Steven Soderbergh‘s “Presence,” penned by veteran screenwriter David Koepp, presents a ghost story confined to a single, haunted family home. The film adopts the unique perspective of a handheld camera, serving as the silent, ghostly observer, navigating the house – up stairs, through bedrooms – yet inexplicably restricted from the garden and porch. We are privy only to what the camera sees.

The film is conceptually elegant and economical, with dialogue scenes presented plainly, often from a detached distance, and punctuated by blackouts. Performances are strong, the direction disciplined, and the feel as intimate as a stage play. However, an early, rather unsubtle display of supernatural activity feels like a misstep, a departure from the film’s initial ingenuity and restraint. It suggests a possible commercial compromise, an attempt to reassure viewers that amidst the understated tension and unsettling moments of characters glancing warily at the camera, “Presence” is indeed a horror film, one where the invisible entity demonstrably manipulates objects. The scariness is further emphasized by overly dramatic strings in the score.

The ghost’s presence can also be interpreted as a manifestation of the family’s deep-seated unhappiness and dysfunction. The film opens with the family – Chris (Chris Sullivan), Rebecca (Lucy Liu), and their children, swim star Tyler (Eddy Maday) and the sensitive Chloe (Callina Liang) – moving into the empty house. Rebecca, driven by her ambition for Tyler’s athletic success, prioritizes the school district over Chloe, who is struggling with the recent tragedies in her friends’ lives. Furthermore, the house might be financially straining the family. Rebecca, who overindulges in alcohol, engages in secretive phone calls and deletes emails, suggesting questionable financial or legal practices in securing the loan. The ever-watchful ghost, and by extension, the audience, witnesses these clandestine actions. The plot thickens as Chloe begins a forbidden romance with Tyler’s friend, Ryan (West Mulholland).

While fleeting moments of characters sensing the ghost’s presence build suspense, the ghost’s direct interventions feel inconsistent. Although the ghost initially protects Chloe from harm, its subsequent inaction when she faces similar danger raises questions. Perhaps this inconsistency is a calculated risk to orchestrate the devastating climax.

Ultimately, “Presence” has its flaws. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of films like David Lowery’s “A Ghost Story” or Alejandro Amenábar’s “The Others.” Nevertheless, Soderbergh’s direction is stylish and brisk, showcasing the low-budget, high-intelligence filmmaking we’ve come to expect from him.