Presence
Directed by Steven SoderberghA couple and their children move into a seemingly normal suburban home. When strange events occur, they begin to believe there is something else in the house with them. The presence is about to disrupt their lives in unimaginable ways.
Cast of Presence
Presence Ratings & Reviews
- jackmeatMay 17, 2025My quick rating - 5.9/10. Steven Soderbergh’s Presence is less a traditional haunted house movie and more of an artful experiment in perspective. Marketed—perhaps misleadingly—as a horror film, this 85-minute suburban ghost story leans more into quiet unease and emotional tension than jump scares or gory thrills. The real hook here is the concept: the entire movie is filmed from the ghost's point of view. And in that regard, Soderbergh delivers something fresh, even if the execution doesn’t always live up to the premise’s potential. Lucy Liu takes the human spotlight, playing the mother of a family that’s just moved into what they soon discover is a not-so-empty house. She’s great here, relatable and emotionally honest in a role that asks her to anchor scenes with very little conventional back-and-forth. But ultimately, the ghost is the real star, and Soderbergh’s camera puts us directly behind its silent, spectral eyes. It’s a neat trick. The floating, voyeuristic perspective makes you feel like you're eavesdropping on lives that were never meant to be watched. It’s immersive in a way most ghost stories only aspire to be. But where it falters is in the story itself. There’s just not enough meat on the bones to justify a full feature. Once the novelty of the gimmick wears off—and it does wear off—you’re left hoping for deeper character arcs, tighter tension, or at least a few shocking revelations. And while there are thematic undercurrents at play here, ones that do eventually bubble to the surface, they arrive too softly to hit with any real impact. The film has something to say, sure, but if you pick up on it in the first act, the rest of the journey starts to feel like slow-motion confirmation rather than discovery. Then there are moments of head-scratching logic that yank you right out of the atmosphere. One particularly dumbfounding choice comes when the parents, after witnessing a full-on supernatural meltdown in a bedroom, decide to leave the kids home alone. Come again? Not only have they verified that the house is haunted—no ambiguity, no "maybe it was the wind" excuses—they still treat it like a mild inconvenience. No panic. No immediate exit. Just a baffling lack of urgency that undercuts the credibility of the entire family dynamic. That said, this isn’t a bad movie. Far from it. It’s stylish, well-acted, and genuinely interesting to look at. It just feels more like a really impressive short film that was padded out into a feature without quite enough substance to fill the frame. It’s not scary, not shocking, and not particularly twisty, but it is a unique take on a genre that’s too often stuck in repetition. Bottom line: Presence is worth watching for the concept alone, especially if you're in the mood for something different. Just temper your expectations. This is a quiet experiment, not a scream-fest—and if you go in looking for blood-curdling horror, you're going to come out haunted by missed potential instead.
- shirazesatApril 26, 2025Slow burn but kept me invested. Clues throughout and "the reveal" is perfectly timed: I'm sure most viewers will have the "aha" moment just before.
- Alex | Pop Culture BrainFebruary 10, 2025I loved its clever concept and twists, great acting, writing, and visual style.
- Motaba Movie centerApril 23, 2025Boring ghost story Despite the big names, nothing. The idea is excellent, but the execution is boring and unexciting. It had more smoke than flame
- EdwardApril 6, 2025Presence is a refreshing take on the horror genre, where I would say it only borders on horror. The usual character tropes aren't there and there are some positive family relationships you don't see too often in films. There are themes of grief throughout so know that's what you are getting into rather than typical jumpscares.
- Matthias_812April 2, 2025Steven Soderbergh takes a fresh twist on the haunted house subgenre by presenting the story from the ghost's perspective. The unique approach provides an intimate look into the lives of a family grappling with loss and unresolved trauma. The stylistic approach makes the film more immersive. The camera's fluid movements through the house makes you feel like an unseen observer. This technique enhances the atmosphere, emphasizing the isolation and melancholy that permeate the narrative.
- Allie TranMarch 30, 2025The twist was ACTUALLY unexpected. Wow.
- grimsfieldMarch 8, 2025Not a horror movie.
- DreMarch 26, 2025Just another normal movie
- cultfilmlikerMarch 10, 2025Love the beautiful POV camera work. Reminded me of Unsane obviously. Soderbergh’s work is very singular even though there’s nothing particularly unique about it. It’s a stream of consciousness narrative that I rarely enjoy. Would have loved to have seen this in the theater. Tight script (easy to do with the runtime lol) so I enjoyed every minute of it. The long takes were incredibly impressive. The actor who played Ryan’s emotions felt forced (during difficult monologues), but other than that, decent acting! Lotta labia art. Thanks, Freud!
- sbarkerMarch 9, 2025Very slow and not much of a payoff at the end.
- Jefferson BittencourtMarch 24, 2025Great work!! Inventive cinematography and beautiful score. Simple and delicated movie! Far from genre classification!
- cvjoshMarch 24, 2025just watch supernatural instead
- Jeff HeapMarch 16, 2025Unique! I've never seen a “Haunting” Type movie filmed POV of the Haunting entity.
- Josue.AbreuMarch 2, 2025.... what did i just watch? The trailer made it seem like a horror movie with Lucy Liu. This was more a teen story about rape with 2 minutes of Lucy. This was just bad.
