Content Advisory: Rape and Sexual Assault, Abuse, Self-injurious behavior, Suicide, Needles or drug addiction
The haunting of a family is shown from the point-of-view of the ghost in Presence. After an unknown presence silently moves through the rooms of an empty house, realtor Cece (Julia Fox) arrives to show the house to Rebekah (Lucy Liu), her husband Chris (Chris Sullivan) and their kids, Tyler (Eddy Maday) and Chloe (Callina Liang). After the family moves in, the presence seems drawn towards Chloe, who is grieving the recent overdose death of her friend. She also begins getting close to Tyler’s friend Ryan (West Mulholland), though it is apparent to the presence that something is not right.
Presence Synopsis
Presence is a haunted house film directed by Steven Soderbergh, based on a script by David Koepp. The plot of the film is told from the point-of-view of the ghost haunting a family, which silently moves from room to room. The ghost catches the attention of Chloe, though the rest of her family is skeptical when she tells them, especially her brother Tyler, who quite angrily believes she is seeking attention. After Chris calls in a medium to observe the house, it is discovered that the ghost might be trying to prevent an event that has not happened yet.
My Thoughts on Presence
Probably the most apt description of Presence is that the film is like Paranormal Activity meets A Ghost Story by way of In a Violent Nature. While Presence can undoubtedly be described as a haunted house film, it would be a bit of a stretch to call the film a horror film. At its core, Presence is much more of a family drama with ghostly elements, though the film features some disturbing moments not related to the haunting in the climax.
