A perfectly paced modern take on the haunted house.
The haunted house has long been once of the most popular sub-genres of fiction, both in literature and screen works. Most of us can relate to the feeling of walking into a building or a particular room, and feeling something: a presence.
In his latest work Presence, master filmmaker Steven Soderbergh has taken this genre, flipped it, and embedded it in a contemporary family drama. What if the haunting is not there to destroy, but to protect?
A beautiful, early 20th century family home in an American city sits empty, waiting for its new occupants. A family moves in. Rebekah and Chris are wealthy, middle-class, and well-educated. They have moved to this area so that their son, Tyler, can attend a nearby, select, private school. Their daughter Chloe is struggling mentally since the sudden death of her friend. Rebekah is caught up in something nefarious at work. And Chris is questioning whether to stay in the marriage or not. Meanwhile the home wraps them in its warmth and beauty, and watches on through old mirrors, and the louvres of a closet door.
Soderbergh, along with writer David Koepp, has crafted a quietly clever take on the poltergeist myth, where a troubled teenager conjures a malignant presence. This time, the troubled teenager conjures a protective presence, but one which is no less frightening, acting as a portent for tragedy.
Presence is structured in short, snapshot-like scenes, with minimal, but intelligent dialogue, and no background music. We follow the family members around with the presence itself, often hearing muffled snatches of conversations through windows, as various characters conduct anxious phone calls outside. And although gently paced, there is still the expected build-up of tension as sense that something awful is going to happen.
Leading the cast as Rebekah is the unfailingly impeccable Lucy Liu. Chris Sullivan as Chris puts in a subtle and moving performance. As Tyler and Chloe respectively, Eddy Maday and Callina Liang more than match their more experienced cast-mates. Finally, West Mulholland shines as Tyler’s new friend, and Chloe’s new lover, Ryan.
With Presence, Soderbergh has brought the haunted house into the 21st century, whilst maintaining the essential elements of the genre. It both explores the dark psychology hidden under many seemingly perfect families, and delivers a disconcerting sense of looming horror.
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