Presence (2024)★ 6.5/10

THE TWIST TWISTS

The camera follows characters as they ascend staircases and move through rooms, creating a voyeuristic intimacy. The filmmakers wisely let naturalistic dialogue drive the story instead of relying on exposition. Through everyday conversations, we gradually uncover each family member’s personality, conflicts, and hidden pasts. However, as a thriller, the film lacks the tension and scares that define classic horror.

The film makes excellent use of long takes, heightening the sense of immersion. Set in an old mansion, it meticulously crafts an eerie atmosphere through its production design and lighting. The house’s labyrinthine hallways and narrow staircases add to the suspense, while the interplay of light and shadow enhances the ghostly presence.

I’m so happy I finally got to see PRESENCE. The trailer really drew me in. Contrary to the movie’s marketing, this is not a horror, but a supernatural family drama. It tells the simple story of a family of 4 moving into a nice house. They consist of the overworked mother Rebecca (Lucy Liu), the empathetic father Chris (Chris Sullivan), the arrogant son Tyler (Eddy Maday), and the depressed daughter Chloe (Callina Liang). As they start settling in, they get the feeling that they might be alone in the house. I really enjoyed this movie the more I thought about it. First, the level of creativity from director Steven Soderbergh is next level. The entire movie is filmed in first-person perspective, but in the viewpoint of this mysterious spirit or ghost in the house. This made me endlessly wonder what the presence’s intent was, which kept me quietly captivated. The whole movie consists of these long, flowing uninterrupted steady-cam shots, which I know would’ve been hard to film. What impresses me even more is the fact it was filmed in only 11 days with a budget of $2 million. This also has some good character development, despite the limited space. Good family tension and sibling rivalry. Chris Sullivan is fantastic in this, as he was in the THIS IS US series. I really felt like a fly on the wall, like I was intruding on this family’s life. There was an unsettling sense of looming dread that made me nervous for the characters, showing just how much I cared about them. This movie is a slow burn, but at a brisk 85 minutes and with a powerful ending, it’s effective. One nit-pick I have is with the scene cuts. I think it would’ve been better if the scene cuts were “fade-to-blacks”, and not “cut-to-blacks”, making for smoother transitions. While last year’s HERE felt like one big gimmick, this movie switches it up constantly. One more thing that people might not be on board with is that some questions you will have go unanswered. I actually like this because it makes you wonder; The “Presence” knows exactly what the audience knows. I love movies that make you think or rethink about events that play out. Things that people want to talk about and discuss with each other. Soderbergh has made yet another inventive movie to add to his wildly varied portfolio. PRESENCE has a way of staying with you, pun fully intended. I highly recommend this experimental experience.

Demora a engatar e permanece um pouco a duvida de que estamos mesmo conseguindo entender o que estamos acompanhando, mas o encerramento redime tudo. Ta aí um filme de fantasma muito diferente do que estamos acostumados a ver, tanto em termos técnicos quanto de narrativa.

Es una película interesante, directa y emocional. No esperaba nada de la película, pero me sorprendió bastante. Si tienes oportunidad échale un ojo.

Una buena apreciación del punto de vista del terror por otro lado que no sea la víctima.

Una familia se muda a una gran casona en New Jersey. La hija comienza a percibir una “presencia” sin que el resto de la familia le dé credibilidad.

Este thriller psicológico de Steven Soderbergh que araña el terror es un brillante ejercicio sobre el punto de vista en el cine. No sólo se trata de un elegante dispositivo cinematográfico de cámara subjetiva sino que consuma por su intermedio una lograda y original vuelta de tuerca formal y conceptual sobre un género.

Con esa mirada, Presencia aborda la problemática familiar “in media res” y de manera distante, ya que lo hace, digamos, desde un punto de vista ajeno a los personajes, el de la cámara, generando una lograda sensación de extrañeza e intriga.

A câmera acompanha os personagens enquanto eles sobem escadas e se movem pelas salas, criando uma intimidade voyeurista. Os cineastas deixaram sabiamente que o diálogo natural conduzisse a história, em vez de confiar na exposição. Por meio de conversas cotidianas, vamos descobrindo gradualmente a personalidade, os conflitos e o passado oculto de cada membro da família. Porém, como thriller, o filme não entrega a tensão e os sustos que definem o terror clássico.

La cámara sigue a los personajes a medida que suben las escaleras y se mueve por las habitaciones, creando una intimidad voyerista. Los cineastas sabiamente dejan que el diálogo naturalista impulse la historia en lugar de depender de la exposición. A través de conversaciones diarias, gradualmente descubrimos la personalidad, los conflictos y los pasados ocultos de cada miembro de la familia. Sin embargo, como thriller, a la película le falta la tensión y los sustos que definen el terror clásico.

La película hace un uso excelente de los planos secuencia, aumentando la sensación de inmersión. Ambientada en una antigua mansión, genera meticulosamente una atmósfera espeluznante a través de su diseño de producción e iluminación. Los pasillos del laberinto de la casa y las estrechas escaleras le agregan al suspenso, mientras que la interacción de las luces y las sombras mejora la presencia fantasmal.

O filme faz excelente uso de tomadas longas, aumentando a sensação de imersão. Situado numa antiga mansão, cria meticulosamente uma atmosfera misteriosa com seu design de produção e iluminação. Os corredores labirínticos e as escadarias estreitas da casa aumentam o suspense, enquanto a interação de luz e sombra realça a presença fantasmagórica.