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)