The ghost is Tyler, even at the beginning. The medium said that from the ghost perspective, there’s no past, present, or future. Using those parameters, Tyler was definitely the ghost/poltergeist. There’s a section of the movie where the ghost lashes out at Tyler, and it was really Tyler seeing how despicable he was and hating himself. The concept that we have to wrap our head around is that in the spirit realm, it exists outside of time and space, but like the medium said, a door can be open to the other side inadvertently.
OK so I thought this too but I actually think right up until the spirit 'becomes' Tyler it actually doesn't know who it is or what it's mission is. I think that because it seems to try and 'connect' with someone with the strong shaking thumping. And it tries that with Chloe first, almost like it's giving it a.shot to see if it's supposed to be in her, and then the urgency of saving her is where the inevitable of becoming Tyler happens. My theory is that what Tyler did to Simone was so shitty that even before he realizes he is the spirit he lashes out when confronted with it
Alright, to me, the word "presence" is general. It can mean many other things like spirt ,soul, ghost and /or a concentrated form of energy in one place or spot. IMO, The Presence is Tyler's Spirit not a ghost. It becomes a ghost when Tyler is dies. 2 different things. I think the presence (spirt) is Tyler from the beginning, because in more then one occasion spirt walks away and hide from witnessing intimate acts and conversations from the family meaning there's love or respect for them. Also , when Tyler was talking so gleefully to his fam about the awful prank he pulled off to a girl at school. That's when the presence (spirt) wrecked Tylers room. Like it was unaproving of this behavior, regretful Maybe? There are limits to what spirt can do, like physical contact with organic material. Spirt can not touch them. It tries, when we see the shakey camara. It's similar to the concept of Astral Projection and Remote Viewing. Spirt can step away from its physical form, but it's still tethered to it living body. A ghost is when spirt/soul dosent have a body anymore, it doesn't have a host. A ghost is a visual apparition of some one who is dead. That's why the mother was able to see him at the end and is why Tyler 's spirt/ soul or "presence " was able to leave the house. He fulfilled his purpose. 🍒
As someone who is also grieving, I just hated how awful all the characters were to the lead who was going through it. It was like a lot of the message was lost in that for me. Grief is so unbearably lonely in itself, but this film made me SO grateful for those in my life who care, are present, and aren't just like "it's been a minute, i tried, they just need time".
@@KikiMeowKitty They all are in their own way, because they don't know how to support Chloe in her grief. The dad constantly tries to overcompensate for the fact his daughter is grieving. The brother pulls the 'weird' card on her constantly because he doesn't understand her grief, and then yes the mum is particularly awful because she is focusing all her energy on the 'successful' kid who isn't suffering. You're right though, of all of them, she is truly awful.
@MartyGrayston yeah exactly, and even though the dad may not know how to help at least he shows her he cares and you can tell Chloe loves him and appreciates him.
I watched this 3 hours after receiving news my granfather had passed away, Lucy Liu’s scream at the end had me inconsolable, what a heartbreaking movie i gave this a 9/10 my bf gave it a 10/10, i was so tense watching the brother run up the stairs, what a truly beautiful film though.
I've watched it twice! The rewatch was very eye opening SPOILER ALERT -When the medium comes to the house she says "you're fooling yourself" while looking at Tyler. She's referring to him thinking Ryan is a friend. Ryan even said "Tyler has envy written on his face" -The medium whispers to the mirror "save her" -Much of my frustration the first watch was Tyler's ghost not doing anything to prevent his sisters interaction. BUT upon rewatch, the medium mentions Tyler's presence wasn't sure why he was there. So he's literally figuring it out along with us.
The medium also says ghosts sometimes experience the past and present at the same time which explains why the ghost is from the future in the movie. It's experiencing everything at once
Omg I thought when she said “you’re fooling yourself” I thought she was speaking to Chloe and meant she was fooling herself thinking the presence was one of her friends that had passed. Thank you this makes SO much more sense! Also I totally agree: it was always Tyler!
I know this might be random, but listen to Chains by Fame On Fire. The video gives off saw vibes. Hope you enjoy it. Maybe you'll relate to the lyrics. Have a great day. 🖤⛓️
Loved the segment on how your reviews are subjective, that’s how it should be! Too many reviewers are afraid to talk about how a movie affected them and only focus on the technical side of things. When a movie clicks for you more than others due to something going on in your life, that’s the magic of cinema baby
you are sooo right about films affecting you differently based on what you're currently going through. i was going through a lot surrounding my dad when i first watched insidious: the red door, which resulted in me sobbing and feeling so moved and affected by it, and i don't think ill watch that movie again any time soon. if a film can move me and ignite heavy feelings, i will rate it higher too lol
I just wanted to say that as long as you want to talk about your grief it is absolutely okay and not something that’s annoying to hear about at all (atleast for me personally). I lost my dad four years ago and I still have certain nasty people say I should be over it. People like you who talk about it and are so honest and open to how it plays into your life and your viewing experiences reminds me that I’m not the only one and that it’s okay. Talking about the people we lost and how we love and miss them is what keeps their memory alive and I find that so so beautiful. I hope that as long as you want to talk about it you do, but whenever you don’t want to it’s absolutely okay 🫶🏼
I've seen this movie twice already. I can say that a 2nd viewing definitely helps with trying to understand how certain things line up. I personally really liked this movie, but also don't really think it's one that NEEDS to be seen in the theater. Overall a very enjoyable film, though and I look forward to adding it to my blu-ray collection when it eventually hits shelves 👍
The thing i liked most about the hard cuts of the movie were that we experienced them the same way the presence did. They said that he was experiencing things out of order and had to piece it together so the hard cuts were the presence shifting to a different point in time
@ yeah true we see it in order but the ghost isn’t experiencing it in the order we are seeing it I believe plus when he jumps around he doesn’t always remember what happened previously
Spoilers: I know Lucy Liu’s boy mom thing is weird, but I have to wonder in retrospect if it’s because she knew deep down somehow that she was going to lose her son so young. Even the psychic said something about her being in denial, I think?
@@ciaolife When I saw that scene I had interpreted it as the Presence bringing the mother to the mirror so she could see her son one last time. But yeah now I realize what should have been obvious. I guess I was caught up in the emotion of the scene too much to think about it.
My favorite in the horror genre is paranormal stories. I hadn't heard anything about this one so I'm glad you talked about it, I appreciate the SA warning. I truly wish they would stop saying every movie is the Scariest ever, especially when they aren't meant to be that kind of film. Looking forward to seeing this one.
I liked the performances of Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan the most. She had a few scenes that really set her up for a great final scene. Its worth a viewing for streaming because of the two best actors.
I know this might be random, but listen to Chains by Fame On Fire. The video gives off saw vibes. Hope you enjoy it. Maybe you'll relate to the lyrics. Have a great day. 🖤⛓️
The scenes you showed here almost feels like found footage and it gives the sense of being a fly on the wall listening in so to speak. I'm down for this so I'm going to watch it but I do think I'll wait till it comes to streaming.
It is very fly on the wall, but every once in a while the characters sense the presence and look straight at the camera. It's a fourth wall break but it feels like "they caught me!"
Been looking forward to this video. I have tickets for this tonight. Dealing with some grief of my own so a bit hesitant but at the same time excited. Thank you so much for sharing!!! 🥰
I love your reviews so much! Thank you for everything. As I got older it’s actually gotten harder for me to watch scary movies. So being able to hear the level Of details and descriptions you provide helps me. You are the best ☺️
I can see why there are people who wouldn’t like the movie, but personally I loved it. My favorite type of horror is story based rather than jump scares, and I felt like the pov the movie focuses on is so interesting. It’s barely the start of the year, but I honestly think this movie is going to be at least in my top 3 releases for 2025.
spoilers: i interpreted it as the ghost being someone that died in the house previosuly just being thrown into the family situation and then when the brother died he became a ghost that also haunts the house/takes the place of the ghost, but the brother being the ghost all along also makes sense !
I viewed it this way too until the scene where the medium comes into the house and explains that the spirit didn’t know what their purpose was and was trying to figure themselves out because their spirit was around before they even died. Then I thought that it might be Chloe until we got the reveal
This is how I had interpreted it as well. Also the medium mentions nothing about the Presence being from a future event, merely that it's purpose might be to prevent a future tragedy. In the first scene with the medium she says Past and Present, nothing about the future.
The medium explained that time isn’t linear once we pass on. For a spirit, there is no “past or future”… just the now, our perception of now vs the spirit’s perception of now
My friend and I went back through the scenes because we didn’t understand certain things, but we ultimately came to the same conclusion that Tyler (the brother) was the ghost the whole time. The psychic mentions how the ghost is there to prevent something but didn’t know what and that it can pop into the past and present. We figured the events of this played out similarly but maybe Chloe is actually killed and Tyler woke up too late, runs upstairs, catches Ryan and they both fall out of the window and die. Ghost Tyler is back in the house before he and his family move in and he wakes himself up quicker to save his sister. There’s the attempt Ryan initially makes to drug Chloe and Ghost Tyler knocks the glass over but doesn’t intervene when it’s done to himself. There’s the other scene where Tyler is telling that story to his family about pranking the girl Simone and he’s very proud of his actions, so Ghost Tyler goes upstairs and rage destroys his room knocking over all of his trophies and what not because he’s disgusted by himself. That’s what we came up with. Also, yes, the sex scene where Ghost Tyler looks away and also the realtor had no previous deaths in the home to disclose because “technically” one hadn’t happened yet. Very puzzling movie once the credits rolled but the discussion afterwards was fun. I’m sure watching a second time would help too.
I don't think he went back to change anything. I think it is a causal loop and he as a presence was always there. The presence tries to change things, but ultimately just plays the part he was fated to play. And I agree He definitely is disgusted by his actions.
Or maybe the spirit is vengeful and wanted him dead too. That's as plausible an explanation for this if you ask me. I'd also imagine it would be just as uncomfortable to watch your rapist and killer have sex with your best friend than it would be if it were the brother. The fact that he would only intervene to save his sister and not himself doesn't make sense and neither does replaying the events if the outcome already ends in his sacrifice. The acceptance of this Tyler twist as being so obvious has broken my brain.
@@politefan8141 Yeah, but the entity being the best friend seemed too simple to us, especially with how the film ends. I could definitely see how it could be the bestie trying to stop Ryan from continuing his murder spree, but I could also see it being the brother. The brother angle sounded more fun lol idk.
@@tomleonard830 The most frustrating part is that the movie could have had a lot more fun toying with its premise if the filmmakers actually wanted the Tyler theory to be definitive. They could have added moments where he experiences gaps in memory, sees things moving around him, or has eerie premonitions about events before they happen. Instead, it feels like they wanted the twist to be shocking rather than satisfying.
I’m seeing this movie in a few hours! I’ll come back to watch your video 😊 Edit: I LOVED it! Because of how the film is shot, I think me watching it in D-Box was definitely worth it and made the experience. The family drama also hit home for me and I was crying at the end. Shout out to the mom, her acting was great! Had me reliving trauma in the theater lmao Love seeing single-shot scenes, makes me really appreciate the movie a lot more and all the work the cast & crew go through for it
Loved it. Am I alone in loving how it was shot and the acting? I loved both, especially Chloe and the Dad. I loved the way it started too I thought the POV was so creepy until it wasn't (purposely). Also loved the realtor, she was so Julia! (IYKYK) As you say, liking something is personal but I do think folks hating on this movie are being a bit unchairitable to an interesting and well made movie. My friend I saw the movie with and I were discussing it throughout the rest of the night which is always a good sign. Finally, we saw it in a small "Livingroom Theaters" type theater with all adults, mostly femme's and this was an excellent group of people to share the experience with, so I'm sorry for your bratty teenager experience!
Been waiting for your thoughts on this one!! I loved it, I think even more after I reflected on some of the earlier scenes and what they imply about the ghost reflecting on its own behavior. 4 stars for me, so you're definitely not alone in liking it! I also double-featured this one (Regal Unlimited babyyy!) with Wolf Man because of your review (was going to skip it otherwise, at least in theaters) and ended up liking that one too!
I saw it in a “screen unseen” so had no clue what we were watching until it started. I REALLY enjoyed the film (which took me by surprise) the ending had me sobbing. I can see why it’s not for everyone but I would recommend a watch as it might surprise you 😊
I lost my dad four years ago, and this film also deeply affected my as well, so I completely understand where you are coming from. I loved it, one of my favorites already, I too hope to gain respite with companion, it’s gonna be a while before I rewatch presence. When I saw you watched it on Letterboxd I was very much looking forward to this review and I loved your review of this!!
I really enjoyed this movie as well, as someone who has experienced a lot of lost, I found it heartbreaking but also profoundly sweet, since the brother was able to save his sister (in this timeline where he was stuck) and complete what he was meant to do before he can move on. Which I thought was executed so well by the use the the pov camera. With the final shot shows him leaving the house and moving on. Also my friend pointed out to me that throughout the film, the first time the presence looks directly into the 100 year old mirror is when we finally see it was the brother the whole time. Good movie, really unique.
You mention that this would have been a beginner movie until it got dark. I would love to see a tier list of beginner vs. "horror expert" movies. Like seeing the different levels "spiciness" of some horror movies
knowing who the ghost is makes some of those “random” scenes make more sense spoilers: in a lot of the scenes the brother is being very mean to his sister and disrespectful to his dad that it makes you wonder if maybe he had some regrets watching himself act like that, or destroying his own room when they weren’t taking chloe seriously about the ghost in the house
I really enjoyed this film! Yesterday I did a double feature of this with Wolf Man, and I really preferred Presence. I love experimental horror and I thought this did it very well and was so powerful and moving. As someone who has also experienced grief it was really hard to see the way Chloe was treated and how her mom talked about her. SPOILER: I still disliked the mom at the end, I think I would have felt differently if we saw her apologize to Chloe and try to repair that relationship.
This was a masterclass in emotion, tension, and drama. So there were sprinkles throughout of who was the presence. From the Dad telling the son to defend the sister for once, to the presence getting upset about Tyler’s actions toward Symone, the Psychic saying “the presence doesn’t know why it’s here” and that it doesn’t experience time in the present or in a linear way, the closed window prophecy, the Dad saying “the bad decisions Stick with you forever” and etc. The Mom’s “door” was opened at the end of the movie due to the trauma giving her the ability to see Tyler. Ryan from the beginning was victimizing himself and projecting his helplessness about not making decisions for himself onto his victims. Tyler knew from his Dad’s feelings he had to redeem himself for his “present” actions. Chloe’s door much like her literally “stayed open”. That last shot really stayed with me along with the mom’s scream. Shows how grief and love transcend time itself through emotions. Chloe describes the presence as having agoraphobia which is the fear of helplessness which is how Ryan made his victims, helpless. This was Tyler’s chance to defend his sister for once and since they were siblings they were literally connected since birth.
The ghost reveal finally made sense to me once I watched this video. I thought there were two by the end of the movie. Also, the mirror scene at the end didn't make me cry but it did really creep me out. Not sure why.
⚠️SPOILER ALERT ⚠️ The purpose of horror movies is to make the audience feel uncomfortable, make them feel helpless, wanting to help but can't. Ryan is the "horror" of the movie. Throughout the movie, he seems like a regular troubled teen, getting high, trying to get laid, going a little too far on spiking her drinks. We the audience may think he's just lacking maturity on the consequence this could lead to (OD). These traits/actions are common in SOME teens. So we the viewers see him as "yeah he's a jerk". We don't pay too much mind to this. We're distracted by "The Presence " and how much or how little we can relate to their family dynamic. HOWEVER, in the last 20 minutes we get to see Ryan's true nature ,it's slow ,it builds, she's pasted out, he moves her body, we think he's going to R@pe her and then BAM! the reveal . He's there to kill and he done it before. The horror in this is that that kid Ryan , can be one of your kids friend and you wouldn't know it. The ending for me was mixed feelings. The gut wrenching scream of the mother was heart breaking. The Presence (Tyler) leaving the house was satisfied. He accomplished his goal. Saving his sister. Well done movie, is it a typical horror movie? No, it's not, but there's some horro in it for sure. Its the type of horror that can happen to any of us and that is scary 🍒
Fug the haters. I've seen this film two times in the theater. I love this film. And its a great first time watch and got better on a second watch. 10 out of 10!
I missed the part about it being someone who hadn't died yet, kinda glad I missed it when the Medium returned, but I did figure out that the blond kid was the killer long before he confessed to Chloe.
⚠️POSIBLE SPOILER ALERT ⚠️ Alright, to me, the word "presence" is general. It can mean many other things like spirt ,soul, ghost and /or a concentrated form of energy in one place or spot. IMO, The Presence is Tyler's Spirit not a ghost. It becomes a ghost when Tyler is dies. 2 different things. I think the presence (spirt) is Tyler from the beginning, because in more then one occasion spirt walks away and hide from witnessing intimate acts and conversations from the family meaning there's love or respect for them. Also , when Tyler was talking so gleefully to his fam about the awful prank he pulled off to a girl at school. That's when the presence (spirt) wrecked Tylers room. Like it was unaproving of this behavior, regretful Maybe? There are limits to what spirt can do, like physical contact with organic material. Spirt can not touch them. It tries, when we see the shakey camara. It's similar to the concept of Astral Projection and Remote Viewing. Spirt can step away from its physical form, but it's still tethered to it living body. A ghost is when spirt/soul dosent have a body anymore, it doesn't have a host. A ghost is a visual apparition of some one who is dead. That's why the mother was able to see him at the end and is why Tyler 's spirt/ soul or "presence " was able to leave the house. He fulfilled his purpose. 🍒
Real ones get this movie. I say go with your heart and give it 4 stars, I did! I think it'll grow on you the more you think about it, as it did me. My Letterboxd review covers a lot of the same ground that you talked about. As far as the style, particularly the POV cinematography, you should know that it's director Steven Soderburgh himself operating the camera. Not only is he showing us exactly what we need to see, but he's really giving a full performance as the ghost. In interviews he's talking about how he needed to find the right shoes so he could be quiet and could walk all around the house while holding the camera. It feels like a perfect thing to do for such an itimate movie. Soderburgh can do anything as you know, but this is more his experimental side, doing something kind of adjacent to a found footage horror movie, but with a pretty original twist. I felt almost like I had been spying on the family and then felt kind of "caught" when somebody would sense the presence and look right into the camera lens--such a cool idea. And yeah I thought it hit all the right notes and was emotionally very powerful. A modest and small film and not a complicated epic, but for what it is it was extremely effective.
11:43 I agree with you on that. I love single locations also. I also love the house a lot too. I thought it was so beautiful and aesthetically pleasing to look at. I was like man I wanna live there. lol
I am very surprised about the bad reviews because I really like the movie. Of course it wasn't scary at all and it also took me a second to get used to the pace and the way it was filmed but I liked how original it was. I think the story was interesting and I realized just now watching your review who the ghost was and omg it really makes sense! I thought the acting was sometimes a bit so so, but that's ok. I really liked that they tried something new, the story was engaging, I was never bored tbh and surprised when I understood we were in the final act of the movie so overall, a pretty good experience on my end.
I enjoy the movie for what it was a little underwhelming at times but the concept was interesting enough they should have had just a couple other sequences the ghost moved or altered something for more scares and what if the first ghost was Nadia but because in the last scene she follows her brother helps force both out the window then in turn having the brother be the last ghost. Unless it’s a purgatory situation and the brother is just reliving that time since they moved in the new house as memories and it’s a time loop. It’s very compelling conversation starter of a film.
I genuinely loved Presence. It wasn't what I was expecting at all, and I was so engrossed. Also, Wolf Man definitely hit me as a new dad. I don't want my dad's anger to become mine. So I totally understand how seeing movies can touch us all differently depending on what stage of life we're in. I truly believe art comes to us when we need to experience it.
Presence worked for me, too. It wasn’t this super scary movie I was expecting, but I truly enjoyed the story being told, the mystery, and Chloe and her dad’s relationship. Since we were the ghost, it had the same vibe of playing a pov game or something. It’s not perfect by any means, but I can definitely see it being a comfort film for some
Thank you so much for reviewing this and giving it some much needed attention! Really LOVED this one, the "ghost POV" definitely worked on me! Thought the actors did a brilliant job with some very tricky camera work, and the way the story went darker and darker really surprised me! The film looked amazing on a big screen -- definitely recommend! (Sorry you had to deal with those annoying teens at your showing) LOL
literally just watched this yesterday out of the whim with a group of friends for my birthday. We went into the movie blind and left so confused afterwards 😂
When the psychic comes to the house, she says that the spirit doesn’t know why they are there and that time is warped. What I took from that is that the ghost didn’t know who they used to be. So it was all a mystery to them. Obviously it might have felt an innate desire to watch over the sister, but perhaps the spirit itself didn’t know why. I found that to be a very intriguing concept. And then when the brother reveals himself in the mirror to the mom, I suspect it was also confirming its own identity.
I’m late to this review I came back over an hour ago after watching both Companion and then Presence back to back lol. But you’re not alone I actually really enjoyed this movie after processing and I definitely want to rewatch it again to pick up on things I missed especially some foreshadowing too that I remember from a few scenes! I got emotional too throughout the film my family and I have gone through grief. My dad passed away back in February 2023 tomorrow marks 2 years since his death so I really felt for Chloe in this. Definitely didn’t help that there was a lot of heartfelt moments between Chloe and her dad which got me since I never really had that, complicated relationship I had with my father so yeah those scenes hurt 😅 Overall again I really enjoyed this movie and I want to rewatch it again. I will admit I had a 1 or 2 second delayed reaction to the reveal because I was still shocked from the last scene but the reveal still got me didn’t think it was the brother!
Hi. I don't usually comment but today I will. I have some thoughts. Firstly, I think this film has parallels with the found footage genre. The perspective is definitely derived from that concept, just with the camera being an ultra-smooth moving ghosty. Second, I wish they had done this without the weird guy trying to drug and SA everyone because that took all of the intrigue away from the super original concept and presented him as a threat that frankly wasn't necessary. And finally, I wonder how much the Bent-Neck Lady from The Haunting of Hill House was an inspiration here or whether this was an entirely organic concept from the director.
I really enjoyed the movie!! I saw it in an empty theater so it was so good to be tuned in without distraction. I fully understood it through and through. The only thing I didn't love about the movie were the jarring cuts, I felt like each time it pulled you out of a moment... if that makes sense. But I loved it regardless :)
Spoilers The medium said in the movie that spirits don’t live in a “present”. So I think that clears up how he came back. His afterlife was out of order. I guess time is only a construct to the living…?
I enjoyed this one! Definitely liked the long shots, found-footage kind of feel that it had. I'd give it about 3-3.5 stars as well. I do think that the marketing for the movie was a bit misleading, which is why people are not feeling it, but other than that, I liked it
I genuinely really enjoyed this movie. I thought it was well paced and interesting throughout. I loved the reveal of the brother, and i liked the characters enough to care about how things ended. And I agree, I liked the character arc of the mom a lot!
I LOVED this movie. The ending was fantastic and I didn't see it coming. Only thing I didn't like was how edge-lordy the boyfriend was, and his arc seemed pretty obvious. There were a lot of hints about the final reveal that I kept realizing over the drive home and days after watching. I feel like a lot of people who hate this movie were just hoping for a jump-scare filled spook show, and the trailers were the reason for that. Great review as always and I appreciate you even if we don't see eye to eye on things sometimes!
I also gave it a 3.5 - very, very strong emotional response. A slow burn with a great payoff. Very heart wrenching, and I agree that I think it will be a good rewatch. Just have to prep myself emotionally, haha.
I double featured this with Wolf Man (liked it more than I expected...Leigh has yet to disappoint me) and I loved it so much! Not a "scary" movie so I'm glad I dodged all of the marketing ahead of seeing it. But I still had a good time and really enjoyed the filming style once I got used to it
i really loved this movie i went into it completely blind. at the end i felt unsettled and uncomfortable but enjoyed it for sure. felt like i haven’t watched many movies like it.
I totally agree with you that I think it’s a 3.5 out of five! I very much enjoyed it and think a lot of the negative reviews are because of the way that it was marketed to everyone. Also, I tend to think I figure out twists pretty easily… But honestly, it was your video that made me realize it was the brother all along! Not sure how I completely missed that… But now it makes total sense. When the medium is in their house She mentioned something along the lines of the spirit maybe not even being dead yet because time isn’t necessarily linear in the spirit world. But also most likely the spirit did die in the house. Which I then thought was odd because the realtor said nothing like that had happened yet. So I kind of just chalked it up to. It was meant to be a mystery. And some people could think it was the friend if they wanted to, but we never really know. And then when her son was in the mirror, I assumed it was because he had just died and was reaching out one final time. But honestly, I think I like the movie way more now because you’re totally right it was the brother the whole time!😂 21:22
It wasn't what I was expecting but I did enjoy it. It was nice to get a different type of haunting movie. I feel casual watchers wont get it. I was impressed by what the director accomplished with such a small budget. BTW. For those who seen the movie. Anyone notice the family always ordered out and never cooked? For some reason that stood out to me.
I thought this was a 10/10! When the film ended and I saw the writer was David Koepp, writer and director of Stir of Echoes, another banger supernatural film.
This movie hit me in so much of my trauma and i found it so beautiful because of that. I won’t be able to watch this again for a while because of those triggers, but it was beautiful nonetheless
If the marketing had portrayed it differently, I probably would waited to see it and gone into it with a different mindset. Maybe I would have felt differently.
from my understanding, it was not an attempted sa. He had killed both Nadia and the other girl previously but their deaths were labled as od’s. He definitely took pleasure/had a fetish for suffocation but i dont think he was going to sa her. He was gonna savor in her slow death and then leave. People would just think she was another od. I think police would have known had the other girls been sa’d. Still doesnt rlly change the tw just explaining what I got from it.
Another one for the cozy list. Not a true horror film but not all horror has to be Terrifier 3. I love the vibe of this film and could watch it on repeat.
I also really enjoyed this film! I think the marketing really did it a disservice and misrepresented what the movie was. This film worked for me personally because I also really like slice-of-life, fly-on-the-wall movies. I thought the characters (especially the teens) were very realistic. Many films don't portray teenagers realistically and I felt this one was very grounded. I do want to say as someone who isn't a parent, the ending still worked for me. I don't think you should discredit your feelings on the film cause you have a bias. If the film spoke to you, I think that means the film is really special. Art is subjective, so I understand why people don't enjoy this film, but it shocked and moved me so for that, I gave it 4 stars.
I agree... went to see it thursday... loved how it was shot but it reminded me more of a lovely bones kind of movie than a horror movie... it is described as thriller/suspense when you look it up but meh lol as a cinephile, I did like it but they sold it to audiences the wrong way! Also, in the scene with the woman trying to explain the ghost to the family, she says that the ghost isn’t sure who they are and what their purpose is. Time for them is irrelevant. They could be from past, present, or future. That’s when I figured it was the brother. Especially when he was explaining the prank to the mom and the ghost trashed his room. He was upset by his own view and treatment of women.
The ghost is Tyler, even at the beginning. The medium said that from the ghost perspective, there’s no past, present, or future. Using those parameters, Tyler was definitely the ghost/poltergeist.
There’s a section of the movie where the ghost lashes out at Tyler, and it was really Tyler seeing how despicable he was and hating himself.
The concept that we have to wrap our head around is that in the spirit realm, it exists outside of time and space, but like the medium said, a door can be open to the other side inadvertently.
OK so I thought this too but I actually think right up until the spirit 'becomes' Tyler it actually doesn't know who it is or what it's mission is. I think that because it seems to try and 'connect' with someone with the strong shaking thumping. And it tries that with Chloe first, almost like it's giving it a.shot to see if it's supposed to be in her, and then the urgency of saving her is where the inevitable of becoming Tyler happens. My theory is that what Tyler did to Simone was so shitty that even before he realizes he is the spirit he lashes out when confronted with it
Alright, to me, the word "presence" is general. It can mean many other things like spirt ,soul, ghost and /or a concentrated form of energy in one place or spot. IMO, The Presence is Tyler's Spirit not a ghost. It becomes a ghost when Tyler is dies. 2 different things.
I think the presence (spirt) is Tyler from the beginning, because in more then one occasion spirt walks away and hide from witnessing intimate acts and conversations from the family meaning there's love or respect for them. Also , when Tyler was talking so gleefully to his fam about the awful prank he pulled off to a girl at school. That's when the presence (spirt) wrecked Tylers room. Like it was unaproving of this behavior, regretful Maybe?
There are limits to what spirt can do, like physical contact with organic material. Spirt can not touch them. It tries, when we see the shakey camara. It's similar to the concept of Astral Projection and Remote Viewing. Spirt can step away from its physical form, but it's still tethered to it living body. A ghost is when spirt/soul dosent have a body anymore, it doesn't have a host. A ghost is a visual apparition of some one who is dead. That's why the mother was able to see him at the end and is why Tyler 's spirt/ soul or "presence " was able to leave the house. He fulfilled his purpose. 🍒
As someone who is also grieving, I just hated how awful all the characters were to the lead who was going through it. It was like a lot of the message was lost in that for me. Grief is so unbearably lonely in itself, but this film made me SO grateful for those in my life who care, are present, and aren't just like "it's been a minute, i tried, they just need time".
The mom was an awful woman !
@@KikiMeowKitty They all are in their own way, because they don't know how to support Chloe in her grief. The dad constantly tries to overcompensate for the fact his daughter is grieving. The brother pulls the 'weird' card on her constantly because he doesn't understand her grief, and then yes the mum is particularly awful because she is focusing all her energy on the 'successful' kid who isn't suffering. You're right though, of all of them, she is truly awful.
@MartyGrayston yeah exactly, and even though the dad may not know how to help at least he shows her he cares and you can tell Chloe loves him and appreciates him.
@@KikiMeowKitty totally agree!
Same, the mom was so mean. And what was she into?!
I watched this 3 hours after receiving news my granfather had passed away, Lucy Liu’s scream at the end had me inconsolable, what a heartbreaking movie i gave this a 9/10 my bf gave it a 10/10, i was so tense watching the brother run up the stairs, what a truly beautiful film though.
I've watched it twice! The rewatch was very eye opening
SPOILER
ALERT
-When the medium comes to the house she says "you're fooling yourself" while looking at Tyler. She's referring to him thinking Ryan is a friend. Ryan even said "Tyler has envy written on his face"
-The medium whispers to the mirror "save her"
-Much of my frustration the first watch was Tyler's ghost not doing anything to prevent his sisters interaction. BUT upon rewatch, the medium mentions Tyler's presence wasn't sure why he was there. So he's literally figuring it out along with us.
The medium also says ghosts sometimes experience the past and present at the same time which explains why the ghost is from the future in the movie. It's experiencing everything at once
Omg I thought when she said “you’re fooling yourself” I thought she was speaking to Chloe and meant she was fooling herself thinking the presence was one of her friends that had passed. Thank you this makes SO much more sense! Also I totally agree: it was always Tyler!
I got to watch this in an empty theater and I really enjoyed it. I liked that it was so unique.
Same! Just me and the screen lol
I love an empty theatre! I just watched wolfman today and had it all to myself. I think it made the movie experience a touch better.
Right?! It was fun to watch this unfold all alone and wonder wtf is going on!? I ended up loving the film
I won’t be seeing it but I would appreciate the artistic license too.
I was so distracted in the first half of the movie because I was obsessed with the house and how gorgeous it was 😂
Okay I’m glad I’m not alone!
Girl, I cried in my car after this one too. ❤️❤️❤️ That ending was a gut punch for me.
I know this might be random, but listen to Chains by Fame On Fire. The video gives off saw vibes. Hope you enjoy it. Maybe you'll relate to the lyrics. Have a great day. 🖤⛓️
Loved the segment on how your reviews are subjective, that’s how it should be! Too many reviewers are afraid to talk about how a movie affected them and only focus on the technical side of things. When a movie clicks for you more than others due to something going on in your life, that’s the magic of cinema baby
"That's magic."
you are sooo right about films affecting you differently based on what you're currently going through. i was going through a lot surrounding my dad when i first watched insidious: the red door, which resulted in me sobbing and feeling so moved and affected by it, and i don't think ill watch that movie again any time soon. if a film can move me and ignite heavy feelings, i will rate it higher too lol
I watched this movie yesterday and it made me cry even explaining the movie to others. I love it so much, it really hit the spot for me.
SAME, made me very emotional
I just wanted to say that as long as you want to talk about your grief it is absolutely okay and not something that’s annoying to hear about at all (atleast for me personally). I lost my dad four years ago and I still have certain nasty people say I should be over it. People like you who talk about it and are so honest and open to how it plays into your life and your viewing experiences reminds me that I’m not the only one and that it’s okay. Talking about the people we lost and how we love and miss them is what keeps their memory alive and I find that so so beautiful. I hope that as long as you want to talk about it you do, but whenever you don’t want to it’s absolutely okay 🫶🏼
Well said.
I've seen this movie twice already. I can say that a 2nd viewing definitely helps with trying to understand how certain things line up. I personally really liked this movie, but also don't really think it's one that NEEDS to be seen in the theater. Overall a very enjoyable film, though and I look forward to adding it to my blu-ray collection when it eventually hits shelves 👍
The thing i liked most about the hard cuts of the movie were that we experienced them the same way the presence did. They said that he was experiencing things out of order and had to piece it together so the hard cuts were the presence shifting to a different point in time
but nothing is out of order- the ghost may be blacking out but it never jumps around in time.
@ yeah true we see it in order but the ghost isn’t experiencing it in the order we are seeing it I believe plus when he jumps around he doesn’t always remember what happened previously
@@metalraygear2677it would be an interesting movie if it was done like Memento style
This movie rewards you for paying attention. It’s an awesome take on a paranormal story.
Spoilers: I know Lucy Liu’s boy mom thing is weird, but I have to wonder in retrospect if it’s because she knew deep down somehow that she was going to lose her son so young. Even the psychic said something about her being in denial, I think?
I think she may have been talking to Tyler being in denial
The brother is the ghost. So many miss this. It makes the whole movie work. It's a great film.
How does anyone miss that? Especially when you see him in the mirror and so does the mum?
@@ciaolifelol I missed it, my husband had to point it out. I can be dense I guess.
@@LeandraGraves fair enough, love. Did you realise when the mother saw him in the mirror or did you think she saw what she wanted to see?
@@ciaolife When I saw that scene I had interpreted it as the Presence bringing the mother to the mirror so she could see her son one last time. But yeah now I realize what should have been obvious. I guess I was caught up in the emotion of the scene too much to think about it.
My favorite in the horror genre is paranormal stories. I hadn't heard anything about this one so I'm glad you talked about it, I appreciate the SA warning. I truly wish they would stop saying every movie is the Scariest ever, especially when they aren't meant to be that kind of film. Looking forward to seeing this one.
I liked the performances of Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan the most.
She had a few scenes that really set her up for a great final scene.
Its worth a viewing for streaming because of the two best actors.
This film was so moving to me, gave me big Lake Mungo vibes
Love lake mungo. Is presence streaming right now?
I know this might be random, but listen to Chains by Fame On Fire. The video gives off saw vibes. Hope you enjoy it. Maybe you'll relate to the lyrics. Have a great day. 🖤⛓️
Thanks!
The scenes you showed here almost feels like found footage and it gives the sense of being a fly on the wall listening in so to speak. I'm down for this so I'm going to watch it but I do think I'll wait till it comes to streaming.
It is very fly on the wall, but every once in a while the characters sense the presence and look straight at the camera. It's a fourth wall break but it feels like "they caught me!"
Been looking forward to this video. I have tickets for this tonight. Dealing with some grief of my own so a bit hesitant but at the same time excited. Thank you so much for sharing!!! 🥰
I am not okay. Back for the spoiler talk…
I love your reviews so much! Thank you for everything. As I got older it’s actually gotten harder for me to watch scary movies. So being able to hear the level
Of details and descriptions you provide helps me. You are the best ☺️
I can see why there are people who wouldn’t like the movie, but personally I loved it. My favorite type of horror is story based rather than jump scares, and I felt like the pov the movie focuses on is so interesting. It’s barely the start of the year, but I honestly think this movie is going to be at least in my top 3 releases for 2025.
spoilers: i interpreted it as the ghost being someone that died in the house previosuly just being thrown into the family situation and then when the brother died he became a ghost that also haunts the house/takes the place of the ghost, but the brother being the ghost all along also makes sense !
I viewed it this way too until the scene where the medium comes into the house and explains that the spirit didn’t know what their purpose was and was trying to figure themselves out because their spirit was around before they even died. Then I thought that it might be Chloe until we got the reveal
This is how I had interpreted it as well. Also the medium mentions nothing about the Presence being from a future event, merely that it's purpose might be to prevent a future tragedy. In the first scene with the medium she says Past and Present, nothing about the future.
The medium explained that time isn’t linear once we pass on. For a spirit, there is no “past or future”… just the now, our perception of now vs the spirit’s perception of now
The movie only made 3.3 million in its first weekend on a budget of 2. See it in theatres if you want more cool low budget horror flicks like it
My friend and I went back through the scenes because we didn’t understand certain things, but we ultimately came to the same conclusion that Tyler (the brother) was the ghost the whole time. The psychic mentions how the ghost is there to prevent something but didn’t know what and that it can pop into the past and present. We figured the events of this played out similarly but maybe Chloe is actually killed and Tyler woke up too late, runs upstairs, catches Ryan and they both fall out of the window and die. Ghost Tyler is back in the house before he and his family move in and he wakes himself up quicker to save his sister. There’s the attempt Ryan initially makes to drug Chloe and Ghost Tyler knocks the glass over but doesn’t intervene when it’s done to himself. There’s the other scene where Tyler is telling that story to his family about pranking the girl Simone and he’s very proud of his actions, so Ghost Tyler goes upstairs and rage destroys his room knocking over all of his trophies and what not because he’s disgusted by himself. That’s what we came up with. Also, yes, the sex scene where Ghost Tyler looks away and also the realtor had no previous deaths in the home to disclose because “technically” one hadn’t happened yet. Very puzzling movie once the credits rolled but the discussion afterwards was fun. I’m sure watching a second time would help too.
I don't think he went back to change anything. I think it is a causal loop and he as a presence was always there. The presence tries to change things, but ultimately just plays the part he was fated to play. And I agree He definitely is disgusted by his actions.
Or maybe the spirit is vengeful and wanted him dead too. That's as plausible an explanation for this if you ask me. I'd also imagine it would be just as uncomfortable to watch your rapist and killer have sex with your best friend than it would be if it were the brother. The fact that he would only intervene to save his sister and not himself doesn't make sense and neither does replaying the events if the outcome already ends in his sacrifice. The acceptance of this Tyler twist as being so obvious has broken my brain.
@ there is nothing in the movie that I saw to suggest that who the entity is changed over the course of the movie. It is definitely the son.
@@politefan8141 Yeah, but the entity being the best friend seemed too simple to us, especially with how the film ends. I could definitely see how it could be the bestie trying to stop Ryan from continuing his murder spree, but I could also see it being the brother. The brother angle sounded more fun lol idk.
@@tomleonard830 The most frustrating part is that the movie could have had a lot more fun toying with its premise if the filmmakers actually wanted the Tyler theory to be definitive. They could have added moments where he experiences gaps in memory, sees things moving around him, or has eerie premonitions about events before they happen. Instead, it feels like they wanted the twist to be shocking rather than satisfying.
I’m seeing this movie in a few hours! I’ll come back to watch your video 😊
Edit: I LOVED it! Because of how the film is shot, I think me watching it in D-Box was definitely worth it and made the experience. The family drama also hit home for me and I was crying at the end. Shout out to the mom, her acting was great! Had me reliving trauma in the theater lmao Love seeing single-shot scenes, makes me really appreciate the movie a lot more and all the work the cast & crew go through for it
Loved it. Am I alone in loving how it was shot and the acting? I loved both, especially Chloe and the Dad.
I loved the way it started too I thought the POV was so creepy until it wasn't (purposely). Also loved the realtor, she was so Julia! (IYKYK)
As you say, liking something is personal but I do think folks hating on this movie are being a bit unchairitable to an interesting and well made movie. My friend I saw the movie with and I were discussing it throughout the rest of the night which is always a good sign.
Finally, we saw it in a small "Livingroom Theaters" type theater with all adults, mostly femme's and this was an excellent group of people to share the experience with, so I'm sorry for your bratty teenager experience!
Been waiting for your thoughts on this one!! I loved it, I think even more after I reflected on some of the earlier scenes and what they imply about the ghost reflecting on its own behavior. 4 stars for me, so you're definitely not alone in liking it! I also double-featured this one (Regal Unlimited babyyy!) with Wolf Man because of your review (was going to skip it otherwise, at least in theaters) and ended up liking that one too!
I saw it in a “screen unseen” so had no clue what we were watching until it started. I REALLY enjoyed the film (which took me by surprise) the ending had me sobbing. I can see why it’s not for everyone but I would recommend a watch as it might surprise you 😊
I lost my dad four years ago, and this film also deeply affected my as well, so I completely understand where you are coming from. I loved it, one of my favorites already, I too hope to gain respite with companion, it’s gonna be a while before I rewatch presence. When I saw you watched it on Letterboxd I was very much looking forward to this review and I loved your review of this!!
I really enjoyed this movie as well, as someone who has experienced a lot of lost, I found it heartbreaking but also profoundly sweet, since the brother was able to save his sister (in this timeline where he was stuck) and complete what he was meant to do before he can move on. Which I thought was executed so well by the use the the pov camera. With the final shot shows him leaving the house and moving on. Also my friend pointed out to me that throughout the film, the first time the presence looks directly into the 100 year old mirror is when we finally see it was the brother the whole time. Good movie, really unique.
Just watched Companion and can’t wait to hear your opinion on it! Thought it was a fun one to watch at the theaters!
You mention that this would have been a beginner movie until it got dark. I would love to see a tier list of beginner vs. "horror expert" movies. Like seeing the different levels "spiciness" of some horror movies
Yes!!!!
I really loved the way it was filmed! I think it added the special something this movie needed.
knowing who the ghost is makes some of those “random” scenes make more sense
spoilers:
in a lot of the scenes the brother is being very mean to his sister and disrespectful to his dad that it makes you wonder if maybe he had some regrets watching himself act like that, or destroying his own room when they weren’t taking chloe seriously about the ghost in the house
Just saw it. I really liked it. The end just really got me! Wasn’t expecting that at all. I thought it was Chloe too.
I’m excited for you to see companion! I saw it as a surprise screening and had so much fun with it
"For me, a nosy little person" omg I feel seen 😂 And I just loved seeing the ins & outs of their house, lol 🧐
I really enjoyed this film! Yesterday I did a double feature of this with Wolf Man, and I really preferred Presence. I love experimental horror and I thought this did it very well and was so powerful and moving. As someone who has also experienced grief it was really hard to see the way Chloe was treated and how her mom talked about her.
SPOILER:
I still disliked the mom at the end, I think I would have felt differently if we saw her apologize to Chloe and try to repair that relationship.
This was a masterclass in emotion, tension, and drama. So there were sprinkles throughout of who was the presence. From the Dad telling the son to defend the sister for once, to the presence getting upset about Tyler’s actions toward Symone, the Psychic saying “the presence doesn’t know why it’s here” and that it doesn’t experience time in the present or in a linear way, the closed window prophecy, the Dad saying “the bad decisions Stick with you forever” and etc. The Mom’s “door” was opened at the end of the movie due to the trauma giving her the ability to see Tyler. Ryan from the beginning was victimizing himself and projecting his helplessness about not making decisions for himself onto his victims. Tyler knew from his Dad’s feelings he had to redeem himself for his “present” actions. Chloe’s door much like her literally “stayed open”. That last shot really stayed with me along with the mom’s scream. Shows how grief and love transcend time itself through emotions. Chloe describes the presence as having agoraphobia which is the fear of helplessness which is how Ryan made his victims, helpless. This was Tyler’s chance to defend his sister for once and since they were siblings they were literally connected since birth.
I've watched 3 other youtubers talk about this and pretty much all 4 of yall are even on the reviews :) I may watch eventually
Saw it Companion on Monday and I look forward to hearing your review. I will definitely give this one a watch
I loved it so much. It hit me the same way Sarah, got me teary eyed.
I am somehow spectacularly early. I always look forward to these reviews! 🖤
I'm hereeeee for this review!!
I cried when it ended, I cried talking about it with friends, I’m crying thinking about it again now.
The ghost reveal finally made sense to me once I watched this video. I thought there were two by the end of the movie. Also, the mirror scene at the end didn't make me cry but it did really creep me out. Not sure why.
I loved it. The depth. Well done.
⚠️SPOILER ALERT ⚠️
The purpose of horror movies is to make the audience feel uncomfortable, make them feel helpless, wanting to help but can't.
Ryan is the "horror" of the movie. Throughout the movie, he seems like a regular troubled teen, getting high, trying to get laid, going a little too far on spiking her drinks. We the audience may think he's just lacking maturity on the consequence this could lead to (OD). These traits/actions are common in SOME teens. So we the viewers see him as "yeah he's a jerk". We don't pay too much mind to this. We're distracted by "The Presence " and how much or how little we can relate to their family dynamic. HOWEVER, in the last 20 minutes we get to see Ryan's true nature ,it's slow ,it builds, she's pasted out, he moves her body, we think he's going to R@pe her and then BAM! the reveal . He's there to kill and he done it before. The horror in this is that that kid Ryan , can be one of your kids friend and you wouldn't know it.
The ending for me was mixed feelings. The gut wrenching scream of the mother was heart breaking. The Presence (Tyler) leaving the house was satisfied. He accomplished his goal. Saving his sister.
Well done movie, is it a typical horror movie? No, it's not, but there's some horro in it for sure. Its the type of horror that can happen to any of us and that is scary 🍒
Fug the haters. I've seen this film two times in the theater. I love this film. And its a great first time watch and got better on a second watch. 10 out of 10!
I went into this movie without seeing a single trailer and loved it. My favorite of the year so far.
I missed the part about it being someone who hadn't died yet, kinda glad I missed it when the Medium returned, but I did figure out that the blond kid was the killer long before he confessed to Chloe.
⚠️POSIBLE SPOILER ALERT ⚠️
Alright, to me, the word "presence" is general. It can mean many other things like spirt ,soul, ghost and /or a concentrated form of energy in one place or spot. IMO, The Presence is Tyler's Spirit not a ghost. It becomes a ghost when Tyler is dies. 2 different things.
I think the presence (spirt) is Tyler from the beginning, because in more then one occasion spirt walks away and hide from witnessing intimate acts and conversations from the family meaning there's love or respect for them. Also , when Tyler was talking so gleefully to his fam about the awful prank he pulled off to a girl at school. That's when the presence (spirt) wrecked Tylers room. Like it was unaproving of this behavior, regretful Maybe?
There are limits to what spirt can do, like physical contact with organic material. Spirt can not touch them. It tries, when we see the shakey camara. It's similar to the concept of Astral Projection and Remote Viewing. Spirt can step away from its physical form, but it's still tethered to it living body. A ghost is when spirt/soul dosent have a body anymore, it doesn't have a host. A ghost is a visual apparition of some one who is dead. That's why the mother was able to see him at the end and is why Tyler 's spirt/ soul or "presence " was able to leave the house. He fulfilled his purpose. 🍒
Real ones get this movie. I say go with your heart and give it 4 stars, I did! I think it'll grow on you the more you think about it, as it did me. My Letterboxd review covers a lot of the same ground that you talked about. As far as the style, particularly the POV cinematography, you should know that it's director Steven Soderburgh himself operating the camera. Not only is he showing us exactly what we need to see, but he's really giving a full performance as the ghost. In interviews he's talking about how he needed to find the right shoes so he could be quiet and could walk all around the house while holding the camera. It feels like a perfect thing to do for such an itimate movie. Soderburgh can do anything as you know, but this is more his experimental side, doing something kind of adjacent to a found footage horror movie, but with a pretty original twist. I felt almost like I had been spying on the family and then felt kind of "caught" when somebody would sense the presence and look right into the camera lens--such a cool idea. And yeah I thought it hit all the right notes and was emotionally very powerful. A modest and small film and not a complicated epic, but for what it is it was extremely effective.
11:43 I agree with you on that. I love single locations also. I also love the house a lot too. I thought it was so beautiful and aesthetically pleasing to look at. I was like man I wanna live there. lol
Taking decor ideas from horror/thriller movies. Love it.
I loved it so much. Embarrassingly, I just realized it was the brother after watching your review 😅
I am very surprised about the bad reviews because I really like the movie. Of course it wasn't scary at all and it also took me a second to get used to the pace and the way it was filmed but I liked how original it was. I think the story was interesting and I realized just now watching your review who the ghost was and omg it really makes sense! I thought the acting was sometimes a bit so so, but that's ok. I really liked that they tried something new, the story was engaging, I was never bored tbh and surprised when I understood we were in the final act of the movie so overall, a pretty good experience on my end.
I enjoy the movie for what it was a little underwhelming at times but the concept was interesting enough they should have had just a couple other sequences the ghost moved or altered something for more scares and what if the first ghost was Nadia but because in the last scene she follows her brother helps force both out the window then in turn having the brother be the last ghost. Unless it’s a purgatory situation and the brother is just reliving that time since they moved in the new house as memories and it’s a time loop. It’s very compelling conversation starter of a film.
I genuinely loved Presence. It wasn't what I was expecting at all, and I was so engrossed.
Also, Wolf Man definitely hit me as a new dad. I don't want my dad's anger to become mine. So I totally understand how seeing movies can touch us all differently depending on what stage of life we're in.
I truly believe art comes to us when we need to experience it.
Gonna go see companion instead of this in theatres. Will catch it streaming eventually
Presence worked for me, too. It wasn’t this super scary movie I was expecting, but I truly enjoyed the story being told, the mystery, and Chloe and her dad’s relationship. Since we were the ghost, it had the same vibe of playing a pov game or something. It’s not perfect by any means, but I can definitely see it being a comfort film for some
The attempted SA caught me of guard too, I’m not triggered by anything really but I was blindsided by it being a plot point.
Hooray new video
Thank you so much for reviewing this and giving it some much needed attention! Really LOVED this one, the "ghost POV" definitely worked on me! Thought the actors did a brilliant job with some very tricky camera work, and the way the story went darker and darker really surprised me! The film looked amazing on a big screen -- definitely recommend! (Sorry you had to deal with those annoying teens at your showing) LOL
literally just watched this yesterday out of the whim with a group of friends for my birthday. We went into the movie blind and left so confused afterwards 😂
I thought it was a quiet but remarkable movie. Not what I expected but having been through grief (and still am), this movie really hit home.
When the psychic comes to the house, she says that the spirit doesn’t know why they are there and that time is warped. What I took from that is that the ghost didn’t know who they used to be. So it was all a mystery to them. Obviously it might have felt an innate desire to watch over the sister, but perhaps the spirit itself didn’t know why. I found that to be a very intriguing concept. And then when the brother reveals himself in the mirror to the mom, I suspect it was also confirming its own identity.
I’m late to this review I came back over an hour ago after watching both Companion and then Presence back to back lol. But you’re not alone I actually really enjoyed this movie after processing and I definitely want to rewatch it again to pick up on things I missed especially some foreshadowing too that I remember from a few scenes! I got emotional too throughout the film my family and I have gone through grief. My dad passed away back in February 2023 tomorrow marks 2 years since his death so I really felt for Chloe in this. Definitely didn’t help that there was a lot of heartfelt moments between Chloe and her dad which got me since I never really had that, complicated relationship I had with my father so yeah those scenes hurt 😅
Overall again I really enjoyed this movie and I want to rewatch it again. I will admit I had a 1 or 2 second delayed reaction to the reveal because I was still shocked from the last scene but the reveal still got me didn’t think it was the brother!
Good review and cool video Sarah!👍
Thank you for doing the hard work of being emotionally vulnerable in public. I too am in a similar situation.
Hi. I don't usually comment but today I will. I have some thoughts.
Firstly, I think this film has parallels with the found footage genre. The perspective is definitely derived from that concept, just with the camera being an ultra-smooth moving ghosty.
Second, I wish they had done this without the weird guy trying to drug and SA everyone because that took all of the intrigue away from the super original concept and presented him as a threat that frankly wasn't necessary.
And finally, I wonder how much the Bent-Neck Lady from The Haunting of Hill House was an inspiration here or whether this was an entirely organic concept from the director.
I really enjoyed the movie!! I saw it in an empty theater so it was so good to be tuned in without distraction. I fully understood it through and through. The only thing I didn't love about the movie were the jarring cuts, I felt like each time it pulled you out of a moment... if that makes sense. But I loved it regardless :)
Spoilers
The medium said in the movie that spirits don’t live in a “present”. So I think that clears up how he came back. His afterlife was out of order. I guess time is only a construct to the living…?
I enjoyed this one! Definitely liked the long shots, found-footage kind of feel that it had. I'd give it about 3-3.5 stars as well. I do think that the marketing for the movie was a bit misleading, which is why people are not feeling it, but other than that, I liked it
I genuinely really enjoyed this movie. I thought it was well paced and interesting throughout. I loved the reveal of the brother, and i liked the characters enough to care about how things ended. And I agree, I liked the character arc of the mom a lot!
I LOVED this movie. The ending was fantastic and I didn't see it coming. Only thing I didn't like was how edge-lordy the boyfriend was, and his arc seemed pretty obvious. There were a lot of hints about the final reveal that I kept realizing over the drive home and days after watching. I feel like a lot of people who hate this movie were just hoping for a jump-scare filled spook show, and the trailers were the reason for that. Great review as always and I appreciate you even if we don't see eye to eye on things sometimes!
I loved the movie! The last 15 minutes had so much tension and in the last scene I was covered in goosebumps.
I enjoyed this movie too. My friend didn’t and neither did the couple sitting next to me but I found it sad and I nearly cried at the end too.
I also gave it a 3.5 - very, very strong emotional response. A slow burn with a great payoff. Very heart wrenching, and I agree that I think it will be a good rewatch. Just have to prep myself emotionally, haha.
Just watched it last night and that climax of the movie would have turned me from a casual local haunting to a grave encounters 2 ghost REAL QUICK
I double featured this with Wolf Man (liked it more than I expected...Leigh has yet to disappoint me) and I loved it so much! Not a "scary" movie so I'm glad I dodged all of the marketing ahead of seeing it. But I still had a good time and really enjoyed the filming style once I got used to it
i really loved this movie i went into it completely blind. at the end i felt unsettled and uncomfortable but enjoyed it for sure. felt like i haven’t watched many movies like it.
I totally agree with you that I think it’s a 3.5 out of five! I very much enjoyed it and think a lot of the negative reviews are because of the way that it was marketed to everyone.
Also, I tend to think I figure out twists pretty easily… But honestly, it was your video that made me realize it was the brother all along! Not sure how I completely missed that…
But now it makes total sense. When the medium is in their house She mentioned something along the lines of the spirit maybe not even being dead yet because time isn’t necessarily linear in the spirit world. But also most likely the spirit did die in the house. Which I then thought was odd because the realtor said nothing like that had happened yet. So I kind of just chalked it up to. It was meant to be a mystery. And some people could think it was the friend if they wanted to, but we never really know. And then when her son was in the mirror, I assumed it was because he had just died and was reaching out one final time.
But honestly, I think I like the movie way more now because you’re totally right it was the brother the whole time!😂 21:22
The ending HURT ME. The lead up to it also hurt me :( I enjoyed this movie a lot!!!
It wasn't what I was expecting but I did enjoy it. It was nice to get a different type of haunting movie. I feel casual watchers wont get it. I was impressed by what the director accomplished with such a small budget.
BTW. For those who seen the movie. Anyone notice the family always ordered out and never cooked? For some reason that stood out to me.
I thought this was a 10/10! When the film ended and I saw the writer was David Koepp, writer and director of Stir of Echoes, another banger supernatural film.
eeee I've been waiting for this one!!
This movie hit me in so much of my trauma and i found it so beautiful because of that. I won’t be able to watch this again for a while because of those triggers, but it was beautiful nonetheless
If the marketing had portrayed it differently, I probably would waited to see it and gone into it with a different mindset. Maybe I would have felt differently.
from my understanding, it was not an attempted sa. He had killed both Nadia and the other girl previously but their deaths were labled as od’s. He definitely took pleasure/had a fetish for suffocation but i dont think he was going to sa her. He was gonna savor in her slow death and then leave. People would just think she was another od. I think police would have known had the other girls been sa’d. Still doesnt rlly change the tw just explaining what I got from it.
Another one for the cozy list. Not a true horror film but not all horror has to be Terrifier 3. I love the vibe of this film and could watch it on repeat.
I thought Presence was so good! I was crying at the end. Wolfman got to me smotionally too.
Loved this movie! I want to see it again, but I'll wait for the streaming :)
I also really enjoyed this film! I think the marketing really did it a disservice and misrepresented what the movie was. This film worked for me personally because I also really like slice-of-life, fly-on-the-wall movies. I thought the characters (especially the teens) were very realistic. Many films don't portray teenagers realistically and I felt this one was very grounded. I do want to say as someone who isn't a parent, the ending still worked for me. I don't think you should discredit your feelings on the film cause you have a bias. If the film spoke to you, I think that means the film is really special. Art is subjective, so I understand why people don't enjoy this film, but it shocked and moved me so for that, I gave it 4 stars.
Thank you, Sarah, yet again. By the way, The Exorcist got 10 nominations.
I agree... went to see it thursday... loved how it was shot but it reminded me more of a lovely bones kind of movie than a horror movie... it is described as thriller/suspense when you look it up but meh lol as a cinephile, I did like it but they sold it to audiences the wrong way!
Also, in the scene with the woman trying to explain the ghost to the family, she says that the ghost isn’t sure who they are and what their purpose is. Time for them is irrelevant. They could be from past, present, or future. That’s when I figured it was the brother. Especially when he was explaining the prank to the mom and the ghost trashed his room. He was upset by his own view and treatment of women.
The movie is like "We Have A Ghost" 2023 but the Cameraman is the Ghost.