Written by David Koepp and directed by Steven Soderbergh, Presence is set within the confines of one house. A single location story is an approach that is frequently used, but Presence manages to keep things fresh and unique by being told from an interesting perspective. This vantage point is that of a ghost trapped in the building structure, the story following the exploits of the latest tenants, whose teenage daughter can sense the entity. But what is the ghost’s intent, and is the family safe?
Considering Presence is told from the point of view of a ghost, the imagination naturally conjures up the notion of a Paranormal Activity style film, with the audience able to see the spirit wreaking havoc. The reality however, is that there are few scares baked within Presence as Soderbergh is more interested in using the apparition as the fly on the wall through which to witness the family drama. The camera is placed into the role of ghost, gliding and floating around the house elegantly, always in motion, which grants the otherwise static film the fluidity it needs to maintain visual interest.
Another stylistic choice that Soderbergh makes, is to chop up the narrative into vignettes. Over the course of the film, a psychic visits the home to try and help the family and explains that spirits have no sense of time. This is exemplified through a series of cuts to black, granting Presence the aesthetic of a series of short scenes stitched together. The method finds the story forever jumping forwards in time with few sequences taking place close together. This untethers the audience from the cast of characters on screen and aligns them completely with the ghost.
The spirit is an interesting character from whose perspective to watch the story unfold. As the drama of the family takes hold, the ghost has the omnipotent viewpoint. It, and by proxy the audience, learns all of the family’s secrets. It is quickly revealed that their relationships to one another are hampered greatly by a lack of communication. All are masking something and the interplay is fascinating to watch unfold from the position of someone with all the facts. The audience gradually becomes as frustrated as the ghost; were the family to sit down and be honest, most of their issues could be averted.
Last year In a Violent Nature was a slasher film told from the perspective of the killer, and now with Presence unfolding through the eyes of a ghost, it seems that there is a new trend in Hollywood. The result with Presence is far less scary, at least on the supernatural side, but does still pack a punch. The presence might not be malevolent a la Paranormal Activity or Poltergeist, but it does still cause some chaos. An early moving of items is fun to see and then some moments of destruction later on are well orchestrated. However, it is not the ghost that is the source of Presence’s gut-wrenching horror. That title belongs to another character, and lets just say that their actions are utterly deplorable, which will have the audience angry and sick to their stomachs.
Not at all the horror that hardcore fans will be expecting, Presence is not without its charm and is a sound, solid, and entertaining movie. The ghost perspective is an intriguing hook and although a film told in this way featuring an angry spirit could easily be more terrifying, for now Presence remains an innovative slice of supernatural tinged drama.
Presence
Summary
Another entry into the burgeoning ‘from the perspective of’ horror, Presence may lack supernatural scares, but does still leave the viewer sweating.
Presence arrives in UK cinemas on Friday 24th January 2024.
