Steven Soderbergh’s recent release Presence is 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 cast is 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 makes Presence so interesting is that it is sH๏τ from the perspective of a ghost.
The ghost’s point of view slowly builds tension throughout the movie, leading up to Presence‘s shocking and saddening ending. The film is undeniably creative and shows Soderbergh’s artistic vision quite well, but Presence‘s impressive critics’ score is vastly different from its audience score. However, the disparity, which is largely due to Presence being 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 for the upcoming film which stars Cate Blanchett and Michael Fᴀssbender 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 that Black Bag is going to be an entertaining spy movie.
Immediately, there is an air of mystery surrounding the plot, as Blanchett and Fᴀssbender’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 тιтular black bag. However, the real thrills begin when Fᴀssbender’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
Though Presence is a great film and received critical approval, it is understandable why it has not fared as well with audiences. Presence was entirely marketed as a horror film, but in actuality, there are very few scares. Additionally, Presence is entirely filmed from the point of view of the ghost, which means that only events that happen in the house are covered, giving it a much smaller scope. In contrast, Black Bag is being marketed as a bigger-scale spy thriller with the additional Mr. & Mrs. Smith-esque twist of the spies being married.
From the outset, Black Bag seems 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 Fᴀssbender are reliable stars. Additionally, to counter Presence‘s unusual narrative techniques, Black Bag seems to have been sH๏τ in a more familiar way. Thus, both the style and the exciting plot of Black Bag make its upcoming release very anticipated. While Presence is definitely worth a watch for fans of creative horror, Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag will likely find a much larger audience upon its release.
