When it comes to ghost stories, Steven Soderbergh is not the first filmmaker that comes to mind. Associated more with heists, thrillers and slow-burn confessionals, a supernatural low-key horror doesn't feel like a natural fit for the director. However, by blending elements of mystery with dysfunctional family dynamics Soderbergh's unusual lens presents his unique twist on the genre, even if Presence doesn't quite feel fully formed.
A family of four moves into a large suburban house which seems to be occupied by a ghost, a presence. This presence observes the family and their day-to-day activities, noting the cracks that appear within the family's relationships. Rebecca (Lucy Liu), the mother, openly favours Tyler (Eddy Maday), the son, a swimming champion. She rarely has time or patience for Chloe (Callina Liang), the daughter who's grieving the sudden death of her friend. Chris (Chris Sullivan), the father tries to make up for this neglect by helping Chloe but he has his own issues with Rebecca, who has equally little patience for him.
All the family dramas, including their more intimate and quiet moments, are witnessed by the Presence, with the audience seeing everything from its point of view. Both illuminating and limiting, those watching are challenged to piece together what could be happening, left to guess what certain scenes mean. The main mystery running throughout is tied to the death of Chloe's friend and what really happened to her, alongside discovering the Presence and truth about why it's in the house.
Having the entire film being told from the Presence's point of view is fascinating and feels like a unique way to tell the story, but not having access to the whole picture, or even half of it is frustrating, especially in some of the overly long speeches from the slightly creepy Ryan, who befriends both Tyler and Chloe. Supporting characters are peppered in to aid story progression, but the majority of the film is about the two teenagers. At times, Chloe can feel and sense the Presence, but doesn't feel afraid. Yet the family as a whole seem relatively one dimensional, making connection with any of the film's main characters difficult. If separation was Soderbergh's intention, then the inability to engage with the family renders it successful.
Despite there being two mysteries to unfold, both plot strands become quite predictable, leaving the ending with less of a gut punch and more of shoulder shrug. It's a shame that certain moments, particularly involving the mirror in the living room, aren't as impactful as they could have been. Overall, Presence feels like an intriguing and well executed idea that ultimately doesn't work as a feature length concept.
Presence is out now in cinemas