, but as the Payne family — Chris (Chris Sullivan), Rebecca (Lucy Liu), and their teenage children Tyler (Eddie Maday) and Chloe (Callina Liang) — move into the house it haunts, bits and pieces are slowly revealed. Chloe is grieving the death of a friend who died from a drug overdose. Tyler is spoiled by his mother and rather obnoxious, as his new friend, Ryan (West Mulholland), mentions to Chloe, expressing his disapproval of a cruel prank her brother plans to pull on a classmate. Meanwhile, Rebecca has evidently involved herself in some kind of financial illegality and attempts to pull the wool over the eyes of her husband (who isn’t fooled but is unsure how to broach the issue). Chris is also unhappy with the way Rebecca dotes on Tyler at the expense of Chloe and, in general, feels as though his family is coming apart at the seams.
It’s a fine set-up, and one that ensures audiences remain absorbed once the cast becomes aware of a spectre lingering in their house. Per genre requirements, they bring in the obligatory expert; the spiritually sensitive Lisa (Natalie Woolams-Torres), who immediately detects the ghostly entity and senses it has a purpose. Is that purpose malevolent?
Obviously, I won’t spoil it, but I will say that for all its innovative directorial trappings, this is a ghost story in the old-fashioned tradition. It isn’t particularly scary, despite a couple of mild jumps. However, the film ends up going to a dark place that some critics feel is unearned. Quite honestly, I don’t see a problem with veteran screenwriter David Koepp’s inclusion of such potentially sensitive subject matter. The best ghost stories are often less concerned with the supernatural and more concerned with monstrous deeds in the physical world.
Zack Ryan’s effectively evocative music recalls compositions by old Hollywood greats like Jerry Goldsmith or Bernard Herrmann (from the various thrillers and horror films they scored). Performances are solid, and although the film may ultimately feel insubstantial, it’s an interesting experiment. At times, I was oddly reminded of David Lowery’s glacially paced but hugely effective A Ghost Story (2017), which isn’t all POV shots, but deals in the existential anguish of being a spirit doomed to haunt a particular location. Presence is faster and more accessible, with a trim 84-minute running time, but I expect it is less likely to linger in my consciousness.
(Originally published at Medium.)
The Dillon Empire beyond Substack
For a full list of my published novels, click click here.
For more on my novels and other fiction projects, click here.
For my Patreon page, click here.
For my Medium page, click here.