Halloween is finally here and Neon is celebrating by gracing fans of the macabre with the first full trailer forSteven Soderbergh’s much-anticipated new supernatural horror film,Presence. The ambitious movie has only receivedvague, unsettling teasersto this point, mimicking the indie company’s campaign forLonglegsearlier this year by only showing mostly silent, ambient looks inside a suburban house with lines that tease a deeper story within. This latest look, however, pulls back the curtain a little more to show the terrifying events befallingLucy Liuand her family. Written by Soderbergh’sKimiwriter andJurassic Parkco-writerDavid Koepp, the haunting feature will finally hit theaters in January.
Presencefollows a suburban family who moves into a new house that initially seems idyllic. As they begin to settle in, however, they can’t shake the feeling that it’sinhabited by an unseen presence. Even worse is the feeling that the presence may be more than human. What sets the film apartfrom other haunted house flicksis the perspective — instead of following the family traditionally, most everything is shownthrough the perspective of the supernatural entityas it moves through the halls in extended takes. It acts as an unsettling window into the lives of a family that may have more than a few dark secrets they otherwise keep hidden.
Liu plays the family matriarch Rebecca Payne alongside Emmy-nominatedThis Is UsalumChris Sullivanas her husband Chris. They’re joined byCallina LiangandEddy Madayas their children Chloe and Tyler respectively, with the rest of the cast rounded out byJulia FoxandWest Mulholland. BeforePresence, Soderbergh worked with Fox on his HBO Max crime thrillerNo Sudden Movein 2021, but his latest project figures give her an even bigger role as a key presence in the Payne family’s haunted life.
‘Presence’ Was a Standout at Sundance
2024 has been a year filled with horror flicks that experiment with the genre, fromChris Nash’s perspective-flippingIn a Violent Natureto the body-swappingIt’s What’s Inside. Even among so many great films,Presencestill managed to stand out following its premiere at this year’sSundance Film Festival. Critics have widely hailed the slow-burn, genre-bending ghost story to the tune of an 89%Rotten Tomatoesscore, with high marks also reserved for its cast. Among those singing its praises was Collider’sRoss Bonaime, whosaid in his 7/10 review, “Soderbergh and Koepp first made a major splash into the film industry 35 years ago, and after all these years,Presenceshows they’re just as exciting and intriguing as storytellers as they have ever been.”
Presencehits theaters on August 01, 2025. Check out the trailer in the player above.
Showcases a suburban house inhabited by an mysterious entity.
