Stephen Soderbergh’s next film puts us in the perspective of a mysterious entity

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As a seasoned cinephile who has witnessed the evolution of psychological thrillers and horror films, I can confidently say that the upcoming release of “Presence” is a highly anticipated event in my cinematic calendar. With Stephen Soderbergh at the helm, known for his diverse and captivating body of work, and a script penned by none other than David Koepp, the creator of some of Hollywood’s most iconic blockbusters, this film promises to be a unique blend of suspense, mystery, and perhaps a dash of the supernatural.

Back in the early part of this year, I had the chills watching “In a Violent Nature,” a movie offering a unique perspective, that of a serial killer. Now, I’m eagerly anticipating another intriguing piece – “Presence.” This upcoming film seems to weave a tale from an otherworldly vantage point, something ghostly if you will.

If the trailer above doesn’t catch your interest, maybe knowing that it is a movie directed by Stephen Soderbergh will. This is the man behind films like “Logan Lucky”, “Unsane”, “Contagion”, and “Ocean’s Eleven” and now he brings a fresh take on psychological thrillers, with a script penned by David Koepp, who has worked on movies such as “Jurassic Park” and “Mission: Impossible”.

Information regarding the film Presence remains quite mysterious. So far, only three brief trailers have been shared, each lasting barely a minute. However, beyond director Steven Soderbergh’s involvement, Presence boasts an impressive distributor in Neon. Known for its exceptional marketing strategies, as seen with this year’s hit films Longlegs and Anora (the Palme d’Or winner), Neon is also responsible for the distribution of upcoming releases like The Monkey and Life of Chuck in 2023.

In this third sneak peek (placed at the start of the article), we only see a detailed shot of a woman sleeping, as if an unseen entity is observing her. It’s reminiscent of the movie Paranormal Activity, except instead of ghostly activity captured on a video camera, here the ghost seems to be actively stalking the woman. The text indicates that this woman will experience loss, love, fear, and an otherworldly presence – much like the quotes used in the earlier teasers.

As a game enthusiast diving into the unknown, I can only tell you that ‘Presence’ revolves around a family living in a house plagued by some eerie force. This chilling tale features acting talents like Lucy Liu, Julia Fox, and Chris Sullivan.

Before “Presence” officially hits theaters for a wide audience in January 2025, it’s already made its world debut at Sundance this year, and the response from critics has been favorable. Currently, the movie boasts an impressive 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 53 reviews.

Mashable finds “Presence” to be an exceptional blend of a clever idea and flawless execution, while Vulture describes it as a piece of art that succeeds both as a mesmerizing horror film and possibly the best work director Steven Soderbergh has produced in years.

Presence will be released in theaters on January 17, 2025.

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2024-10-01 06:25