A family that has just moved into their new home becomes
convinced that they are not alone. Geez, upon reading that trite
recap, I’d pretty much decided to give this one a pass. But then I
noticed that the director was none other than the infinitely
adaptable Steven Soderbergh, so I gave it a watch. Glad I did.

Down through the years, Mr. Soderbergh has given us such varied
works as Sex, Lies and Videotape; Kafka; The Limey; Erin
Brockovich; Traffic (directing Oscar); Ocean’s Eleven; Solaris; The
Girlfriend Experience; Magic Mike; The Laundromat; and Kimi. So,
what the hell, let’s see what he does with the old haunted-house
chestnut.

First off, it’s immediately apparent that (no spoiler, this) the
“presence” (entity, ghost, spirit) is represented quite simply by
the camera’s fluid point of view. What it sees is what you get. This
technique is maintained throughout the film, and although this
kind of thing can get old fast, the director, who does his own
cinematography, manages to keep things fresh and even
believable as he amps up the almost unbearable (and gore-free)
anxiety.

The story then concentrates on what, exactly, the thing wants
from this borderline dysfunctional family (Lucy Liu, Chris
Sullivan, Callina Liang and Eddie Maday). Is it vengeful? Evil?
Protective?

This is a smart and technically savvy riff on the haunted house
thriller that toys with the accepted structure of such movies and
defies your expectations at every turn. (84 min)