The Presence
Tags: haunting

Plot synopsis:
The film opens with images of a foggy river running through a densely wooded area. Next to the river, theres a quiet, empty cabin. Each room of the cabin is silent and still. A man (Shane West) in a white long sleeve shirt is standing silently staring out a window. Theres a dock to the river outside the cabin. The man is then at the kitchen table, staring silently outside. Music on an old record player is playing while the man is sitting in the living room in the dark.In the morning, the man is staring out the window. Theres a storm outside. A crash of thunder and a loud bang sound throughout the empty cabin. The bang catches the mans attention. The front door is open and he stares at it. The door behind him flings open and a figure in a rain poncho walks through the living room. Its a woman (Mira Sorvino). She doesnt see the man because he is a Ghost. She hangs up her raincoat in a closet and closes the door. She then opens the door again and steps back. The door closes on its own and The Woman smiles. The Ghost is standing in the corner of the room watching her with a furrowed brow. She walks through the house with her bags and goes into a bedroom and starts to unpack. She looks at old black and white photos sitting on a dresser. She then goes to the kitchen and lights a gas lantern. She pumps water into the sink, fills a kettle, and puts it on the wood burning stove. She starts to unpack some groceries and reaches into a high cupboard and pulls out a bottle of alcohol that she knew was there. She smiles, uncorks it, smells it smiling, and sets it on the counter. She then notices a coffee mug on the kitchen table, picks it up, and blows dust off it. The tea kettle whistles. We see a meadow at sunset. The Woman is at the kitchen table with a lantern having dinner and a glass of wine. She finishes her meal and takes her dishes to the sink. Through the kitchen window, we see the Ghost slowly appear behind her, watching her with a furrowed brow.In the morning, theres a rainbow over the river. The Woman leaves the cabin and takes a motorboat down the river. We next see her back at the cabin. Shes walking outside and we see the Ghost standing at a window watching her. She goes to an outhouse in the woods. She looks at the outhouse and pauses. She picks up a stick and goes in the outhouse. We hear banging from inside the outhouse and then silence. A bird then flies into the side of the outhouse and dies. The Woman comes out slowly with the stick, looks around the side, and sees the dead bird. She kneels and touches it gently. We then see the Ghost looking out the window, watching her as she digs a small hole and places the bird gently in the grave. He looks less angry as he watches her.Its nighttime and The Woman is sitting in the living room listening to a record. The windup record player slowly stops playing. The Ghost is sitting across from her watching her. She puts out the fire and takes the lantern upstairs. The Woman gets in bed and blows out the lantern. The record then suddenly starts playing on its own. The Woman relights the lantern and slowly walks downstairs. She goes into the living room. The Ghost is sitting by the record player. She shuts off the record and goes back to bed.In the morning, The Woman is arranging books on the table and opens a notebook to start writing when she hears a boat. The Ghost is standing in the doorway. She stands to look outside and sees a boat coming towards the dock. The Ghost and The Woman each stand at a window and watch the approaching boat. The Woman heads downstairs and walks down the dock. An old man (Muse Watson) gets out of the boat with a box of groceries while a young man in a black hooded sweater (Adam Croce) waits in the boat. The Woman asks Mr. Browman if he would like some coffee, but he declines and says he needs to get back to the store. He asks her if shes okay in the cabin. She happily says she is. He says hed be scared to be there and she says shell be fine. He says its creepy and she insists shell be fine. He says okay and then tells her he brought her some fresh chickens and tells her to keep them in the shed because the weather is cold enough to make the shed like a refrigerator. She thanks him. The Ghost in the house watches as the storeowner gets back in the boat and leaves. We next see The Woman taking the chickens out to the shed. She walks in and leaves the door open. A shadow forms on the wall outside of the shed and the door slams shut startling The Woman. She goes to the door and looks out the window as the shadow recedes. She tries to open the door but struggles with it for a few moments before it opens. She steps out panting and nervous.The woods and river are quiet as it starts to rain. The Woman is inside and notices a bookcase open. She shuts it and starts to walk away when she kicks a book that somehow ended up on the floor in the middle of the room. She picks it up and looks back at the case wondering how it got there. She opens the book The Complete Outdoorsmans Handbook and flips through the pages. In the book is an old newspaper clipping. She pulls it out and reads the headline Escaped Criminal Drowns: Man accused of murder found dead in Piken Lake. She puts the clipping back in the book.We next see The Woman that night lying in bed biting her fingernail. The Ghost is in the bedroom watching her as she blows out the lantern. The next morning, The Woman is startled awake and opens her eyes quickly. The Ghost is lying next to her staring her in the face. She quickly gets out of bed and looks around the room. The Ghost, still lying on the bed, watches her. She gets dressed and leaves the room. She sits at the kitchen table with a steaming mug, then goes into the living room and gets her cell phone from her purse. She takes it outside and makes a call asking for Mr. Browman. He isnt there, but she leaves a message that shes just checking in. She goes back in the cabin and puts her phone back in the purse. She then leaves the cabin wearing a heavy coat. The Ghost is standing at the door and looks as though he wants to follow her but cant. She walks through the dense woods and goes to the outhouse, again taking a stick in with her. We hear banging and then silence. Once again, a bird flies into the side of the outhouse and dies.The Ghost is looking out a window at a storm when the record player starts. He is then in the living room looking at the record player with a furrowed brow. Behind him, The Woman is also staring at the record player looking nervous. Neither of them turned it on. The front door then bangs open startling The Woman. A man (Justin Kirk) walks in and she hugs him. The Man is happy to see that she isnt angry at him for coming unannounced. The record player slowly stops playing. The Woman takes his coat and The Man tells her that Mr. Browman brought him to the island. The Man comments that Mr. Browman told him that there had been a storm the day shed arrived to the island as well. He looks around the cabin and asks her about the summers shed spent there as a child. He asks her to show him around and then points out the record player. She brushes it off and takes the record off the turntable. She suggests they unpack his bags and he says theres no hurry and says she can show him around first. He asks her if shes okay and she nods. They hug and The Man tells The Woman that hes missed her. Then he whispers in her ear and she laughs. They lie down on the couch and hold each other and laugh. The Ghost is upstairs listening to them.Later that day, the storm stops and The Woman shows The Man around the cabin. She takes him into her bedroom and tells him he can unpack. She tells him about her childhood summers at the cabin with her family. She talks about playing hide-and-seek and tells him she had the best hiding place on the entire island and offers to show it to him sometime. He pulls out a bottle of wine from his bag and she says theyll have it with dinner. They kiss and then The Man notices the black and white pictures on the dresser and asks if the people are her grandparents. She says yes and The Man comments that her grandmother was beautiful. The Woman says that her grandmother meant the world to her and tells The Man that her grandfather bought the cabin because her grandmother wanted it and that her grandfather hardly ever came to the cabin. The Man comments that she never talks about her grandfather. The Woman says that there isnt a need to because he wasnt a good guy. The Man asks, Like your dad? The Woman considers for a moment and says, Sure. She turns and walks away.That night, over dinner, The Man is telling The Woman about a party shed missed and says he wished shed been there. She says she needed to be at the cabin. He says he just likes having her around, and The Woman says that hell get a lot of her at the cabin. He says he hopes that it was okay that he came to the island.That night, in the dark, The Man wakes up The Woman and says he needs to go to the bathroom. She jokingly says, I told you to go before we went to bed, young man. She lights the lantern and gives it to him telling him to pee off the porch. He says thats not what he needs to do. She gives him directions to follow the path to the outhouse and he asks if shell walk him out there. She smiles at him and closes her eyes. He gets out of bed and the Ghost is standing next to the bed watching them. Before The Man leaves, The Woman tells him to use a stick to get rid of the spiders on the seat. The Man follows the path, sees the outhouse, and says, Youve got to be kidding me. He picks up a stick and goes inside. He closes the door and bangs the stick around the seat multiple times. He sits down to relieve himself and the lantern falls and breaks leaving him in the dark. Then the outhouse starts to shake and bang. He runs from the outhouse as a dense fog begins to roll in. He gets back in bed and wraps his arms around The Woman. She asks if it went okay but he doesnt answer.The next morning, The Woman takes The Man to see her favorite hiding spot. She shows him the small window that leads to the crawl space under the house. She says she sometimes used to go in there even when they werent playing hide-and-seek and that it was a good place to be alone. He seems surprised and asks if she got scared down there. She says no, that it stayed cool in there during the summer and she enjoyed listening to her grandmother move around the kitchen. The Woman says she felt safe there. She then asks The Man about his visit to the outhouse the night before. He sighs and shakes his head and she asks if he was scared. He says, Cmon, youve seen that place. She agrees and says thats why she doesnt go there in the dark. The Man says it wouldnt have been so bad if it hadnt been for all the banging. The Woman looks startled. The Man says it was from tree branches banging against the walls from the wind.They go for a walk around the island. The Woman shows The Man a great view from a cliff and tells him its another of her secret places. He says its beautiful and then says shes beautiful. He tells her that their 3 years together have been the best of his life. He says that he knows she has doubts and he understands why, but he doesnt have any doubts. He says he wants to spend his life with her and start a family with her. He pulls a ring box from his pocket and asks her to marry him. She pauses and looks unsure. He says hes not like the men from her family, he knows that its hard for her to believe that hes a good man, and he assures her that she can trust him and have faith in him. She doesnt respond, so he closes the ring box, takes her hand, gives it to her, and asks her to think about it. They hug for a moment and then suddenly theres a whisper and the edge of the cliff gives way beneath his feet. The Man falls over the edge, but The Woman grabs his arms and helps him back onto the cliff. They lie down next to each other panting and then start to laugh. She tells him she loves him and then says shell marry him. They kiss and he asks if anybody has made love on the cliff before. The Woman laughs and then sits up in a panic looking for the ring. Shed had it in her hand when The Man fell and she doesnt know where it went. After an unsuccessful search, they go back to the cabin. She apologizes for losing the ring and The Man says its okay, she was saving his life. He hugs her and she apologizes again.Later that day, The Man is taking a nap and The Woman is outside on a bench with a book in her lap. The Ghost is in the bedroom watching The Man sleep when he hears whispering. The Ghost is then in the living room looking out the window where The Woman is now asleep on the bench. The Ghost doesnt know where the whispering is coming from. A little later, The Man wakes up from his nap and calls for his girlfriend. He finds her outside on the bench reading and comments that its cold outside. The Woman aloofly replies that shes fine. The Man asks her why she didnt wake him up and she responds without looking at him that she thought he needed sleep. The Man asks if theyre going to eat and The Woman responds that shes going to keep working and she still doesnt look at him. The Man asks if shell help him light the stove since he hasnt done it before. The Woman finally looks at him and says coldly, If you want to be here, you have to take care of yourself. Its not that hard. The Man looks hurt and goes back inside. In the kitchen, hes preparing to light the stove when The Woman comes in and helps him.The next morning, The Woman brings a mug to The Man in bed and says its a peace offering and apologizes for her behavior the night before. The Man tells her its okay and offers to leave so she can do her work alone, saying he can go when the storeowner comes back to the island. She says no and tells him shes glad hes there. In the kitchen, The Man is helping The Woman with the dishes. She thanks him for helping and he jokes that hed make a good wife. The Woman laughs. The Man says hes going to go explore the island and leave her to her work, and that hell make dinner when he gets back. He jokes that the stove might get the best of him and The Woman asks if hed like her help lighting it. The Man says no and tells her that hes watched her do it and he can figure it out. He leaves to explore the island and walks past the Ghost whos standing in the corner with his fists clenched and his brow furrowed.When The Man comes back from his walk, he has wildflowers for The Woman. She smiles and he asks her about her day. She says shes having trouble getting focused and asks him about his walk. He says he took the worlds longest hike and comments that the island is a lot bigger than he thought. He tells her that hes about to start dinner and jokingly says that it will be ready in about five hours. She thanks him for the flowers and he goes downstairs.The Ghost is watching The Man in the kitchen making dinner when he hears the whispering again. He looks around him and then looks up to the ceiling when he realizes the whispering is coming from upstairs. The Ghost walks up the stairs and peers around the corner to see a man in a black suit (Tony Curran) kneeling beside The Woman whispering in her ear. Only bits of what hes saying can be heard: What hell do to you disgusting it makes you sick, doesnt it? It makes me sick too. The Woman looks upset as shes working. As The Man in Black is speaking, he turns and looks at the Ghost smiling maliciously. The Ghost steps back into the hallway. The whispering stops and the Ghost peers back into the room. The Woman is alone. When the Ghost steps back into the hall, The Man in Black is behind him and quietly says, Boo. When the Ghost spins around, The Man in Black is not there. The Ghost looks frightened.That evening, The Man goes upstairs and enthusiastically tells the Woman that dinner is ready. She doesnt look up. The Man tells her that he made spaghetti and he thinks its pretty good. The Woman stonily tells him that shes going to keep working. The Man laughs uncomfortably and starts to object. The Woman says that she has to keep working and thats why she came to the cabin. The Man says, Right, I just thought and The Woman cuts him off and cruelly says, Its not fair of you to keep asking me to spend time with you when I didnt even want you here. The Man asks her what happened. She yells at him to just leave her alone. The Man is hurt and walks back downstairs alone. Later that night, The Man is awake in bed when The Woman gets in bed. Their backs are to each other and neither speaks. The Ghost is in the room facing the window but looking at them over his shoulder.The next morning, The Man takes a mug outside to The Woman who is sitting on the bench. He offers her the coffee and she doesnt look at him. He sits next to her and gives her the mug. He says he did alright with the coffee and that hes getting pretty good in the kitchen. She doesnt drink the coffee. The Man puts his hand on her knee and she moves away and quickly stands up saying she needs to get started on her work. She goes inside, leaving The Man alone on the bench, and walks past the Ghost who is in the living room looking out the window.Suddenly The Man in Black is behind the Ghost. The Man in Black says, See how easy it can be?" The Man in Black tell the Ghost that it wouldn't take much for The Woman to be his. The Ghost looks away from him. The Man in Black says to the Ghost, I know youve thought about it. Ive watched you. As they look out the window at The Man on the bench, The Man in Black asks the Ghost, But then, what can you do? The Ghost disappears leaving The Man in Black in the living room. In the kitchen, the Ghost is looking out the window. The Man in Black is behind him and taunting him that he can't have The Woman. The Ghost spins around and looks at The Man in Black. The Man in Black asks the Ghost. Why would you even try? The Ghost disappears again. The Man in Black looks up to ceiling. The Ghost is upstairs. The Man in Black is again behind the Ghost and says, You cant do much of anything really. The Ghost spins around and looks at him. The Man in Black tells the Ghost that he could have many things, pleasures that hes been denied for a long time. The Man in Black holds up a cigarette and says that the Ghost can enjoy old vices that can no longer harm him. The Ghost is listening to The Man in Black. The Man in Black says, Escape from this place, and approaches the Ghost. The Man in Black tells him that his eternity is only just beginning. He asks if he really wants to spend eternity trapped in the cabin. The Man in Black says, "Imagine being anywhere you want any time. Freedom. The Man in Black smiles at the Ghost before continuing. Or, he says putting his arm around the Ghosts shoulders, would you rather spend it even in a different way. The Man in Black looks into the hallway. The Woman is slowly walking out of a room and goes to the stairs. She looks over the rail. The Man in Black looks at the Ghost and says, I can give you many things. Then, whispering, The Man in Black says, I can give you everything. The Man in Black disappears and the Ghost is alone in the room. The voice of The Man in Black says, Its your choice.That night, The Man and the Woman are having dinner in the kitchen. They arent speaking to each other, but there is whispering. The Ghost watches The Man in Black kneeling between the couple whispering to them. The Man in Black says to The Woman, Hes going to molest your children. You have to see that. The Man in Black leans to The Man and says, You have to understand that she does not want any commitment at all. The Ghost is listening to The Man in Black as he whispers. The Man in Black turns and looks at the Ghost and says, Easy. The Ghost looks uneasy. The Man in Black stands, approaches the Ghost, and says to him, Just give me your hand and youll be free. The Ghost looks concerned. The Man in Black says, You only have to do one thing and she can be all yours. The Man in Black looks over his shoulder at The Man. The Ghost understands the implication and looks stunned. The Man in Black tells him to think about it.The next morning, The Man is outside on the bench. The Ghost is in the living room looking at him through the window. The Man in Black says to the Ghost, Youll be no different than you are now. The Man in Black is watching the Ghost. He approaches the Ghost and joins him at the window looking at The Man. The Man in Black says, He may even take your place. The Man stands from the bench and walks away from the cabin. The Man in Black tells the Ghost, You cant get something for nothing. The Man in Black backs away from the Ghost heading towards the door. The Ghost closes his eyes looking dismayed. The Man in Black says to the Ghost, You of all people should know that. The front door opens slowly. The Ghost looks at The Man in Black standing by the door. The Man in Black holds out his hand. The Ghost approaches him slowly. He pauses in front of The Man in Black. He looks from his hand to his face and then takes his hand. The Man in Black leads the Ghost outside. The Ghost steps outside alone and closes his eyes looking content. The Man in Black steps out of the house and says, Easy. The Ghost sees The Man walking back to the cabin. The Man in Black puts his hand on the Ghosts shoulder and whispers in his ear. The Ghost looks troubled. The Man in Black says, Trust me.In the kitchen, The Woman is cutting vegetables. She takes a drink from the bottle of alcohol she found in the kitchen when she arrived. The Man walks into the kitchen and greets her. She doesnt respond or look at him. The Man asks if shes not talking to him. She still doesnt respond or look at him. The Man says to her, First you say youll marry and now you act like you dont want anything to do with me. She finally responds asking, What do you want me to say. He says he wants her to say that shes happy to be engaged and that she didnt waste 3 years of his life while she was trying to decide if she was capable of being with somebody. She responds asking how she could happy with him pushing her and needling her. She says shes never going to be good enough for him the way she is, which is broken. She tells him that he wants to sweep everything under the rug like nothing ever happened to her just like her family did when she was a kid. She says he wants her to be perfect but that shes not perfect and its not going to ever be perfect. The Man is angry and says that its always the guys fault, even though hes the one guy that always stays when she runs, even out in the middle of nowhere on this island. The Woman tells him that she didnt even want him to come. She says the cabin is her special place and that he wont even let her have that. She says that he invaded and took over and started following her around and then yells at him for looking at her the wrong way. She accuses him of trying to control her just like he did. The Man asks how she could ever compare him to her father. She says that her mother didnt even know and that she wouldnt see it. The Woman says she wont sign up for a life like that bringing children into a world thats a living hell. The Man tells her to stop and asks her who she is. Shes holding her hands up defensively, even though The Man is not being aggressive. He tells her to calm down. The Woman asks if he knows how many people showed up to her fathers funeral. She said it was 500 people, practically the whole town, and they were all singing the praises of this good man. The people had no idea what hed been doing to her for all those years. The Woman asks The Man how he can know her and how can she know him. The Man says that she knows him. She says that maybe she does finally know him and that maybe she can see though his calm exterior and finally see him for who he really is. She tells him that shes done and that it was a mistake for him to come to the cabin. He says okay and tells her that hell leave as soon as the storeowner comes back. The Woman tells him Mr. Browman wont be back for 3 days, so The Man says that hell take the boat. She says that hell get lost and then shell just have to come rescue him. He asks her what she wants him to do. She yells that she wants him to take charge and call Mr. Browman to come pick him up and get off her island. He says he will. She leaves the kitchen. The man goes upstairs to get her phone, but the battery doesnt have power. He yells that the phone is dead because she left it on, so hes taking the boat. The Man is very upset about the breakup and starts to cry. The Ghost and The Man in Black watch The Man crying. The Ghost looks upset, but The Man in Black is grinning. The Ghost sees The Man in Black smiling at The Mans misery.The Woman is at the cliff also crying. Shes remembering The Man giving her the ring there, thinking about him arriving to the island, and hearing him say that he isnt like the men in her family. Shes thinking about him kissing her and holding her and telling her that hes a good man. The Woman begins to sob. When she turns to leave, she kicks the ring box that she had dropped the day The Man had proposed. She picks it up, opens the box, and pulls out the ring. She puts it on her finger.Back at the cabin, The Man is about to leave the cabin with his bags. He goes in the closet to get his coat. He hears a noise and stops. He drops his bags and steps out of the closet. The noise continues. He leaves the room to investigate the sound and the closet door closes. The Man goes out the back of the house and sees that the window to the crawl space is open. He calls to The Woman and asks if shes alright. Theres no response, so he crawls under the house calling for her. Theres a loud thud and then silence.The Woman is hurrying back to the cabin hoping to catch The Man before he leaves. Shes calling for him and apologizing saying she doesnt know what came over her. She walks into the bedroom to find that The Mans clothes are gone. She thinks hes already left. She starts to cry and sits down on the bed. In the living room, the Ghost is looking out the window and The Man in Black is telling him that it gets easier. The Man in Black says that it becomes fun. He tells the Ghost that there are rewards and that With each one, you grow in the masters eyes. The Ghost looks unsettled. The Man in Black says that the master is good to those who serve him. The Man in Black reminds the Ghost that freedom comes with a price. The Ghost starts to speak but the Man in Black interrupts him and tells him not yet. He tells him that with each task, hell get more and more. The Man in Black whispers to the Ghost, He wants you to prove yourself. The Man in Black tells the Ghost that theyre going to have a little fun.Upstairs in the bedroom, The Woman is lying on the bed crying. The Man in Black concentrates and fills the house with whispers. The Woman hears the voice of her father as though from a memory. Her father is telling her that if she tells her mother hell slap them both. Her fathers voice says shes a good girl and tells her to come here and that he wants to tell her a story. The voice tells her to open the book. The Woman leaves the bedroom and goes into the hallway. The voice of The Man in Black is asking her if she remembers what her father did to her. The Ghost is watching The Man in Black, who is enjoying what hes doing. Suddenly the Man in Black breaks his concentration when theres a quiet rumble outside the cabin. The Ghost also notices the rumble. Upstairs, The Woman grabs the stair rail as the house slightly rattles. The Man in Black looks around uneasily and the Ghost looks frightened. Then The Man in Black and the Ghost hear a noise from beneath them. The Man in Black angrily asks the Ghost what he did. The Ghost looks uncomfortable and The Man in Black yells that The Man had better be dead. The Man in Black disappears.The Woman enters the living room and looks around slowly. The Ghost watches her. Suddenly the closet door flings open startling The Woman. She sees The Mans bags and coat in the closet. The Ghost closes his eyes and concentrates. The Woman seems to sense that the Ghost is there. She walks out of the closet and looks around. The room is empty. The closet door closes startling her again. She asks out loud if someone is there. Theres a bang. She asks, Who are you? Theres no response. She asks, "Are you still here?" Theres a bang. She asks, "Why are you here?" but there is no response. She asks, "Do you live here?" Theres a bang. She asks, "Should I be afraid of you?" She hears two bangs. She looks at her engagement ring and asks, "Did my fiancé leave?" She hears two bangs. She asks, "Is he okay?" She again hears two bangs. She gets frantic and asks, "Where is he?" Theres no response. She then asks, "Do you know where he is?" Theres a bang. She asks where. Theres no response. She asks if hes in the house. Theres no response. She asks if hes outside. Theres no response. She asks, "Are you still here?" Theres a bang. She hears a whisper that sounds like a roar. She quietly asks, "Was that you?" She hears two bangs. She asks, "Who else is here?" Theres no response. She asks, "Is there someone else here?" Theres a bang. She asks, "Should I be afraid of them?" Theres a loud bang and the doors fly open and the curtains move wildly and The Woman screams and falls to the ground covering her head. She runs from the house and sees the window open to the crawl space. She crawls in and sees The Man lying unconscious on the ground.Inside, The Man in Black has the Ghost by his neck against a wall. The Man in Black is angry at the Ghost for communicating with The Woman and tells him how bad things are about to get for him. The Man in Black takes the Ghosts face in his hands and threatens both the Ghost and The Woman. The Ghost is terrified. The Man in Black throws the Ghost across the house.Under the house, The Woman is caressing The Mans head asking him to say something. The Woman starts to cry and then starts to pray. The Man in Black interrupts her, revealing himself to her and saying that she was right about The Man. Shes startled and the window to the crawl space slams shut behind her. The Man in Black tells The Woman that The Man is going to do to her what her father had done and that he's going to do it to her children. She disagrees with The Man in Black, but he smiles at her and tells her, "I'm a good man. You can trust me." The Man in Black said that this is what her father said to her mother the day he proposed to her and that they both know it wasnt true. The Woman asks The Man in Black how he could know that. He says that he was there and that he watched over her mother as hed watched over The Woman growing up. The Man in Black told her that he saw it all and that he knows why she used to come down into the crawl space. The Woman cries and says it wasnt her fault. The Man in Blacks voice whispers that it was the way she behaved in front of her father. The Man in Black says that now The Man wants to do it too, saying that it was the real reason The Man had come to the cabin. The Man in Black says that The Man is never going to leave her alone because men like him never do until they die. The Man in Black tells her that nobody will ever know what goes on at the cabin. He tells her that she can be free of The Man forever and that he can help her. The Man in Black says that she can trust him. The Woman picks up a large rock and raises it over her head crying. The Man in Black is encouraging her to kill her fiancé.Suddenly theres a crash and The Woman hears The Mans voice saying that he wants to spend his life with her and that hes a good man and she can trust him. She hears him telling her that she knows him. She drops the rock on the ground. The Man in Black asks her what shes doing and tells her that she has to stop it. The Woman says that she is going to stop it and that she knows The Man and that he does really love her and she loves him. Then she tells The Man in Black that she knows him and recognizes him. She tells him that he is the liar thats always been around and that shes not going to listen to him anymore. The Man in Black becomes enraged and The Woman tells him that shes not scared of him. The Man in Blacks face distorts into a demonic face, lunges at her, and disappears.The Woman focuses her attention on The Man, telling her unconscious fiancé that shes going to go outside to find something to help her get him out and shell be right back. She gets out of the crawl space and runs to the shed. But The Man in Black is inside. She runs around the shed and The Man in Black is blocking her path. She turns and runs back towards the cabin and The Man in Black is standing next to the opening to the crawl space. She spins around and The Man in Black is right in front of her. She looks him straight in the eye and tells him to do his worst. The Man in Black takes a step toward her when suddenly a twig snaps behind him. The Woman looks over his shoulder and her eyes widen, her jaw drops, and her breath shudders. The Man in Black stops and watches her terrified face for a moment. The Woman turns and runs. The Man in Black slowly turns around and sees what The Woman was staring at. The Man in Black screams in pain and agony for several moments as The Woman crouches next to the crawl space opening.The Ghost is in the living room looking out the window. He sees a darkly clad figure standing in the trees looking at the cabin. The Woman enters the living room and looks out the window. She also sees the figure. Its now closer to the cabin. Suddenly, the figure is gone. The Woman backs away from the window in fear. The Ghost turns and looks at her. He closes his eyes and concentrates for a moment and then yells. The Woman is startled and turns toward him. She can see him now. They look at each other for several moments. The Ghost then whispers, "Forgive me."The front door then starts to rattle and shake. The door opens and the Woodsman (DeObia Oparei) enters the cabin. The Woman backs away fearfully and the Ghost steps forward to protect her. The Ghost holds his hand up and tells the Woodsman no. The Woodsman stops and looks at the Ghost. The Woodsman closes his eyes and, behind him, a brilliant white light fills the doorway. The Ghost is astonished and then also closes his eyes and they silently share the images of their thoughts. The Ghost sees that the Woodsman was on the cliff the day The Man proposed, and when The Man had started to fall from the cliff, the Woodsman gave The Woman the strength to pull The Man back up. The Woodsman sees that the Ghost had opened the closet door to show The Woman that The Man had not left. And The Woman sees that when she returned to the cliff that morning, the Woodsman had placed the ring box where she would find it. The Woodsman and the Ghost open their eyes and look at each other. The Woodsman offers the Ghost his hand. The Ghost is unsure and looks back at The Woman who is crying with happiness. She smiles at him. The Ghost looks back to the Woodsman and takes his hand. The Woodsman leads the Ghost out of the cabin into the brilliant white light outside the door. Before he walks out, the Ghost looks back at The Woman one last time, and the Ghost and the Woodsman are enveloped in the light. The Woman closes her eyes and the light fades. When she opens her eyes, Mr. Browman is in the doorway. She gasps and he apologizes for startling her. Mr. Browman says he was stopping by to check if she was okay. She asks why hes there. Mr. Browman tells her that hes had a funny feeling all day that something was wrong and that hed been trying to call her but couldnt get through. The Woman tells him that her fiancé is hurt badly and they need to get him some help. Mr. Browman asks where The Man is and she tells him hes under the house. Mr. Browman says, "Lets go get him."The Woman is waiting in Mr. Browmans boat. The Man is lying down with his head in her lap. Shes running her hands through his hair. The Man says, "It looks like you had to save me again," and The Woman laughs. She says, "Not really." The Man asks what happened. The Woman shushes him and tells him he needs to rest and that shell tell him later. She tells him that she loves him and kisses him on the forehead. Mr. Browman arrives to the boat, unties from the dock, and sits at the boats wheel. He asks The Woman if shes ready and she nods. The three of them set off for town in the sunset. As the boat passes by, we see the young man in the black hooded sweater appear next to Mr. Browman. The figure leans over and whispers in Mr. Browmans ear.

Review: The house in which the story unfolds is a character unto itself - beautiful and creepy and very well photographed throughout.A fun and refreshing ghost story, give it a tumble..
It is certainly somewhat of a "chick flick", which probably accounts for many of the negative reviews (I actually don't see why so many guys don't like romantic movies).
On the surface, it's a ghost story, but really it's about a woman struggling to come to terms with the male demons from her past and cast them out.
I went with three other people and while our reaction in some ways was split - two of us loved the opening, which is very quiet, very still and two were not as fond of the opening section as they were the rest of the movie - by the end all of us found the movie very creepy and thought-provoking.
I don't want to give away too much but if you are in the mood for a creepy, tense yet someone romantic twist on a traditional ghost story, and you don't mind being asked to think, this is an excellent film.
Then about 40 minutes in he becomes less like a mannequin and more like crew member of the Enterprise looking for a way to get back to his ship.I was intrigued when the movie started and I saw the ghost sitting or standing staring.
--Right off the bat; just like that; no preamble; as is usually NOT the case with most ghost stories.
The only thing of note in that time is that the woman's boyfriend shows up a little over 20 minutes in or so.
After the 40 minutes --hell way before that-- I began to feel this movie wasn't going to be scary.
Why do most people love ghost stories?
It is definitely not a horror movie, so don't waste your time if your looking for that.
No explanation of certain events.I did watch the entire movie but I could have turned it off at any point as I knew I wasn't going to miss much.
It's a good old fashioned ghost story, it's not a teen's slash and gore horror movie.
Yet it has enough contemporary elements to not bore those who enjoy a supernatural tale.There is a dreamy atmosphere within this world and one of doubt, pain and silent restitute.Another reviewer stated he and his family stayed up after the end of the film arguing over who the ghosts were and what the ultimate ending meant...Thats what a good film does getting those conversations going.
At first I thought it was kind of laughable, but during the course of the movie it got creepier and creepier for me.Filmed in Oregon, the beautiful cinematography seems to be another character in the film as is the haunting film score that sets the mood right from the titles.
The film's opening shots reveal a remote cabin on an island lake in the woods, and there's something ominous in the stillness of these scenes and what they reveal.Mira Sorvino plays a woman who retreats to this, her family's cabin, for some serious alone time to write and reflect.
at least for now.Something about this film reminded me of Passengers (which I really liked) although there's no similarity at all in the story lines.
I saw this at a film festival and loved the movie.
it is a highly original movie.Some of the bad reviews seem to stem from˙the expectation it is a horror film.
It is definitely not a horror film and if someone was expecting that, I can imagine not liking it.
If you're the type of person who only accepts over-sexualized imagery, bright flashing colors, unnecessary loud sounds, shameless product placement, and needless subliminal intrusion, then this film is not for you.If, however, you are the type who enjoys unique concepts expressed in a simple, uncluttered, direct manner, then you may appreciate this film.It has beautiful scenery, good original music, and good acting.
With so much garbage put there like these boring zombie and slasher movies that ate supposed to scare you a movie that actually does scare you like The Presence it gets slammed not just by critics but by regular people as well that didn't give it a chance because of the greasy palmed critics..The Presence was great it wasn't the scariest although I got the chills many times but it told a good.story about a father and daughter with an amazing twist as the end.
I have read other reviews about how the movie was too boring at the beginning and think, "What did you expect?
A Freddie Kruger part XX?" Just knowing this story involves ghosts is enough to heighten my anticipation in the beginning and it sure delivers once the plot starts to unfold.
I was amazed at the subtle ways the movie introduced the ghosts, the emotional crises of the characters and the struggle to reclaim their own lives.
I won't SPOIL the movie for you but the ending kept me and my family arguing for hours about who was whom and what the movie and message ultimately means.If you want to see a true Ghost Story, this movie is for you!.
But it turned out to be some kind of sappy story with some apparitions thrown into the storyline.Now, had the movie left out the ghosts and just dealt with the "demons" that were tormenting the woman (played by Mira Sorvino) it would have come off as a much better movie.
Just sticking to dealing with the theme of a woman tormented by her father's abuse and trying to escape the past by going into solitude would have made for a much nicer story.
And the touch with no electricity in the place worked nicely as well.The movie was slow in getting to the point, and it was slowly building up suspense, but it never really climaxed.
And having sat through it till the very end, I can honestly say that "The Presence" is a ghost movie that will fade into oblivion without leaving any lasting impression.Despite having a relatively small list of actors and actresses, the people in the movie were doing a good enough job.
It was nice to see Sorvino in a movie like this, but at times it felt like she wasn't giving the performance all 100% of her focus.
And Shane West, as the ghost, was doing a good job, especially because he wasn't saying anything, so it was all just body-acting and mimicking.If you are looking for a horror movie, then you are going to be disappointed with "The Presence".
The trailer is misleading, as it makes it look kind of like typical B-movie silliness.
I loved the movie so much, I watched it a second time.
This was scary, but I was still somehow able to watch it--maybe because the point of the movie is not to just scare people, it just happens to be really scary (at least to me) in parts.
If that's what you want, you'll probably think this movie is too slow or boring.
But for those who like movies as an art and a good story, this is a gem.
Mira Sorvino is good as the damaged, vulnerable yet independent woman who has major trust issues and a shaky past.
I am always looking for horror movies that are unique and scare me in a different way.
It really made me think about good and evil and how our connection with it may be similar to the way it was in this film.
This is surely a movie for my collection of horror films..
I was happily surprised to find that this movie, while a ghost story, is also a love story, with a life after death theme.
(Anyone who expected the blood and guts should realize with a PG rating, this movie would not satisfy!) I really enjoyed this movie and thought it was the perfect ghost story!
I also think Mira Sorvino is an excellent actress and her acting skills made the movie very enjoyable to watch.
I also liked the way the movie unfolded, slowly giving us more and more information about the characters so their stories became clear.
I understand why some people gave this movie a low rating due to their expectations, however, if you can leave them behind, I think you will find that it is an enjoyable and captivating 90 minutes of film..
I'd even say it achieves that goal.Sorvino plays it as good as it gets, but the mentioned pace might feel and lead people into disliking the movie.
oh the worst ghost story i have ever seen, probably the worst movie.
I love ghost stories and I probably never saw a bad one until now.
There's a guy later who talks to the red faced ghost staring at the woman to death saying "hey!
The ghost (the guy staring at woman to death) was to be honest a pretty damn funny guy i mean, you know I thought at the end he would take a handkerchief wrap it around his face take out a chainsaw and do this climax with a huge pool of blood but no.
Literally, all he does is stare.I try to say at least one thing good about a film but its not good like at all.
Arriving at a secluded cabin to get over the demons of her past, a woman finds the cabin haunted by the ghosts she's running from and tries to stop their torment and control over her when her boyfriend comes to visit.Quite frankly this is one of the most boring and irritating horror films of all time and ranks as one of the worst all-time.
This is aided by the film's complete lack of anything going on here, which tends to feature one of the characters wandering around the house while a ghost looks on silently and immobile the entire time, not reacting to her being there nor doing anything to put the characters in harm's way.
Dim, still images set the backdrop of the story and it never seem to progress much beyond this pace.Several plot holes and unanswered questions had me questioning the events so much that the story became a lost in the noise.If you have nothing better to do and you need to fall asleep early, or you just like a story that keeps you guessing with questions that in no way, shape or form could be answered, then this is for you.
It's somewhat horrorish and there is a little ghost story, but this film will not scare you.
I've seen better movies of this genre with massively inferior story lines.
It's like it isn't enough that the score seems to be from a whole different movie, because it's still used so poorly.
It is a ghost movie with a difference..
This feels like a film with a lot less money than they must have had, given that the cast includes Justin Kirk and Mira Sorvino.
The camera work is remarkably amateurish, save the rare shot that any film fan can quickly recognize as directly lifted from other movies.
Watch this movie with discerning film fans for a fun point-and-laugh experience..
i also did not understand what the deal is with the birds this is a very strange movie really hard to understand what is going on this is just typical of a woman to go all crazy this was supposed to be a love story but i really don't know it started out crazy at the beginning this movie really does not compare to Hitchcock unless it is supposed to be a more modern way of tricking you in the movie.
Bad. My time felt wasted on this movie no lines during the first half and you have no idea whats going on.
It looked like the movie budget was 7 dollars by film students.
He was warm, supportive and loving toward the woman,even when she was quite literally coming apart at her mental and emotional seams.The freedom to interpret just what the ghost and the man in black represent adds dimension to the film in a way not seen often in the horror genre.
A victim of childhood abuse, she now obsesses on the fact that all men will be the same, the relationship will not work.There is a brief accident wherein the boyfriend almost falls off a cliff, the engagement ring he has for her is temporarily lost.The "staring spirit" in limbo who resides in the house is apparently prey for the evil spirit.Overall, if the characters were more developed this story could have worked, but we do not relate to this odd assembly of characters with no name.Too many cheap plots revolving around God and miracles lately, and the other film I viewed with this was "The Visitation" with Kelly Lynch and a town that sees Jesus.
Lots of characters doesn't necessarily mean it's a good movie and that is where The Presence gets an A+ in my book.The pace of the movie is very slow, it feels like this two hour flick could have been done in 45 minutes.
But for a modern scary movie this does some justice, but there is a lot of improvement and creativity that could have made this film exceptional, but I guess with a limited budget, there is only so much you can do.I give this a 5/10, decent story, mysterious characters, but excruciatingly slow pace..
Then the film is very boring, and nothing happens with Mira Sorvino and Shane West stalking her in silence for maybe twenty minutes in a lonely cabin.
When her fiancé comes to island, the viewer leans that the character of Mira Sorvino is a troubled woman that was sexually abused by her father when she was a child in the cabin.
The rest of the film is interesting, with the fight between good and evil and the appearance of the black angel to save the woman and her fiancé from the fiend.
Be clear on this, if you like your ghost stories high octane, with an unfeasible body count and everything spelled out for you in blood-stained black and white, this film is not for you.
I wanted to see "The Presence" by Tom Provost mainly for two reasons:to see Mira "Mimic" Sorvino and Mount Hood volcano.Unfortunately Mount Hood is only shown in a distant background.Mira Sorvino plays a troubled woman who goes to a cabin near Mount Hood.There is mannequin-like ghost in the cabin with her."The Presence" quickly turns into relationship drama with no horror whatsoever.It seems that Mira is fighting her demons regarding her boyfriend and the mannequin-like ghost desires her.Suddenly bad ghost appears and tries to turn good ghost into evil presence.The good ghost rejects the evil and thus is saved by God or another good spirit."The Presence" deals with the theme of temptation and is quite unique,but the lack of horror is disappointing.Still I'd give this one a generous 6 out of 10..
That final twist that you know is coming from the boat earlier happens just like in every other bad movie right before the end titles.
This is a real surprise, and back when movies were still commonly viewed in theaters, this one would have been called a "sleeper," which means a great film that no one knows about.
Watched this yesterday after reading good reviews on here, what a disappointment it was, started out very slow but did look like it could develop into a good film .
I loved the place it was filmed and the house had a lot of potential to be something that kept me from ever going into a log cabin.
The movie never says who the ghost is.
He just stands there...staring, with a look on his face like he was actually watching this movie itself.
I won't give it away but it involves another ghost....The scariest thing about this movie is the thought of having to crap outside in an outhouse.
WELL ACTED GHOST STORY.
The movie starts out showing us a boring, mostly mute ghost.
The film moves slow...as does the ghost.
or a demon from her past?We soon discover this is more than a simple ghost haunting...The film is done in a way you can feel the tension between the characters, the influence of the ghost, and the frustration of the boyfriend.
It is basically a slow and rather dull ghost story that doesn't make much sense.
So to start I would like to say even though it's a little different it kind of works the film is well done in many ways but also a little silly that being said I think it worked.
I did like there was no talking in the opening few minutes set the tempo and the acting was OK for the most part, it's a different kind of ghost story but still done well..
Was pretty to look at, but that was the only thing positive.The movie is about a woman and a man that are alone in a cabin, whilst being unknowingly being stalked by a ghost.
Also, plot and story are VERY original, and so is directing, making this movie very different from the others of this genre-- which is a good thing for me, as I'm sick and tired of Hollywood clichés.
This movie has no story to it what so ever which is the biggest disappointment.
Some movies are quiet in a good way, this one just plainly sucks.
How it can call itself a horror film stuns me, since you have non - whatsoever empathy for the characters.The only thing that is good about this movie is the Shane Wests (the, I guess, ghost?) make up and acting, but that gets destroyed since he doesn't do or say anything!
I thought this sounded like a pretty good plot.