Presence

'Presence' holds uniqueness in regards to how it is filmed, which is very effective, though its story does end up being quite straightforward - and more teen drama-ry than anticipated. All the same, I did enjoy myself whilst watching it unfold across 85mins, pleasantly. The cast are also a strong point of this film. Lucy Liu and Eddy Maday are decent, though Callina Liang and Chris Sullivan are the definitive standouts - both t'rific. West Mulholland is solid in his role, even if I'm not absolutely sold on everything that goes on with his character. Interesting that this closely follows the release (at least in the UK) of Robert Zemeckis' 'Here' - two films shot in original perspectives. This Steven Soderbergh picture isn't quite as high class as that one, but all in all is worthy of a watch; especially with such a short run time. Thanks to the aforementioned, I was able to watch this at the cinema shortly after finishing Mel Gibson's 'Flight Risk'. You could say both do have a feel of being made-for-streaming (this feels Welcome to the Blumhouse-esque), but I will never moan about the ability to watch movies on the big screen.

A family move into a new home - now I did like the meandering corridors and design of this spacious plot, but quickly we discover that it's a paper thin façade for four people who are struggling to get over a trauma. Nope, nothing new so far and, indeed nothing new to come either as daughter "Chloe" (Callina Lang) falls for the rakish "Ryan" (West Mulholland) who is the new best friend of her hunky, charm free and brain dead brother "Tyler" (Eddy Maday). Pretty swiftly, they are at it but simultaneously she starts to feel that she is being watched. Things move about on their own, her brother's room gets trashed and even the woman they bring in to do the "Madame Arcati" thing thinks something isn't right with the place and it's old silver nitrate mirror. Next thing... Well you'll have to watch it and see, but for me the opening couple of minutes of hand-held POV photography really put me off - especially it's use of the fish-eye, scene-stretching, lenses which people don't actually possess. It made me feel slightly seasick and I couldn't decide if it was a drone cam or a very sure-footed person gliding silently about the place giving us a repetitive third party perspective into the family's lives. Mum (Lucy Liu) rarely puts her laptop down; dad (Chris Sullivan) sort of lumbers around rudderless; the brother is a bit of an attention seeking idiot and finally, the daughter is a moody and uninteresting teenager trying to deal with some baggage about which we learn more, later. The parents come across as a couple who would never in a million years have chosen each other in the first place. At least the production doesn't try to hoodwink us with repetitive visual effects, but what we are left with here is a dialogue heavy story that ends all too abruptly as if the short story it's adapted from just ran out of ideas. Disappointing, sorry.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://movieswetextedabout.com/presence-review-the-first-great-film-of-the-year/ "Presence challenges narrative conventions and leaves an indelible mark on the cinematic landscape of 2025. Steven Soderbergh's bold choice to tell the story entirely through the perspective of the supernatural entity proves to be a risk that pays off, delivering an immersive, unique approach that captivates the audience until the very end while intensifying the emotional connection to the complex family. The authenticity of the performances and the fascinating exploration of themes like grief, loneliness, and redemption outweigh the repetitive editing and minor unnecessary subplots, without undermining the overall impact and brilliance of the finale. It's the first truly great film of the year." Rating: A-