Director Steven Soderbergh is known to perform several behind-the-camera duties himself. On Presence, his new horror-drama, the filmmaker worked not only as director, but also as editor, cinematographer, and camera operator. He filmed the movie in less than two weeks, and had a cut ready on his laptop the day they wrapped production. That's how he works, and that's why any complaints about the film's perceived under-performance are likely unwarranted. Released 10 days ago, Presence has more than tripled its reported production budget.

The movie made $3.3 million in its first weekend, and a little over $1 million in its sophomore frame, registering a drop of 60%. Presence's total domestic box office haul now stands at over $5 million, while its global total stands at $6 million. Going by the rule of thumb that a movie needs to gross twice its production budget to break even, Presence has long been in the clear. The movie reportedly cost only $2 million to produce, and was shot in a single location by Soderbergh himself. Presence has been praised for its inventive spin on the ghost story sub-genre of horror cinema; filmed in extended takes, the movie is presented from the perspective of a supernatural entity. It also doubles as a domestic drama, following a family's trials and tribulations after they move into a new house.

Presence opened to positive reviews, and currently holds a "fresh" 87% approval rating on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The critics' consensus on the platform reads, "A slow-burning spectral thriller, Presence reaffirms that Soderbergh plays with form as deftly as he flits between genres." In his review, Collider's Ross Bonaime wrote that "Soderbergh’s ability to continually push boundaries and attempt to think outside the box in terms of normal genre tropes makes every film an expansion on himself and film in general."

Horror Has Had a Rough Track Record Recently

Some of the biggest mainstream horror movies have struggled to find an audience in recent years, with the year 2025 beginning with Wolf Man's disappointing performance. That being said, a string of art-house horror movies have broken through. Longlegs cracked the $100 million mark domestically, while Nosferatu has made over $170 million worldwide. Even films such as Heretic and The Substance managed to gross more than $50 million worldwide. The trend will likely continue with the upcoming film The Monkey, directed by Longlegs filmmaker Osgood Perkins. You can watch Presence in theaters, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Presence
Release Date
January 24, 2025
Runtime
85 Minutes
Director
Steven Soderbergh
Writers
David Koepp
Producers
Ken Meyer

Showcases a suburban house inhabited by an mysterious entity.