Steven Soderbergh has been championing the concept of one for yourself, and then one for the studio. A formula that has kept steady ( and celebrated) work for him. With his indie smaller films there is that earmark of a troubled, quiet, looming psychopath lurking amongst the masses that no one notices until that psychopath feels like showing their cards. A psychopath that can be either the protagonist or the antagonist in his films. I am referring to films like “Sex,Lies and Videotape” “The Limey” “Unsane” and “Side Effects”. A trope that he must know is all too familiar in his films. Which is why I enjoy the premise of his latest “Presence” and feature a ghost in this latest and the best of so far of 2025.

Here Soderbergh invites you to be the ghost and sees the family from their perspective. It is a clever ploy to be free with the camera, something that he enjoys to do and also a fresh take on an old concept. The result is a solid, unique, fresh experience and also seems familiar in concept and familiar in a Soderbergh film. Presence isn’t really a horror film in a way, it is more of an avenue to voyeurism. A way to see into the life of the family that inhabits the house.  A family that appears sound and flourishing, but after a few moments that the veil is pulled back to reveal some troubling aspects. A mother that plays favorites and a father that is not interested in confrontation. Soberbergh is using that ghost to bear witness to the faults and of course vicariously, us too. But the ghost is not  just a gimmick ploy for a free flowing camera and avant garde style filmmaking, even though there is nothing wrong with that no, Soderbergh is smart enough to give it a personality, who seems bound to only the house. 

The cast here is terrific, Lucy Lui should give credit here for a powerful performance of mother that  makes both feel empathy and anger towards, even though we have that to each character in this film hers is the one that cuts. I do like that dialogue in this and the story. What really knocks a few points down for me is the editing, a cleaner version is there somewhere. Presence is an essence about stripping away the clutter and seeing people for who they really, really are rather than what you really, really want them to be. And  uses the house and the ghost as vessel’s for that theme.  A film that shows us that it is important to be seen and present in your life before you become,…..just a viewer.