Reviews

Presence (2024) |Close-Up Film Review

Dir: Steven Soderbergh, US 2024, 85m

Cast: Lucy Liu, Julia Fox, Chris Sullivan

Review by Matthew Morlai Kamara

Steven Soderbergh’s Presence offers a slow-burning yet tantalizing dive into psychological horror, following a family whose seemingly idyllic move to the suburbs spirals into a nightmarish descent.

As strange and unnerving events plague their new home, they begin to question the boundaries between reality and paranoia. With its deliberate pacing and moments of sheer terror, Presence promises an unforgettable cinematic experience, but the end result doesn’t quite live up to its ambitious premise.

The film builds a tense atmosphere, with Soderbergh employing his signature visual style to create an unsettling world, where every shadow and sound feels ominous. The early moments are gripping, with an eerie sense of something lurking just out of sight. It’s clear that Soderbergh intended for the narrative to simmer, allowing the horror to creep in rather than explode onto the screen.

However, despite its strong start, the film falters in its execution. The deliberate pacing at times veers into indulgence with far too many scenes that feel unnecessary and fail to contribute meaningfully to the story. These narrative missteps dilute the tension and left me wishing for a tighter, more focused experience.

I was initially disappointed—perhaps my expectations were too high. After all, Soderbergh is no stranger to crafting cinematic brilliance. Yet, as I reflected on the film, I began to appreciate its attempt to do something different. While it didn’t entirely succeed, Presence has flashes of brilliance in its atmospheric cinematography and haunting performances from a cast who bring a layered intensity to their roles.

Ultimately, the film has the potential to be a masterpiece but doesn’t quite reach the heights I had hoped for. That said, I can’t deny the lingering effect it had on me. For all its flaws, there’s a magnetic quality to the film’s unsettling atmosphere that will stick with me for some time.

A fascinating but flawed attempt at psychological horror.