Steven Soderbergh’s recent releasePresenceis a great new take on a haunted house movie, despite its mixed reviews from audiences. The story centers on the Payne family as they move into a new house following the death of their daughter’s friend.Presence’s castis led by Lucy Liu and Chris Sullivan as parents trying to care for their children amidst their own problems. While many aspects of the movie are more in line with a traditional drama, what makesPresenceso interesting is that it is shot from the perspective of a ghost.
The ghost’s point of view slowly builds tension throughout the movie, leading up toPresence’s shocking and saddening ending. The film is undeniably creative and shows Soderbergh’s artistic vision quite well, butPresence’s impressive critics' score is vastly different from its audience score. However,the disparity, which is largely due toPresencebeing marketed as true horror, has the potential to be made up by Steven Soderbergh’s next thriller movie,which is scheduled to be released next month.
Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag Looks Like A Great Spy Thriller
Black Bag Also Features A Great Leading Cast
Soderbergh’s upcoming thriller,Black Bag, is currently scheduled to be released on March 14, and there are plenty of reasons for audiences to be excited. Focus Features and Universal Pictures have released a trailer forthe upcoming film which stars Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender as a married couple who are both spies, alongside a very impressive supporting cast. While, understandably, the trailer does not give too much away, it promises thatBlack Bagis going to be an entertaining spy movie.
Immediately, there is an air of mystery surrounding the plot, as Blanchett and Fassbender’s characters have to accept that they do not always know what their significant other is up to, especially when Blanchett’s character, Katherine, invokes the titular black bag. However, the real thrills begin when Fassbender’s George learns that his wife is wanted for the theft of an important item. He has to choose whether to hunt her down or stand by her side, creating the perfect setup for a great spy thriller.
Black Bag Could Be A Much Bigger Hit For Steven Soderbergh Than Presence
Black Bag Certainly Has More Audience Appeal
ThoughPresenceis a great film and received critical approval, it is understandable why it has not fared as well with audiences.Presencewas entirely marketed as a horror film, but in actuality, there are very few scares. Additionally,Presenceis entirely filmed from the point of view of the ghost, which means thatonly events that happen in the house are covered,giving it a much smaller scope. In contrast,Black Bagis being marketed as a bigger-scale spy thriller with the additionalMr. & Mrs. Smith-esque twist of the spies being married.
Why Presence Has So Many Cuts To Black (& What They Really Mean)
Steven Soderbergh’s experimental camerawork drives the first-person perspective in Presence, and results in an unsettling viewing experience.
From the outset,Black Bagseems like it will have a much broader audience appeal. The spy genre has proven very popular over the years, and both Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender are reliable stars. Additionally, to counterPresence’s unusual narrative techniques,Black Bagseems to have been shot in a more familiar way. Thus, both the style and the exciting plot ofBlack Bagmake its upcoming release very anticipated. WhilePresenceis definitely worth a watch for fans of creative horror, Steven Soderbergh’sBlack Bagwill likely find a much larger audience upon its release.
Black Bag
Cast
Black Bag is a Steven Soderbergh directed thriller from Focus Features. Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Regé Jean Page and Marisa Abela lead the cast, along with Naomie Harris, Pierce Brosnan, and Tom Burke. The story, which is currently under wraps, was written by David Koepp.
Presence
Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Presence is a dramatic horror movie following a family that moves into a new suburban house only to grow increasingly certain they are not alone.
