Yahoo Lifestyle I Saw ‘Presence’ in a ‘Haunted’ House and Survived to Tell the Tale
I love all things horror, but I’ve never been someone to seek out hauntings in real life. Precisely because I’ve seen so many scary movies and know not to mess with that stuff — I’m not going to be the person shouting about how not scared I am right before some creature/demon/ghost slaughters/possesses/terrifies me. Still, when the opportunity arose to see the new horror film “Presence” at an actual haunted house, I was intrigued.
“Presence” is the new film from impossible-to-pigeonhole filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, whose career shows it’s not just performers who have range. He’s made dramas, comedies, heist flicks, thrillers, biopics — but never a straight up horror film before. (The closest would probably be 2018’s stalker flick “Unsane” or 2011’s eerily prescient “Contagion.”) In some ways, “Presence” is familiar: a seemingly average family moves into a house where they are watched by an unknown entity.
But Soderbergh puts his own twist on the haunting, choosing to tell the story from the point of view of the ghost. This means lots of unbroken, hand-held shots weaving throughout the home (Soderbergh served as DP under the pseudonym Peter Andrews) and wore slippers while shooting to mute sound. It’s a unique tactic — though somewhat similar to the POV storytelling of the Oscar nominated “Nickel Boys” — and extremely effective here.
Also effective? Releasing studio Neon opting to screen the film in a “haunted house.” On Tuesday night, the bright minds behind indie horror hits like “Longlegs” invited guests to see the movie at what they advertised as a real haunted house. It’s actually an event venue where I’ve previously attended a birthday party, but it fit the bill on the surface – it’s a home built in the 1920s that looks like it was plucked off New Orleans’ Bourbon Street and transplanted into an L.A. neighborhood. It also housed a similar vibe to the residence pictured in the film, which communicates an antique feel with its spacious rooms heated by old-fashioned standing radiators. Completing the atmosphere, guests were treated to free readings from a psychic, a photo and analysis of your aura by the Aura Journey and, most importantly, free snacks.
As for the “haunted” part, it’s possible some creative license was taken. As my friend Courtney put it, “They have Pinterest-perfect weddings there — how haunted can it be?” And some cursory research (i.e., Google) doesn’t indicate that the venue is known for supernatural activity. The language on the invite only says it has a long “history of dark and strange forces emanating from its foundations” and that observers “have long spoken of disturbing sounds and inexplicable experiences taking place within the walls of the house.” Spooky, yes, but these parameters could also apply to my first condo.
That aside, it certainly set a fun mood for the movie, which is heavy on atmosphere. The film itself is less horror and more of a meditation on time and grief wrapped in a mystery. Those looking for gore or jump scares will be disappointed but those looking for a smart, effective thriller will be rewarded. And I won’t lie; there were times when the camera was gliding throughout the onscreen home that I became very hyperaware that there might be something right behind me in the actual house where we were seated. I may have looked over my shoulder more than once. (I definitely looked over my shoulder more than once.)
The film is elevated by fantastic performances from the four actors playing the family — Lucy Liu as a co-dependent mother, Eddy Maday as her favorite child and Callina Liang as the grieving young woman who is quick to suspect a spirit. But the MVP award goes to Chris Sullivan as the family’s patriarch, an Everyman who knows his limitations and is still doing his best. Whether admitting his wife is out of his league or trying to relate to his distant children, Sullivan is pitch perfect, never hitting a false note.
And if nothing else, the entire experience reminded me how fantastic it is to share a movie with an engaged audience. While I think “Presence” would also be effective alone at home (depending on how haunted your residence is), the energy in the room was undeniable. The film is surprisingly funny, not just with David Koepp’s witty dialogue but the way it subverts certain horror tropes. In fact, “Presence” wins points for featuring one of the most realistic portrayals of what I believe a person would do if they witnessed supernatural activity in their home — i.e., get the hell out.
As for the extras — I didn’t have a chance to get my aura read but the photos I saw, taken on a special camera, were pretty damn cool. I never thought I’d hear more than one person utter the term: “I really believed I was more yellow.” The psychic was a mixed bag — my friend and several others raved about how spot-on and specific their readings were. When I asked my question about my future, the psychic seemed hesitant to give any firm answers and basically said I was on my own. While I appreciate the forthrightness, that was truly the scariest part of the night.
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