Presence 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Presence 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 29, 2025

“Presence” is a ghost story. However, it’s a ghost story from director Steven Soderbergh, who’s usually not interested in giving viewers exactly what they expect, endeavoring to mix things up with his indie-minded ways. His latest is no different, but Soderbergh isn’t in an esoteric mood with the feature, heading in a more observational direction in a story about a spirit studying a dysfunctional family’s life inside an old house they’ve recently moved into. Scary business isn’t the focus of the offering, as screenwriter David Koepp is primarily interested in broken relationships and domestic issues, gradually working on a developing mystery involving a roving phantom. “Presence” isn’t going to please horror junkies used to more pressurized haunted house tales, but those with patience and some appreciation for Soderbergh’s filmmaking ways are offered an engrossing puzzle of death and household distance.

Taking a chance on a rare house for sale in a good school district, Rebekah (Lucy Liu) and Chris (Chris Sullivan) elect to purchase a 100-year-old dwelling, hoping to settle in with their children, Tyler (Eddy Maday) and Chloe (Callina Liang). After a period of adjustment, life continues on for the family, and Rebekah remains committed to Tyler, her preferred child, supporting his swimming and academic achievements as she dotes on him. Chloe is withdrawn, recently losing her best friend to a drug overdose that came out of nowhere, unable to process the death, which greatly irritates her mother and brother. Chris is more sensitive to his child’s needs, trying to be there as a father for his daughter, but she only really responds to Ryan (West Mulholland), one of Tyler’s friends whom she becomes intimate with. As communication slows to a stop in the household, there’s a presence in the dwelling who observes all, floating around the rooms, getting a full view of trouble and pain, triggering awareness in Chloe, who believes a ghost of some kind is near.

The spirit flows through the house in “Presence,” keeping Soderbergh’s camera on the move as it winds around rooms and visits the windows. It’s an all-seeing spirit, silently observing the introduction of a new family, keeping its distance from Rebekah and Chris as they purchase the property and move in, giving the dwelling some updating before settling into their surroundings. “Presence” establishes its atmosphere of ghostly surveillance, delivering a POV view of household activity, giving viewers little offerings of information that contribute to a greater understanding of the family and parts of their history. Soderbergh (who acts as his own cinematographer) works in a low-fi manner, but it’s effective, keeping the camera a character of unknown origin and behavior, raising many questions of intent as the phantom stays on the move, only stopping to hide, often in Chloe’s closet.

“Presence” slowly reveals elements of story, as Chris is trying to be careful around Chloe, who’s lost someone close but doesn’t know how to process her grief. The ghost visits Rebekah and Tyler, who have a special bond, and perhaps a destructive one that ices out Chris and Chloe, who have their own relationship. The married couple is also watched as they go through tough times, daring to admit their divide as their children take all of their attention. It’s not exactly “Ordinary People,” but Koepp explores rising resentments and tracks arguments, especially around Tyler, who has little love for his sibling, tired of her suffering. Ryan is added to the mix, emerging as a boyfriend of sorts for Chloe, who’s ready to embark on a sexual relationship with a teen who has special insight into Tyler’s true nature. The ghost doesn’t entirely approve of the union, working with certain vibrational influences to interrupt bad ideas.

Presence 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Screencaps are taken from the Blu-ray

"Presence" is a film that remains around a single location, often spending time in stillness to capture the unfolding drama. Shot with Sony a9 III camera, the feature delivers a subtle viewing experience as the ghostly presence flies around the house. Detail is capable, examining decorative offerings in the living spaces, and skin particulars are compelling, handling age differences. Clothing remains textured. Color offers a sharp sense of paint and greenery outside the dwelling. Clothing carries defined hues. Lighting dips into softer yellows and golds for evening activity. Blacks are mostly deep, preserving evening activity and shadowy events. Highlights are tasteful. Compression struggles at times, with mild banding periodically detected.

Presence 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 7.1 Dolby TrueHD mix isn't going to become a demo disc, as the track primarily deals with silences and conversations. There's nuance to the quiet, following crisp dialogue exchanges as they explore quieter emotionality and argumentative behavior. Performances are fully intact as they move around different parts of the house. Scoring supports with sharp instrumentation. Surrounds open up for some musical moods, also doing well with room tone and atmospherics with ghostly happenings, adding panning effects at times. Low-end isn't challenged, but vibrational activity handles with weight. Sound effects are distinct.

Presence 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this release.

Presence 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Presence" isn't "Poltergeist" (though the font used for the end credits is similar to the 1982 classic), but the material doesn't deny some supernatural asides, bringing in Lisa and her "second sight" to help identify what's going on in the house once Chloe's belief that she's not alone turns out to be true. Koepp is going somewhere in the story, which is nice to see, and he has some fun with the spirit, playing with its intentions for others during the run time. There's talk of "mirrors" and "windows," but the script doesn't get too ridiculous, and Soderbergh is generally capable when it comes to maintaining an atmosphere of the unknown, allowing the audience to make their own discoveries. A few elements come up short (including Mulholland's weak performance), and, again, "Presence" isn't out to shock, and it's definitely not a "Paranormal Activity" sequel. It's something more restrained and cinematic (boasting an impressive sound design), reflecting the helmer's usual filmmaking appetites.