Have You Heard About Presence?

Alright, horror fam, what it do? Steven Soderbergh aka the guy who gave us KIMI and Ocean’s Eleven is stepping into the haunted house game with his new film Presence, hitting theaters January 24, 2025. And let me tell you, this isn’t your typical “things go bump in the night” situation. Nope, Presence flips the script by telling the story entirely from the ghost’s point of view. Yeah, you read that right, this one’s for all you fans of fresh horror twists.

What’s the Deal with Presence?

Picture this: a family moves into what looks like your average suburban home, and things get… weird. Only this time, instead of us seeing the family freak out over random cold spots and creepy whispers, we’re living it through the ghost’s eyes. It’s a perspective we don’t get often, and honestly, I’m hyped. The end of the trailer makes it clear, this isn’t Casper. This ghost has beef.

Who’s in It?

We’ve got a solid cast bringing the scares:

• Lucy Liu as Rebecca (probably the one holding this family together)
• Chris Sullivan from This is Us as Chris (likely the dad who doesn’t believe in ghosts until it’s too late)
• Callina Liang as Chloe (the kid who sees the ghost first, I’m calling it now)
• Eddy Maday as Tyler
• West Mulholland as Ryan
• And Julia Fox with a cameo as the real estate agent who probably should’ve disclosed some… extra details about the house.

Oh, and it’s written by David Koepp, the dude who penned Panic Room and Jurassic Park. So yeah, we’re in good hands.

Why This One’s Different

The big thing here? The whole movie is filmed in first-person perspective. Imagine being the ghost, lurking in shadows, messing with the lights, and watching the chaos unfold. It’s like Paranormal Activity meets Hereditary but make it artsy. It premiered at Sundance this year, and Neon snagged the rights for a cool $5 million. I do find it necessary to mention a movie with a similar style In A Violent Nature where it is shot following the Jason Voorhees styled character.

Early Buzz

Critics who caught it at Sundance are already calling it “an excellent horror romp” (thanks, IGN). Apparently, the scares hit hard, and the unique POV keeps things feeling fresh and unsettling. Finally, a ghost movie that doesn’t just look like every other ghost movie.

Watch the Trailer

Listen, you don’t need me to oversell this. Check out the trailer below and prepare to add this one to your watchlist. Also the stair scene… we have all been there!