Pop Commentary

I didn’t go into “Presence” with sky-high expectations, but as a fan of supernatural films, I was excited to give it a shot. Unfortunately, I walked away feeling underwhelmed.

Steven Soderbergh’s latest project follows a family who moves into a suburban home and becomes convinced that it’s haunted.

Through a series of long takes, we learn that this family of four is dealing with plenty of baggage. The mother, played by the iconic Lucy Liu, is entangled in some shady workplace dealings. The daughter (Callina Liang) is grieving the loss of her best friend. Meanwhile, the son (Eddy Maday) is your typical arrogant high school athlete focused on fitting in, and the father (Chris Sullivan) is doing his best to hold everything together.

The ghostly presence eventually reveals itself, starting with the daughter and gradually involving the entire family. Things get more complicated when the son’s classmate (West Mulholland) is introduced, forming a relationship with the daughter and adding another layer to the plot.

One of the film’s most intriguing choices is its perspective: everything is shot from the point of view of the ghost. It’s an ambitious idea, but the execution falters. For instance, we see objects moving as though manipulated by the ghost, but their placement doesn’t align with where the ghost is supposed to be. It’s a cool concept on paper, but in practice, it felt inconsistent.

As for the performances, they were fine—serviceable but not particularly memorable. Unfortunately, Lucy Liu, arguably the biggest name in the cast, was underutilized. Her role lacked the weight and depth to make a lasting impact.

One bright spot, however, was Julia Fox’s brief appearance as the family’s realtor. She brought some much-needed energy to the screen, but her role was disappointingly small and didn’t contribute much to the story.

I did enjoy how the film wrapped things up. It connected a few dots and left the audience with an “ah-ha” moment.

In the end, “Presence” is less of a supernatural thriller and more of a family drama with a paranormal backdrop. While it’s not a bad movie by any means, it doesn’t fully deliver on its promise. If you’re curious, I’d recommend waiting for it to hit streaming rather than rushing to the theater.