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Presence is a supernatural drama that was released across theatres in the US on January 24, 2025. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the movie follows a mystical entity that haunts the Payne family and is shot from the point of view of the supernatural entity. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024.
Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for the film. Readers' discretion is advised.
The ensemble cast of the movie includes Lucy Liu as Rebekah Payne, Chris Sullivan as Chris Payne, Callina Liang as Chloe Payne, Eddy Maday as Tyler Payne, and West Mulholland as Ryan Caldwell. The official synopsis of the movie, as per Amazon Prime Video, reads:
"It moves through the house, uneasy and unseen, a witness to the most painful and unguarded moments of the troubled family within. And with a growing urgency, the Presence gradually pieces together what it needs to do. An unusual, unnerving, and emotional thriller from writer David Koepp and director Steven Soderbergh."
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The identity of the ghost that haunts the house is kept hidden for most of the film. The presence makes itself known only to Chloe Payne and appears to be protecting her. This makes her believe that the ghost is Nadia, her best friend, who died of an overdose a few months earlier.
However, towards the end of the film, Rebekah Payne senses the presence and follows it to a mirror in the living room. There, she sees the reflection of her son, Tyler, and realizes that he was the mysterious ghost haunting them all along.
Why was the presence protecting Chloe all along?
Chloe becomes interested in Tyler's friend Ryan in the film, a dynamic that is primarily responsible for the direction of the movie. Ryan is later revealed to be a killer who s*xually assaulted girls before murdering them. Ryan drugs Tyler and then targets his next victim, Chloe.
As he taunts and chokes her, he tells her that he is the one who killed Chloe's friends. He drugged them, assaulted them, and faked their death as an overdose. But before he can do the same to Chloe, the presence awakens Tyler and leads him to his sister's room.
Tyler breaks off the attack and begins to fight with Ryan, causing the two of them to fall out of a second-story window. This event leads to Tyler's death as he falls on the concrete below. It is then revealed that the presence was protecting Chloe all along, as it already knew about the events that transpired. It is implied that Tyler's ghost had travelled back in time to protect his sister from Ryan.
Also read: 7 horror movies to watch if you liked Spin the Bottle
How did Tyler's ghost travel back in time in Presence?
When the psychic Lisa visits the Paynes' house, she offers some degree of explanation about the spirit. She says that ghosts don't usually tend to know who they are, why they appeared, or what era they live in, and that they can sometimes be relocated in time, to fulfill a purpose they don't truly understand.
Lisa then specifies that the ghost in the Paynes' house seems to be there due to something that has yet to occur. She further speculates that it has something to do with a window, but doesn't give any more details.
When the ghost frantically awakens the drug-addled Tyler towards the end of the film, it's assumed that this is when it first realizes its purpose and identity, which is to save Tyler's sister.
In an exclusive interview with Vanity Fair published on January 25, 2025, writer David Koepp explained his thoughts on the ending of the film.
"The Presence is there to help them, not harm them. It's there to save his sister. I have this theory that every time you make a new ghost story, you have to come up with a reason why the people can see ghosts. One of those ways is through trauma. The times in my life when I've experienced something traumatic, I am more open to the world and people around me than I am otherwise. If you're suffering yourself, you notice the suffering of others more acutely," he stated.
Read more: The Shrouds ending explained: Does Karsh's wife come back to life?
Presence is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
