Presence (2022) | This horror flick that found its way onto my watchlist may look nice but flounders in ambiguity without enough payoff. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 3.7/10. This movie sets sail with a premise that at least sparked my interest. Two young business partners, Jennifer (Jenna Lyng Adams) and Samantha (Alexandria DeBerry), are invited on a week-long yacht trip with a potential investor. However, the voyage takes a sinister turn as Jennifer’s dreams start bleeding into reality, bringing an unknown presence aboard. Visually, the film makes solid use of its yacht setting, crafting an eerie and isolated atmosphere. The cinematography is competent, and some of the creepy moments are executed with a nice touch. Unfortunately, that’s about where the positives end. The film struggles with direction, unable to decide whether it wants to be a possession horror, a cult thriller, or something in between. Instead, it flounders in ambiguity, raising too many unanswered questions without the intrigue to back it up.

The writing is weak, leaving the characters hollow, especially Jennifer, who lacks any real backstory to invest in. Dialogue is another major issue—much of it is mumbled, making it difficult to follow, which only adds to the frustration. While the lead actresses being models may have been a selling point, their performances are hindered by the poor script and sound issues. The biggest problem, however, is the pacing. Presence lingers too long without enough payoff, and just when it seems like it might finally pull you in, it abruptly ends, leaving you unsatisfied. Unlike films that successfully leave things open to interpretation, this one just feels incomplete. And at 82 minutes, there was plenty of time to finish up the story.

As a debut feature, director Christian Schultz shows some promise in terms of aesthetics and atmosphere, but the execution falls flat. With so many stronger horror films available, this is one that’s easily skippable. At best, it’s a one-time watch, but even then, there are better ways to spend your time.

Presence (2022)

Amazon along with a few other streamers have this one in case you are still interested.

https://jackmeat.com/presence-2022/