Presence

It is very intense in it's filming. There is no hiding in this film, from an actors perspective. There is no need for indepth character development, and I think that's what I liked about it. We didn't need an hour of backstory, we got just enough to help the story progress.

Lucy Liu is not the star player in this film. She plays her role convincingly. The storyline is subtle and the way it is filmed is key. There is some subtleties that won't make sense until it's all over.

It is not quite as revolutionary as some reviews have made it out to be, but it is different and I really appreciated it for that.

You are kept in suspense, but not in an exhausting way. You keep watching because you know there's an explanation but you're not teased to get there.

I enjoyed it. A nice little ghost story from a different perspective and no expectation of a commercialised series of films. Just slimmed down, basic story telling.

Recommend a watch.

This film leaves me feeling a lot like I felt after watching Neon's Longlegs in 2024. A quirky approach to a horror story, mostly well-executed, but with a story that ends up feeling inauthentic and clumsy. Personally I'd much rather watch a film that tries to do something different, even if it doesn't quite stick the landing, than a thousand cheap jumpscare horror clones. Presence did something different so I applaud it.

Pro: genuinely chilling at times: the scene with Natalie Woolams-Torres left the hairs on my arms standing on end.

Pro: mostly good, natural scriptwriting and acting.

Pro: just the right amount of levity at just the right times to keep the audience going without getting too silly.

Con: as the plot gets into its late stages it just doesn't feel right. I'm not sure how I'd have written it instead but there must have been room for a dark, natural and believable way to take the characters where they needed to be without *that* dialogue.

Con: the audience is limited by the characters' likeability here. I think the family father seems compelling but mother, daughter and son all left me feeling a little... uninterested in their fates? In one case this is a deliberate device to drive the plot and make the ending impactful but in the other two it seems inexcusable.

Con: I'm here partly for Julia Fox and she's barely in the movie. Boo! Give me a director's cut complete with 45 minutes of freehold contract negotiations and I'll bump my review up to an 8.

While I appreciate Soderburgh trying something new, there were way too many missed opportunities to make this movie feel anything other than gimmicky. Don't get me wrong, it was a good attempt at a ghost story but the tone of the movie got tripped up on adding too many distracting elements. It seemed more experimental than anything else; the characters felt forced (especially the parents), the foreshadowing was over the top, and the last ten minutes undid any possible horror that I originally hoped I would find. Definitely walked away feeling disappointed but only because the events leading up to it left too many open ended questions. (One of the biggest being why they would leave their children in an obviously haunted house (this is not a spoiler, it's literally the title of the movie) and then say "make good decisions." Dumb.)

Presence is a well constructed, drama-centred ghost story with a very effective story-telling gimmick. The short runtime and tiny cast and set served for an efficient and tight story. The production constraints must have been COVID related but I feel Soderberg used these limitations to the films credit.

The cast were strong and believable as a family unit. Many unseen facets of the characters lives were referenced and the film did a good job of presenting each personality organically. Although I actually found the daughter, who could be considered the films main character, to be the least deeply developed.

Although it's a ghost story of sorts, I would not call it a horror film. It seldom attempts to scare the audience in anything more than a very mild of unease. That said, there were several chilling moments.

Overall I enjoyed Presence and I appreciated its creativity and economical story telling. Although not a sensational film, it was a satisfying and tight story which I appreciated.

The people who generally saw this film most likely did so based on the trailer, imagery, and title of the film, all which indicate it's going to be similar to things like 'Hereditary' or 'Babadook'.

This movie is nothing like those. I wouldn't even call it scary. It's not supposed to be. The low ratings are probably from moviegoers who expected it to be, which is fair, no blame on them.

For those looking to watch a very quality movie, with a novel concept, this one might be for you. It has a lot of heart, some powerful social/relationship dynamics, and pulls you in, making you cheer internally for things to happen or not happen.