Alice Oscura, Featured Writer
Disclaimer: The following contains some spoilers
Directed by Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich, Kimi) and written by David Koepp (Stir of Echoes and You Should Have Left), Presence (2024) is a supernatural thriller with heavy dramatical elements.
The story follows the Payne family, consisting of four members. The mother, Rebekah (Lucy Liu), the father, Chris (Chris Sullivan) and their teenagers, son Tyler (Eddy Maday) and his younger sister Chloe (Callina Liang). The film is executed from the perspective of the entity residing in a large suburban-style house. In this case, the camera represents the eyes of the Presence, who becomes a silent witness to even the most intimate conversations between members of the Payne family. From the opening act, the Presence is first sensed by Chloe while the family was doing the initial walk-through of the house. Afterward, one of the painters refused to enter a bedroom that would end up being Chloe’s. Coincidentally, the Presence uses Chloe’s bedroom closet as a source of refuge throughout the film.
Presence is definitely not your traditional ghost/house haunting story and is deficient in the scares department. It is also a slow build as the audience along with the Presence tries to figure out its purpose or primary objective when it comes to the Payne family. One of the main strengths of the film is the incredibly slow, well-thought-out build-up of the creepy atmosphere as we bear witness to the fracturing dynamic of this family. In part, it is mostly due to Rebekah’s favouritism towards her arrogant son Tyler, who is also a swimming champion. She focuses so much on supporting Tyler’s successes that she neglects the emotional needs of her younger daughter. Chloe is currently grieving the loss of her best friend Nadia, who mysteriously died in her sleep. Her father Chris tries his best to pick up for this short fall by regularly checking in on his daughter. But lately, he has become preoccupied with the fact that Rebekah has been committing some type of financial fraud at work after he overhears a phone conversation between Rebekah and a co-worker threatening to expose her.
In the meantime, Tyler is trying to become friends with one of the most popular boys at school named Ryan (West Mulholland). After introducing Ryan to his sister Chloe, he instantly becomes attracted to her. The two seemingly bond over grief and teenage angst as they smoke the green. However, Ryan’s intentions are not sincere, as we bear witness to him trying to drug Chloe by spiking her orange juice one evening. Thankfully, the Presence steps in with some poltergeist activity, causing the glass and its contents to spill out onto the bedroom floor before she can drink it.
The Presence takes on the responsibility of being Chloe’s protector as it simultaneously keeps a watchful eye on the rest of the family members during even the most vulnerable moments. There is a growing sense of frustration emanating from the entity as it struggles to achieve its purpose on this plane before it can move on. The paranormal element is explored further once a medium is brought into the home after a frightful poltergeist event that shook the entire house. The medium is immediately drawn to an antique mirror built into the fireplace of the Payne home that is being used as a metaphysical doorway, causing the entity to become trapped and confused by the time period.
The unique style of storytelling is an incredibly thoughtful and clever method of allowing the audience to experience a “ghost story” from the perspective of the ghost. Although the entity is never referred to as a ghost during the film, which almost makes the reference seem disrespectful in a way. Hence, the name of the film, “Presence”. The intriguing plot is carried out by a small but brilliant cast that executed meaningful performances. The film suffers though in the department of dialogue, which can at times unnecessarily spoon-feed the audience during certain sequences.
The marketing is a bit tricky and alludes to a more horror-based script. However, if you successfully manage to avoid the trailer and go in blind, you’ll have a much better experience and enjoy the emotional depth of the film. The final act really hits hard with the final reveal, and it manages to raise certain questions about the future of the Payne family. All in all, Presence is something different, entertaining and a great choice for moviegoers who prefer something a bit tamer than a straight-up horror and will appreciate the added splash of family drama without the trauma.
Dark Alice’s Score: 6.5 out of 10
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Alice has an old soul and a curious mind. I believe that anyone can be a hero and that the good guys should always win! I dislike cruelty to animals and think that they have far superior qualities to humans. My motto is there is no future without the past. I also have a weird penchant for Paranormal TV shows even though the slightest sound makes me jump. I enjoy writing reviews and throwing in fun facts to pique the readers’ curiosity. My ultimate goal in life would be to become a published writer one day. Read More