What do you get when you mix In A Violent Nature with Paranormal Activity? Well, a trailer for Steven Soderbergh’s new horror movie Presence looks like the answer.
Told from the perspective of a supernatural entity, the teaser slowly zooms in on a bedroom with someone sleeping soundly. "In this house she will feel love," the words on the screen read. "In this house, she will feel loss. In this house she will feel fear. In this house she will feel a presence."
It’s a suitably mysterious teaser trailer, but the actual movie’s premise is pretty straightforward. "A family discover they are not alone when they move into a new house," the official synopsis reads.
It’s also pretty star-studded, too. Directed by Ocean’s Eleven and Magic Mike director Soderbergh, the psychological thriller stars Lucy Liu as Rebecca Payne, Chris Sullivan as Chris Payne, Callina Liang as Chloe Payne, and Eddy Maday as Tyler Payne. Uncut Gems actor Julia Fox also appears in an undisclosed role.
Presence debuted earlier this year at Sundance Film Festival and early reviews have been pretty positive. Currently, it sits at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 53 reviews. The Guardian’s Benjamin Lee writes: "As an experiment, it remains of interest, something to be filed away as a curious technical exercise, and Soderbergh operating at a lower level is still higher than many of his peers."
"As haunted house stories go, Presence is more interested in lurking dread than bloody jump scares, slowly ratcheting up the tension with long, uninterrupted takes," Entertainment Weekly’s Devan Coggan adds. Meanwhile, Vulture’s Bilge Ebiri writes: "It’s an art film that also works as a spellbinding horror film, and it might be the best thing Soderbergh has done in ages."
Presence is due to be released on January 17, 2025. For more, check out our guide to upcoming horror movies.
