The best film hitting theaters today is Steven Soderbergh’s “Presence” [B+] — an eerie family drama that defies horror conventions. It’s yet another worthy addition to Soderbergh’s eclectic and endlessly fascinating filmography.
Taking place in a suburban house, and inhabited by a family who feel an unknown force lurking around them, “Presence” is an unusual haunted house drama. What’s particularly original about the film is that Soderbergh decided to shoot the entire thing from the point-of-view of a ghost, and this device brings a fresh new spin to the unfolding drama.
Penned by David Koepp, who also wrote Soderbergh’s underrated “Kimi,” “Presence” isn’t just a haunted house tale, but also an exploration of a complicated family dynamic. Callina Liang gives a strong performance as Chloe, the deeply troubled daughter who is at the center of the film's mysteries.
Chloe lost a friend and believes her spirit might be haunting the family’s new home. Nobody seems to believe her, including her brother (Eddy Maday) whose sketchy new friend might or might now have a connection with the spirit. Lucy Liu is the overwhelmed but caring mother who is going through some marital woes.
“Presence” is an art film, experimental in nature, and instead of relying on jump scares, it uses its playful camera to spook you with atmosphere. Shooting in wide-angle long takes, Soderbergh’s minimalist film — shot in just 10 days— is only 85 minutes long, and it never becomes indulgent, with nary a dull moment. Watching the story unfold from the POV of the ghost turns “Presence” into a voyeuristic experience — you always watch events unfold from the outside looking in. The clichés gets stripped out.
As usual the dizzying and dazzling cinematography is self-shot by Soderbergh as he seems to need no cinematographer, using his Peter Andrews pseudonym in the credits. The film fires on all cylinders; from the brilliant sound design to the photography to the tightly paced narrative. Soderbergh is a wonderful storyteller. As its little mysteries unfold, it turns into an engrossing experience: smart, visually elegant, increasingly ominous, and deeply affecting.
Soderbergh keeps switching things up stylistically with every movie, so much so that many critics can’t seem to keep up with him. That’s what happens when you hop from one genre to the next. And yet, this still feels very much like a slick Soderbergh film. In turn, he’s become one of the more fascinating directors working today, and every new film he releases ends up becoming its own sort of movie event.
The short version: "Woman Unknown" was a compromise. The jury deadlocked over "Possible Love" and "NAZA," not able to com to terms, fell back on their #3, May el-Toukhy's film.