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Content warning: This article contains mention of sexual assault.

The landscape of horror movies has transformed over the years. When “Psycho” first hit theaters in 1960, the film broke the barriers of depicting sex and violence, particularly in the famous shower scene. And when Jordan Peele’s 2016 “Get Out” tackled stigmatized racism in a horrifying way, the genre added a more subtle touch to its films, often merging supernatural and realist themes.

Steven Soderbergh’s “Presence” is another positive transformation to the genre as the film implements a first person perspective from the eyes of a ghost. While the film is unlike any other, “Presence” does miss out on core horror elements and instead lets the family drama take charge.

“Presence” follows the Payne family’s move into an old suburban house. As the family settles in, they become convinced that a spirit has occupied the home and tragedy slowly unfolds.

Though the film’s perspective is innovative, it proves to have its drawbacks. And despite the reimagined approach and heartbreaking family narrative, “Presence” lacks classic horror elements that would have made the film haunting, not dull.

The opening scene immediately reels the audience in. A serene piano score plays, paired with slow camerawork as the ghost explores the house for the first time. But there’s no malicious intent, just confusion. With no evil spirit to stir the plot, “Presence” probably shouldn’t be presented as a horror film.

Soderbergh holds back on other classic horror elements that would’ve elevated the film, instead opting for a slow burn. While many horror films, like the “Smile” franchise, heavily rely on jumpscares and over-the-top gory sequences that produce predictable storylines, “Presence” doesn’t. This results in a lackluster horror feel rather than a creative “Paranormal Activity” spin.

Despite this, the Payne family drama keeps the film relevant. Centered around Chloe (Callina Liang), the ghost becomes her protector, though without clear reasoning.

Chloe is in a vulnerable state throughout the movie because of the recent death of two of her friends. Her parents, Rebecca (Lucy Liu) and Chris (Chris Sullivan), bicker over how they should handle their daughter’s grief, eventually fragmenting the family, while Tyler (Eddy Maday) grows tired of his sister.

Cole Ross | Digital Design Editor

When their parents are away, Tyler invites his friend Ryan (West Mulholland) over. Ryan’s malicious plans to sexually assault Chloe, who he had been manipulating by supporting her through her grief, are nearly realized. Ryan first spikes Tyler’s drink, leaving him unconscious. He then goes up to Chloe’s room and spikes her drink.

Unable to stop Ryan, the ghost urgently wakes Tyler up. When Tyler finally regains consciousness, he rushes upstairs, barges into Chloe’s room and tackles Ryan. The two boys fall out of the window. The climax ends with a birds-eye view of Ryan and Tyler lying dead.

In the final scene, the family moves out of the house. As a grief-stricken Rebecca wanders around one last time, she looks at an old mirror. In the reflection, Tyler reappears smiling. Rebecca immediately wails and falls to the ground as she faces the reality of leaving her son behind.

When the twist reveals that Tyler was both the spirit and his physical self, it creates an additional layer of emotional depth for the audience. Tyler never saw eye-to-eye with Chloe, but his spirit often tried to help her in any way possible, which accentuated the message of treasuring the memories of your loved ones before it’s too late.

While the narrative helps keep audiences engaged, the cinematography is the film’s highest point. Using a Sony A7 camera, Soderbergh masterfully maps out every direction Tyler’s ghost takes, actively avoiding mirrors and reflections so as to not unveil his identity until the very end.

The cinematography is best showcased in the climax as the camera hovers and violently shakes directly on top of an unconscious Tyler in an effort to wake him up. The camerawork is purposefully unstable as Tyler sprints up the stairs, creating queasiness throughout the intense sequence.

The climax’s cinematography blurs the lines of what Tyler’s ghost witnessed and its desire to save Chloe, allowing the ghost to reveal its true, innocent intentions. Soderbergh could’ve taken the short cut and let the events unfold through a wide angle shot. But, thanks to carefully planned choreography, the audience is also able to experience the chain of traumatic events.

Even though the cast plays four very different characters, each member exceeds expectations in their respective roles. Liang especially is placed in a tricky situation as she plays a withdrawn daughter while also balancing the responsibilities of a protagonist. Even with these challenges, Liang excels as the film’s compass.

While the horror in “Presence” is debatably more realistic than supernatural as a twist on a haunted house movie, the movie balances central themes of grief, teenage solitude and familial struggles that enrich the film’s emotion.

Though “Presence” is not on par with the rest of Neon’s impressive library of horror movies, its secondary genre shines through. Even with its shortcomings, Soderbergh’s new experimental film proves to be a mislabeled success.

Published on January 27, 2025 at 11:15 pm