PRESENCE

'PRESENCE' TRAILER

'Presence's' stroke of brilliance is never letting audiences see the ghost, instead positioning audiences as the spirit itself. It allows us to be privy to intimate conversations and moments that the family surely would be mortified to share, reminiscent of found-footage films. While Soderbergh's films 'Unsane' and 'High Flying Bird' proved that the iPhone is more than worthy of fantastic filmmaking, for 'Presence' he opts for the more polished Sony A9 Mirrorless handheld, which gives the film an appropriately floaty, ghost-like feel. The eerie and voyeuristic tone of the film is also an intriguing and refreshing way of interrogating the all-too-familiar trauma horror trope.

The performances are also consistently strong. Liu is the scariest she's been on screen in years, the modern-day nightmare of a woman whose golden child son can do no wrong – even when his behaviour is incredibly troubling. Callina Liang is by far the film's standout, and we are instantly drawn to Chloe's quiet grief and rage. Even if the entity/camera wasn't following her around in every scene, I would want it to due to just how engaging she is. However, not every performance is given the chance to shine. As Tyler's friend Ryan, West Mulholland (TV's 'Little Fires Everywhere') gives an out-of-place performance that's both too serious and nowhere near serious enough; however, it's not entirely his fault. His character is given some of the most stilted dialogue you'll likely see all year, and his actions often feel forced and underexplained.

Sadly, the strong visual storytelling of 'Presence' is let down by its script and editing. Shot in long takes, the film resets scenes with a hard, long cut to black. Perhaps this is a nitpick but they're just too long, and audiences might continually find themselves wondering if the credits are about to start. Perhaps cutting these down even slightly (save for one that comes at the film's climax) would help it feel more whole. Similarly, despite the cast's best efforts, the script is just not up to scratch. Characters speak to one another like it's the first time they've ever met, or worse, ramble nonsensically. Both of these elements feel like they come second to the style, and sacrifice strong storytelling beyond what the camera is doing.

You could find far worse ways to spend 88 minutes than with 'Presence'; there's plenty here to enjoy, even if the final product feels like it's on the slight side. It's sad that the sum of its parts never really comes together as well as it could or should, especially given Soderbergh's willingness to push filmmaking boundaries. Don't expect it to linger with you for very long.

To celebrate the release of 'Presence' in cinemas, we're giving you the chance to win a double pass.

To win one of eight double passes thanks to Rialto Distribution, just make sure you follow both steps:

Competition opens at 5:00pm AEDT on Sunday 26th January 2025 and closes at 11:59 pm AEDT on Sunday 2nd February 2025. Eight winners will be chosen at random on Monday 3rd February 2025. To successfully win, entrants must fulfil the above entry conditions before the time the competition closes. Current members/followers are eligible to enter the competition. Only one entry per person. Only one winner per household. To be a valid winner, the entrant must not have won a prize from SWITCH within the last 28 days. Each winner will receive one double pass to 'Presence'. By entering, you agree to receive occasional emails from SWITCH in the future. If you decide to unsubscribe from these updates, any further entries will not be applicable. Only Australian residents are eligible to enter.