Steven Soderbergh dips his toes into the horror genre (at least on paper) with his latest film “Presence”. The always intriguing Soderbergh directs, shoots, and edits this visually striking and atmospheric supernatural feature that had its premiere a year ago at Sundance. It took a while, but after some cryptic and creepy teases, Neon has finally brought it to theaters. And like so many others, it’s a movie that should be viewed on the big screen.
But despite those chilling teases, scares in “Presence” are hard to come by. That’s because from its fascinating opening to its abrupt finish, the movie is much more akin to a sad dysfunctional family drama than a creepy supernatural chiller. In fact, it’s hard to even categorize it as ‘horror’. It just all happens to play out from the point-of-view of a ghost who is sharing a house with its new owners.
Screenwriter David Koepp’s story is built upon a really compelling premise. Unfortunately it never blossoms into something bigger than its concept. Visually it’s a stunner, sharpened by Soderbergh’s keen instincts and firm control. And several of its thematic through-lines strike a heartbreaking chord as we watch this family crumble through a set of fresh eyes. Things click more into place when approaching the film from this angle. But its advertising doesn’t do it any favors. And in this case it’s best to ignore the trailers altogether.
The entirety of “Presence” consists of brief scenes filmed from the ghost’s first-person perspective. They mostly consist of static shots and tracking shots, each ending with a quick cut to black. On the surface it may seem like a showy technique. But as we get in tune with the movie’s disconsolate rhythm, Soderbergh’s methods make more and more sense.
After a hypnotic tracking shot gives us a tour of the suburban house, were introduced to the Payne family – parents, Rebecca (Lucy Liu) and Chris (Chris Sullivan) and their teenage kids, Tyler (Eddy Maday) and Chloe (Callina Liang). At first the four seem to make up a strong and fully functioning family. But through the ghost’s eavesdropping and spying we quickly learn that each member has their own issues, some of which threaten to tear them apart.
For example, Rebecca is an aggressively take-charge woman who does a poor job hiding her favoritism towards her son. Chris is overly reticent and passive to the point that his frustration is eating him up inside. Tyler is spoiled and self-centered with a hateful side that comes out more as the movie progresses. Chloe is quiet and withdrawn, still emotionally reeling from the recent death of her best friend. Together their burdens build domestic tensions which slowly take their toll on the household.
As for the ghost, it’s little more than a lens, only occasionally showing emotion and letting its presence be known. Where did it come from? Why is it there? Does it have a connection to this family? Minus a couple of speculations, these questions largely go unanswered. This leaves you wondering if the ghost exists solely to give Soderbergh a reason to play around with his camera.
But again, “Presence” is far more interested in the family. Soderbergh’s near experimental filmmaking leaves too many gaps in their story and the characters never get the room they need to fully form. The final ‘twist’ gets even less time to play out which ends the movie on a fairly awkward note. Yet there’s something alluring in Soderbergh’s heady yet delicate approach. At times he draws us so far in so deep that we nearly forget the ghost conceit. The film is at its best in those moments. It’s only when you think about the film that its flaws become most evident.
VERDICT – 2.5 STARS
Keith & the Movies 