Presence

Presence
Starring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Eddy Maday
Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Back in 2017, the movie "A Ghost Story" was released, and by the title alone you'd expect it to be a full-on horror movie about a ghost haunting a house. Instead, it's a deep, philosophical, emotionally resonant drama that spans literal eons and is seen through the eyes of a ghost that's literally a sheet with eyes cut out. It's one of those subtly profound movies that have stuck with me for years since seeing it, and now "Presence" will sit alongside it. Although pegged and marketed as a horror movie, it's actually a family drama with a mystery surrounding them, seen through the perspective of the spirit living in the house.

As the presence watches outside its house, a new family moves in. Mother Rebecca (Lucy Liu) is  successful at her job but doesn't seem to give as much care to her family, except her son Tyler (Eddy Maday), a cocky, egotistical teen who excels at swimming, and whom Rebecca lavishes an unhealthy amount of praise on. Chris (Chris Sullivan), the father, is the emotional center of the family, a gentle giant who really cares for their daughter Chloe (Callina Liang), who's still struggling with the sudden death of her best friend from a drug overdose.

As the spirit moves throughout the house and time moves on, it takes a particular shine to Chloe, and Chloe is the only one in the family that senses its presence, until it makes itself known to the whole family, leaving them wondering what they can do about it. Yet it seems that the entity itself isn't malignant, but is protecting Chloe from a possible dangerous future.

"Presence" is by no means a horror movie in the traditional sense. While there's moments of tension (such as when the spirit flies off the handle and starts shaking things), there's no blood, no gore, nothing that really resembles what you'd consider a horror movie to be. That's not to say the movie isn't horrifying - in fact, it really shook me afterward - but not for the reason you'd expect.

I extremely value movies like this and "A Ghost Story" because it blends a sense of horror with some deeper philosophical meaning. With "A Ghost Story," it's the struggle of letting go and the nature of time, while "Presence" deals with grief, family strife, and fixing past mistakes. There's not a lot I can say that'd go into spoiler territory, but suffice it to say it was one of those movies that've stuck with me in all the right ways.

Steven Soderbergh is an acclaimed director who's literally spanned the gambit of directing. From big-budget films like the "Ocean's" series to action films like "Haywire" to Oscar-winners like "Erin Brockovich" and even experimental films like "Unsane" where he filmed the entire movie on iPhones, he really is a jack of all trades. "Presence" is one such experimental film, in that the entire movie is shot in the first-person perspective through the eyes of the spirit (or "presence") haunting the house, making you the spirit in the movie, and giving you a deeper sense of belonging to the events occurring within. You have a vested interest in what's happening, and while it may seem ordinary, there's a special aura around it that makes it more profound.

Soderbergh not only directed the film, but he shot it himself, and it took only eleven days to do so. He also edited the film, and while most films have over a few hundred to even a few thousand cuts, "Presence" had only 33 hard cuts. Each sequence was shot with one take, the camera breezing through the rooms and the occupants like, well, a spirit, and each sequence was wonderfully, masterfully shot. It's a true testament to Soderbergh's talent, and fully immersed you in the experience.

The parents are often fighting, the mother has an unhealthy obsession with her son's life, and the father is a nurturing caretaker for his daughter, who seems invisible to the mother. The family dynamic is the center theme of the film, and all four actors give fantastic performances. Lucy Liu is the most well-known, and plays the role of detached mother who is more focused on her work (and her son) than her daughter makes her the central villain in the movie. Chris Sullivan is the heart of the family and one you emphasize with the most. Callina Liang dominates as the lead role who is suffering from the loss of her best friend and knowing that their house is haunted, while Eddy Maday's Tyler is a stuck-up snob who relishes in pulling evil pranks and chastising his sister. This family is drifting apart, and all the presence - and us by proxy - can do is watch it happen.

Yet more than just a family drama, there's a mystery that the movie unravels from the beginning, and that is the presence itself. What is it? Is it tied to the house, the family, or both? Or none of the above? Is it really helpful or is there ulterior motives behind its actions? The answers slowly unravel throughout the film if you know where to find them, and being someone who's obsessed with ghosts and the spiritual world I caught on to a lot of the clues beforehand, along with red herrings and other distractions, but it still managed to surprise me, as I audibly let out a "oh my" during one pivotal scene that, although I saw coming, was still surprised by the outcome. That doesn't happen often to me, and only occurs when I'm so enthralled in the film I lose my critic persona and just get lost in the movie.

If you're expecting a haunted house film akin to "The Conjuring" or "Insidious," you'll be dismayed at the lack of excitement happening in "Presence" - but if you go in expecting a family drama with an intriguing, slowly unraveling mystery while tackling important philosophical themes, this will be a film that'll haunt you long after you get home.

The Score: A+