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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIn Presence, Steven Soderbergh makes the camera itself the ghost: the film follows an unseen observer through a house as a family struggles with grief and disconnection. That choice shapes both the story and the way it was made. Here are seven things to know, without giving away the ending.
1. The camera is the ghost’s point of view
Presence keeps the viewer with an unseen presence moving around a family home and watching its inhabitants. Soderbergh described the premise to the Los Angeles Times in January 2025 with a concise explanation: “The camera’s the ghost. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.” The presence is not simply a figure the family might encounter; the film’s moving viewpoint makes it a character in its own right.
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2. The movement develops as the presence learns
The camera’s motion is more than a stylistic gimmick. Soderbergh told the Criterion Collection that he wanted viewers to see the entity “learn how to be.” As the presence becomes more capable of anticipating what is happening, changes in its movement help express a developing awareness. The camera’s point of view therefore carries part of the character arc.
3. Soderbergh operated the camera himself
Soderbergh directed and served as cinematographer under his familiar credit, Peter Andrews, and physically operated the camera. The Los Angeles Times reported that he used a Sony A7 camera on a Ronin stabilizer, with the combined rig weighing roughly 12 pounds by his estimate. The film was shot in New Jersey over 11 days in September 2023, as chronologically as possible, according to the same interview. The Associated Press also reported that Soderbergh wore slippers to soften his steps while operating the camera.
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4. David Koepp turned a visual setup into a family story
Soderbergh gave screenwriter David Koepp a spare starting point: a house, something inside it, and a camera moving at human eye height. Koepp developed that idea into the story of Rebekah (Lucy Liu), Chris (Chris Sullivan), Chloe (Callina Liang), and Tyler (Eddy Maday). Their collaboration followed their work together on Kimi (2022). Koepp’s screenplay gives the unusual camera perspective a household and relationships to observe, rather than relying on the premise alone.
5. The haunting exposes a household already under strain
Chloe is grieving the death of a friend from an overdose and is the first member of the family to sense the presence. The supernatural mystery unfolds alongside tensions and disconnection between the parents and their children. Soderbergh told the Los Angeles Times that the supernatural element was not meant simply to frighten; it also reveals what is wrong inside the family. That makes “haunted-house story” an incomplete description: the family drama supplies the human stakes.
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6. It premiered at Sundance before its U.S. theatrical release
Presence premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Neon acquired the film after its festival debut, and it opened theatrically in the United States in January 2025. The Los Angeles Times reported that Soderbergh financed and produced the film himself before selling it to Neon. These are release-history milestones, not a guide to current streaming or home-video availability, which can vary by territory and has not been established here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.7. Critics differed on how well the experiment pays off
The film’s formal idea drew attention, but responses to its drama and payoff were not uniform. In The Guardian, Benjamin Lee called it “visually interesting yet dramatically underwhelming,” criticizing the family dynamics and the reveal. The Criterion Collection roundup records more enthusiastic contemporary reactions. The disagreement turns on different parts of the same experiment: whether sustained, mobile point of view builds suspense, whether the family feels convincing, and whether the ending rewards the setup. The Guardian’s verdict is one critic’s assessment, not a consensus.
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