Ahead of the Scandinavian premiere of Presence, Steven Soderbergh’s high-concept ghost movie, we speak to the film’s star Lucy Liu about hauntings, scaring people and getting to know Julia Fox
Lucy Liu “absolutely” likes the idea of being in a film that scares people. “That’s what people do when they go on a roller coaster or when they go see a horror movie,” she says. “They want that thrill. They want that change of chemistry in their bodies. And I think being part of something like that is kind of exciting.” The actor’s latest film, Presence, a Steven Soderbergh-directed ghost movie that hits Nordic theatres via Rio February 28th, is certainly chemistry-altering. But this is no ordinary on-screen haunting. The film, a tightly-constructed nail-biter that is best experienced in a darkened cinema, is shot entirely from the perspective of the ghost.
The film centres around a family that moves into their suburban dream home only to discover that they are not alone. At the helm of the clan is Liu’s Rebecka, a wine-sipping power-player who clearly favours her precocious son over her troubled daughter. “Within the first scene of [the family] walking in and talking about the house, you immediately know that she is the one who’s wearing the pants in the family and making the decisions without her husband, and that she’s doing it to enhance her son’s future,” says Liu, noting that legendary writer David Koepp (who worked on both Jurassic Park and Mission: Impossible) deftly set up these characters efficiently and with little dialogue.
Still from 'Presence'. Photo: Photo by Peter Andrews_Copyright The Spectral Spirit Company
Still from 'Presence'. Photo: Peter Andrews Copyright The Spectral Spirit Company