Steven Soderbergh’s Presence is a ghost story unlike any other—a psychological thriller and domestic drama told entirely from the point of view of the haunting itself. In a brisk 85 minutes, Soderbergh crafts a film that is as much about the invisible wounds within a family as it is about the supernatural, making Presence one of the year’s most quietly unsettling and emotionally resonant films.
Premise and Perspective
The film opens with an unseen entity—the titular Presence—drifting through an empty, suburban house. Soon, the Payne family moves in: Rebecca (Lucy Liu), a driven and emotionally distant businesswoman; Chris (Chris Sullivan), her gentle but anxious husband; their arrogant son Tyler (Eddy Madday); and their grieving daughter Chloe (Callina Liang), who is still reeling from the overdose death of her friend Nadia.
What sets Presence apart is its first-person perspective. The camera itself is the Presence, observing, intervening, and sometimes failing to protect. This immersive technique makes the audience complicit in the haunting, blurring the line between ghost and viewer.
A Family Unraveling
As the Paynes settle in, fractures within the family quickly surface. Rebecca’s preoccupation with her career and possible involvement in white-collar crime, Tyler’s cruelty and involvement in online harassment, and Chloe’s depression and vulnerability create a volatile atmosphere. Chris, meanwhile, is torn between supporting his daughter and worrying about his wife’s legal troubles.
Chloe, sensitive to the supernatural, senses the Presence early on and believes it to be her deceased friend Nadia. Her interactions with Tyler’s friend Ryan (West Mulholland), who is later revealed to be a manipulative and dangerous figure, become central to the film’s tension. As Ryan’s true nature emerges—he is responsible for Nadia’s death and attempts to harm Chloe—the Presence desperately tries to intervene, culminating in a tragic confrontation that leaves both Tyler and Ryan dead.
Themes and Symbolism
Presence is less a traditional horror film and more a meditation on grief, guilt, and the unseen forces—both emotional and supernatural—that shape a family’s fate. The house itself becomes a crucible for these tensions, with the haunting serving as both a literal and metaphorical manifestation of the family’s unresolved traumas.
Soderbergh weaves in overt symbolism: the family’s surname, Payne, their daughter’s middle name, Blue, and the recurring motif of mirrors and reflections. The film’s climax, in which Rebecca glimpses Tyler’s ghost in a mirror, is a gut-punch that reframes the haunting as a tragic loop of sacrifice and regret.
Performances and Direction
Lucy Liu delivers a steely, nuanced performance as Rebecca, while Chris Sullivan brings warmth and pathos to the role of Chris. Callina Liang’s Chloe is the emotional core of the film—her vulnerability and strength anchoring the story. Soderbergh’s direction is restrained but inventive, using the camera’s perspective to heighten both suspense and empathy.
Strengths
- Unique Perspective: The first-person ghost POV is immersive and original, making the audience an active participant in the drama.
- Emotional Depth: The film explores grief, guilt, and familial dysfunction with sensitivity and intelligence.
- Tight Pacing: At 85 minutes, the film is lean and focused, with little wasted motion.
Weaknesses
- Underdeveloped Subplots: Some threads, such as Rebecca’s legal troubles and Chris’s anxieties, feel underexplored.
- Characterization: Secondary characters, especially Tyler and Rebecca, can veer toward stereotype, though the central family dynamic remains compelling.
- Ambiguity: The film’s refusal to offer easy answers or conventional scares may frustrate viewers expecting a more traditional horror experience.
Final Thoughts
Presence is a haunting in every sense—a film about the ghosts we live with, the secrets we keep, and the sacrifices we make for those we love. Soderbergh’s bold use of perspective and his focus on emotional truth over genre tropes make this a standout entry in the modern ghost story canon. It’s a film that lingers, not just for its spectral chills, but for its empathy and insight into the pains that haunt us all.
Rating: 3/5