The supernatural aspects in this film could’ve been explored more than it was to make the events of the film resonate deeper.
Presence is the latest film from prolific director Steven Soderbergh, it tells the story of a family who are convinced they are not alone after moving into their new suburban home.
First things first, expectation management is required for Presence because this film is marketed as a horror film and it’s not. I believe labelling it a horror is a disingenuous mistake which will do no favours for the film. It will simply set audiences up for disappointment by leading them to watch it with the wrong expectations, because the type of film the trailer sold to them isn’t the film they’ll see. Presence is more of a family drama with subtle elements of a supernatural thriller.
The entire film is told from the refreshingly unique POV of an entity within the house, as we observe the family’s business. The camera conveys this perspective brilliantly by manoeuvring through the house in a kinetic and engaging way, that always gave the intended impression which is that we were unseen eyes in the room prying on the family. Theres a plethora of long takes throughout the film and how the camera moves through the space as the actors perform, made it somewhat feel like theatre because they are rarely in a position where they are directly in front of the camera. The cinematography and Steven Soderbergh’s direction is the best thing this film has to offer. It’s an original concept that made me intrigued to see it and on that front it mostly delivers, although more could’ve been done to elevate the concept and the film as a whole.
The story tackles themes of grief and loss within a slightly dysfunctional family. Lucy Liu is the most recognisable name in the cast and she portrays Rebecca, the mother of the family who has an uneven level of pride and affection for her children. She clearly has more care and interest in her son Tyler who is making strides academically. Her daughter Chloe is emotionally neglected and this is primarily Callina Liang’s film because she is the centrepiece, as she portrays Chloe’s experience of navigating an emotionally turbulent period of her life which is the foundation for this story. Chris Sullivan plays her father and he is the more understanding of the parents. West Mulholland plays Ryan, a young man that Chloe befriends who may have ulterior motives for their friendship. The performances were good and the characters felt like real people so in that sense it didn’t feel like you were watching actors in a film, that’s the best compliment I can give them.
Presence reminded me of Paranormal Activity in terms of being a slow moving film with a supernatural element that takes place in a suburban home, in which you’re following a family and anticipating for something to go wrong. The thing about Paranormal Activity is some people find it boring, especially if they never experienced it in the cinema. I can imagine some people will feel the same about Presence especially if they’re watching it with the expectation of it being a horror film. This film doesn’t attempt to generate scares nor does it have an atmosphere that you’d typically expect with a horror film. Paranormal Activity’s calling card was the final ten minutes where you got the pay off to the build up. The issue with Presence is I don’t think there’s much pay off and in hindsight there wasn’t a whole lot of build up either. It’s just not that type of film. The story itself takes Presence’s concept in a direction that I didn’t expect but that didn’t prevent it from feeling unfulfilling by the end. The supernatural aspects in this film could’ve been explored more than it was to make the events of the film resonate deeper.
Overall, Presence deserves credit for the originality within the manner in which it was made. That’s what I’ll remember about it, but despite that it squanders its fresh concept by leaving its potential unfulfilled.
★ ★ ★
This review was written by Terrelle Graham.
Presence. Starring Lucy Liu, Callina Jiang, Eddy Madam, West Mulholland and Chris Sullivan. Runtime 85 minutes.