Trailerblazing - Presence

Presence (2025) -- January 24, 2025 -- directed by Steven Soderbergh -- starring Lucy Liu, Julia Fox, Chris Sullivan, Lucas Papaelias, Callina Liang

 

Written by David Koepp (Stir of Echoes, You Should Have Left), this is Steven Soderbergh's first horror feature (unless one considers Unsane to be a horror movie, an argument that one could easily and rightfully make). With its sinister atmosphere and disorienting camerawork, as well as the trailer's hints at surprises, this story of a family haunted by their own house looks like a winner. With the exception of 2007's Rise, Liu has never been in a horror piece, so hers should be an intriguing turn. After his starring roles in "The Knick" and "This Is Us", Sullivan is getting a chance to show his range in a different kind of project, while Fox and Liang's stars have been rising steadily in recent years. I did wonder about the technology used to shoot this movie, since its crisp feel reminded me of Unsane -- shot using the iPhone 7 Plus -- and I found out that iPhones were indeed used with Soderbergh's latest, among other types of cameras. The director is also in charge of the cinematography and the idea of a paranormal entity hiding behind all the light and bright hues is really appealing to me. Presence seems frightening and effective in its minimalism, and it looks like another underrated hit for an underrated filmmaker.