10 Movies to Watch If You Liked Steven Soderbergh’s Presence

To quote a decade-old meme, Steven Soderbergh has the range. From satirical fantasies (Schizopolis) to erotically charged working-class dramas (Magic Mike), the man is clearly happy to plant his flag in different genres.

That said, it’s been nearly a decade since Soderbergh paid a visit to horror; a surprising sabbatical considering the genre’s eagerness for experimentation, something clearly near and dear to the Ocean’s 11 director. But in any case, welcome back Steven, we’re happy to have you.

Presence tells the sensitive story of the Paynes, a suburban family who begin to experience signs of paranormal activity after moving into their new home. Who the entity is and what it wants are a mystery. But as the family’s internal dramas begin to bubble over, it’s clear that tragedy is on the horizon. As is Soderbergh’s way, there is a twist: Presence is shot entirely from the ghost’s perspective in a first-person POV. It’s a creative choice that appropriately puts us in the shoes (or bedsheet, I guess) of the spirit as they spy, eavesdrop, and intrude on the Paynes’ privacy. There’s a lot of floating involved.

So, if you watched Presence and are looking for more of the same, you’ve come to the right place. I’m here to give you some artisanal movie recommendations that tick similar boxes to Soderbergh’s unconventional haunted house movie. We’ll be staying clear of the obvious (looking at you, Personal Shopper and A Ghost Story) because I’m not an algorithm. At least not yet. Rather, think of me as your local video store ghoul, eager to supply a syllabus to help you become the most well-watched genre connoisseur you can be. I promise to leave no tombstone unturned and only to recommend films I genuinely think are worth your time.

Bear in mind that the following contains contextual spoilers for Steven Soderbergh’s Presence.

1. The Uninvited (1944)

Don’t let the creepy Criterion cover art fool you. Lewis Allen’s gothic gem isn’t going to scare your pants off. But as Presence underlines, some ghost stories are family melodramas in disguise. And who doesn’t like rifling through other people’s dirty laundry, spectral or otherwise?

This exceedingly charming seaside tale follows a pair of quirky siblings who purchase a suspiciously affordable manor on the edge of a cliff. Naturally, it’s not long before the duo begins to experience paranormal activity, leading them to uncover long-forgotten secrets and a love triangle from beyond the grave! The Uninvited is the perfect cozy Sunday morning watch for horror fans. 

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2. Rope (1948)

Alfred Hitchcock’s taut thriller follows Brandon (John Dall) and Phillip (Farley Granger), two young men who commit the “perfect murder” to prove that they are superior beings. With their classmate’s corpse concealed in a steam trunk, all the boys need to do is stick the landing and host a dinner party at the crime scene. But as the night wears on, Phillip’s visible nerves and Brandon’s escalating arrogance set off alarm bells for their guests – including Rupert Cadell (James Stewart), Brandon and Phillip’s former teacher … and the man responsible for piquing their interest in “the art of murder” in the first place.

Somewhat infamously, Rope was shot and edited to give the impression of a fluid single take. Consequently, the camera feels like it has a unique personality: zooming inquisitively towards evidence, lingering on sweaty foreheads, and backing away when arguments get too intense. Dear reader, whether or not you’ve already seen Rope, I encourage you to watch the film imagining that the camera is the perspective of the deceased classmate; passively watching his killers’ attempt to get away with murder – his murder.

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3. Peeping Tom (1960)

It didn’t take long for cinematographers to invent POV shots. 1927’s Napoléon offers an early example. And 1931’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde hints at POV’s potential within the horror genre. But no film cemented the narrative power of the first-person perspective quite like Peeping Tom, which used the subjective camera for a greater purpose than a mere occasional cut-away.

Directed by Michael Powell (of “…and Pressburger” fame), the film shocked audiences by placing viewers in the uncomfortable perspective of a serial killer obsessively creating the ultimate snuff film. Positioning audiences as a sadistic voyeur earned the film an unfavorable rating by the National Legion of Decency, which in turn secured both its censorship and provocative cult appeal. Confrontational and boundary-pushing, Peeping Tom is much more than a historical curiosity and is a must-watch for anyone who appreciates the POV-focused Presence.

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4. The Changeling (1980)

Some of the best ghost stories are actually murder mysteries. Presence, arguably, follows this trend: stitching together its various puzzle pieces, including the identity of the titular entity, to ensure that justice is served. 

No horror movie exemplifies this principle of paranormal mystery-solving better than Peter Medak’s The Changeling, a top-shelf ghost movie and one of the great, dread-filled gems of the genre writ large.

Directed by Peter Medak, the film follows John Russell (George C. Scott), a bereaved composer who takes up residence in a heritage house after his wife and daughter perish in a roadside accident. Perhaps as a result of his unresolved grief, Russell can perceive that his new home is already occupied by a furious spirit, desperate for someone to uncover the truth behind their decades-old murder so they may rest in peace.

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5. Ghost (1990)

If as you read this you hear “Unchained Melody” slowly fading in like boss music in a video game, that’s a feature, not a bug. 

Ghost is like Presence’s goofy uncle. Ultimately, both movies are concerned with getting to the same place (using ghost powers to prevent something bad from happening to a loved one). But tonally, the execution could not be more different. Lest we forget, Ghost was directed by one-half of the Zucker brothers. This film is not in the business of being serious. Then again, both movies propose that ghost justice is more effective than law enforcement. So do with that what you will. Is Ghost corny? Yes. But in its own way, so is Presence. Embrace it.

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6. The Devil’s Backbone (2001)

Guillermo del Toro is no stranger to ghosts. He’s claimed to have had two paranormal encounters in his lifetime. And his filmography features some of the most iconic ghost designs in the genre. But no matter how pants-shittingly scary they look, del Toro’s ghosts are unilaterally harmless. Like Presence’s titular entity, they just want to resolve their unfinished business.

Del Toro’s third feature film follows Carlos (Fernando Tielve), a young war orphan who starts having paranormal run-ins with Santi (Junio Valverde), who haunts the orphanage’s cistern. In the process of unraveling the supernatural mystery of Santi’s death, Carlos stumbles across a very much alive threat in the form of the gold-hungry Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega). 

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7. Russian Ark (2002)

While not really a horror movie (unless you count the physical torment endured by the Steadicam operator), Russian Ark is an undeniable pitstop on Presence’s family tree. Certain films, like the POV-only Presence, intentionally adopt restrictive circumstances to direct the course of their narrative. But no one has ever girlbossed as close to the sun in this regard as Russian Ark, which in addition to being entirely POV, was shot in a single take without the use of match-cuts or sneaky edits. Filmed on location at the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, the film is told from the first-person POV of a ghost slipping through the centuries of the Winter Palace’s storied history as he makes his way to the afterlife. A technical marvel, as well as a time-bending ghost story, Russian Ark is a worthy, if unconventional, double bill with Soderbergh’s Presence.

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8. Mother (2009)

One thing that Presence really knocked out of the park was its portrayal of the difference between girl-dads and boy-moms. The heart of the film, Chris Sullivan’s gentle, quiet alliance with his daughter Chloe, is extremely touching. And on the flip side, Lucy Liu’s one-sided emotionally incestuous relationship with her son, Tyler, made me want to crawl out of my skin and roll around in a salt mine.

Enter: Bong Joon-ho, the man behind one of cinema’s ultimate boy-mom movies. Mother follows an unnamed widow (Kim Hye-ja) whose entire life revolves around her son, Yoon Do-joon (Won Bin), a sensitive, over-trusting young man who has an intellectual disability. When Do-joon is arrested for the murder of a local girl, the widow is convinced of her son’s innocence. As she attempts to clear her son’s name, her unconditional love is put to the test.

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9. Maniac (2012)

One of the most underrated horror films of the 2010s, Maniac has more panache and creativity in its little finger than most legacy horror remakes. After all, it takes real guts to take one of Hollywood’s most notorious and nasty exploitation films and ask: “Hey, this is pretty disturbing. What if we remade it in a first-person POV?” 

Elijah Wood gives a genuinely chilling performance as the murderous incel Frank Zito, who mutilates and scalps his victims to the tune of ROB’s toe-tapping, synth-filled soundtrack. Using its unconventional cinematography to force us into its lead character’s obsessive mental state, 2012’s Maniac is a singular experience for genre fans who like to push the limits of both taste and formal filmmaking.

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10. In a Violent Nature (2024)

When asked about the symbiotic relationship between horror and indie filmmaking, Steven Soderbergh was quick to shout out In a Violent Nature, a low-budget Canadian slasher that, like Presence, belongs to a recent trend of high-concept, metamodern horror films keen to interrogate the genre. 

Like Soderbergh’s take on paranormal activity, In a Violent Nature’s interests are chiefly a matter of perspective. More specifically, a matter of who the audience spends the runtime with. Rather than being joined at the hip with a gaggle of horny, gossipy, (and ultimately screaming) coeds, In a Violent Nature asks us to trail the hulking, undead killer (Ry Barrett). As a result, what should be a bloody rampage has more of the tenure of a pensive, and deeply lonely, nature walk. And without all the non-stop panic, jumpscares, and musical stings, the film raises some pressing questions about the motivations of the slasher genre itself.

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