Soderbergh talks about writing a book about how to direct movies via Spielberg's 'Jaws' and remastering his entire film catalog in 4K HDR.

Steven Soderbergh isn’t just the director and cinematographer of his latest film. He’s also, in a way, its central character. “Presence” is filmed entirely from the POV of a ghost inside a home a family has just moved into.

"I always operate the camera, but this was next level," the director says. "I’m really in there with the actors."

Steven Soderbergh often applies his brainy, process-based approach to new genres; with Presence, he tries his hand at ghost-story horror.

Steven Soderbergh’s camera hovers and swoops as Rebecca and her family meet their estate agent (Julia Fox) in an unfurnished house. The jagged movements reflect the point of vie

Doing his own camerawork, the director gleefully enriches the haunted-house genre with a simple but ingenious device.

Over the course of his nearly four-decade career, Steven Soderbergh has just about done it all—including, now, made a horror film. Presence is a ghost story like no other, assuming the first-person perspective of a specter that haunts a suburban clan that’s moved into its residence.

Presence is a more delicate and nuanced haunted house movie that takes a more elevated route to horror as opposed to more gory ghost stories like 13 Ghosts or The Haunting in Connecticut. If you’re looking to watch something with fewer horrific images and jump scares while you wait to see Presence, check out these similar movies!

Over Zoom I spoke to Koepp about writing within the confines of the film’s single point-of-view, the value of what’s left out of a story, dreams and screenwriting, and his thoughts on the business of screenwriting today. Presence opens January 24, 2025 from NEON.

A ghost story seen through the ghost’s perspective? That’s the unusual if compelling premise for Steven Soderbergh’s “Presence,” in theaters this weekend.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring Lucy Liu, Julia Fox, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Lucas Papaelias, West Mulholland, Eddy Maday, Daniel Danielson, Benny Elledge, and Natalie Woolams-Torres. SYNOPSIS: A family becomes convinced they are not alone after moving into their new home in the suburbs.