New Intense Horror Movie Sparks Walkouts: 'I Cannot Take This Stress'

Movie lovers attending the 2024 Sundance Film Festival got a bit more than they bargained for when they sat down for the world premiere of Steven Soderbergh's Presence. The Lucy Liu, Julia Fox, and Chris Sullivan-starring psychological thriller was so intense that some audience members walked out during the viewing, which left even the cast shaken.

Written by David Koepp, the movie centers around the Payne family – mom Rebecca, dad Chriss, teen son Tyler, and his younger sister Chloe, all of whom are dealing with their own troubles. After moving into a new house, they soon discover they are not alone. Where Presence sets itself apart from other haunted house movies is that the entire film is filmed from the perspective of the ghostly entity haunting the house.

Specters, lies and videotape: Steven Soderbergh's 'Presence' jolts Sundance to life https://t.co/Oj1OIOTT8C

— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) January 21, 2024

When the film premiered at Sundance Friday night, it proved to be too much for many viewers. According to Variety, several audience members left the screening early, with one person reportedly saying, "I cannot take this stress so late at night." Those who remained for the duration of the film were said to have watched the movie "with edge-of-the-seat anxiety." Even the cast was shaken by the intensity, with Liu said to have "looked genuinely shook" after the screening. She told the audience, "I'm just devastated. My body is having reactions as if I wasn't in the movie." Meanwhile, West Mulholland assured the crowd that he is nothing like his onscreen counterpart.

Despite the strong reaction at its screening, Presence is already earning a positive response. The film currently holds a 100% fresh critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Bilge Ebiri said the movie "might be the best thing Soderbergh has done in ages," adding in his review with Vulture that Presence is "an art film that also works as a spellbinding horror film." Meanwhile, Meagan Navarro wrote for Bloody Disgusting, "Presence pulls you in, terrifies you, then leaves your heart on the floor. This ghost story doesn't scare in the conventional sense, but it's an innovative and grim nail-biter with more on its mind than the logline suggests."

At this time, Presence does not have a wider release date, and it remains uncertain if the movie will be released in theaters or head straight to streaming. Stay tuned to PopCulture.com for the latest updates.