First trailer for Stephen Soderbergh's Presence creates a palpable sense of unease

Imagine a movie like The Conjuring, Hereditary, or Paranormal Activity filmed entirely from the perspective of the entity. Enter Stephen Soderbergh's latest, Presence. Debuting at Sundance earlier this year to critical acclaim, Neon purchased the distribution rights, and now we'll all be able to watch Presence in theaters on January 17, 2025.

Filmed entirely from the first-person perspective, Presence is a unique horror film that gives viewers unprecedented access to the spectral being haunting a family. At Sundance, the director discussed the process of creating a film shot from a ghost's POV, revealing he walked around the set in martial arts slippers and filmed most of the movie himself while holding the camera across a short three-week shoot.

Presence has a fairly standard horror movie plot: A couple (played by Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan) move into a new house with a dark history. The newly released trailer from Neon excels at building a palpable sense of tension and unease without giving away any plot details. Instead, the trailer is more focused on showcasing the overall vibe and unique filming process for the movie. Enough to entice audiences without spoiling the story.

Soderbergh re-teamed with screenwriter David Koepp for Presence after the pair previously collaborated on the 2022 thriller Kimi. They're also working together on Soderbergh's upcoming spy thriller Black Bag starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender.

Neon is coming off of a strong 2024, particularly with the performance of the hit film Longlegs. The film became the highest-grossing indie horror movie in the country. The company also distributed Cuckoo and the critically acclaimed Palme d'Or winner Anora, which is bound to be nominated for several Academy Awards. Presence looks like a great start to 2025 for the company and will be followed by Longlegs director Oz Perkins' next film The Monkey.

To stay up to date on all things horror, bookmark 1428 Elm and follow our Facebook page and Twitter account!