How to watch 'Presence': Steven Soderbergh's unique ghost story is finally streaming
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If you missed out on seeing Presence in the theaters early this year, you now have the chance to experience one of the most unique films of 2025 from the comfort of your couch. Directed by the inventive Steven Soderbergh and written by David Koepp, Presence is an unconventional haunted house story. Though it's billed as a horror film, the genre-bender flips the traditional ghost story on its head, ultimately creating a story that is "sharply funny, beguiling, a bit chilling, and ultimately sweet," as Mashable Film Editor Kristy Puchko puts it.
Told from the viewpoint of a "presence" in the house, the film is shot entirely in first-person perspective. Puchko writes, "Soderbergh's steady hand is so mindful in its performance that you can practically feel the expressions of a face you cannot see." It's captivating and vulnerable and incredibly tense. And as of June 3, you can finally stream it. Here's what you need to know to watch Presence at home.
What is Presence about?
Presence follows the Payne family — mom Rebekah (Lucy Liu), dad Chris (Chris Sullivan), son Tyler (Eddy Maday), and daughter Chloe (Callina Liang) — who have just moved into a new house in the suburbs. While they appear to be the perfect nuclear family on paper, cracks start to form within their unit. All the while, strange and supernatural events begin to occur around the house. Who is the ghostly presence in the house, and what does it want from them?
Get a glimpse into the unique ghost story in the official trailer:
Is Presence worth watching?
With Soderbergh shouldering the camera, Presence is "a remarkable union of a clever concept and a superb execution," Mashable's reviewer writes. "I'll be absolutely shocked if Presence doesn't get a Best Cinematography Oscar nomination."
Of course, with that first-person perspective comes tension. Sullivan, one of the leads in the film, put it best: "This movie is going to wring you out before it releases any of that tension."
He adds that some people walked out of the theater due to the stomach-churning tension. If that's not your cup of tea, Presence might not be for you. For everyone else, Puchko calls it "a sublimely realized ghost story that is easily one of the best films of the year."
Other film critics largely agree, as it currently holds an 87 percent critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences are more torn; it holds only a 52 percent audience rating. Of course, it's up to you to be the judge.
Check out our full review of Presence.
How to watch Presence at home
Originally hitting theaters in January 2025 and then quickly heading to digital, Presence is finally making its streaming debut. That means you'll have three different ways to watch it at home: buy it on digital video-on-demand retailers, rent it at digital video-on-demand retailers, or stream it. See the details below.
Buy or rent on digital
Just a little over a month after its theatrical debut, the Soderbergh and Koepp ghost story officially became available to watch at home on Feb. 25. You can purchase the film at video-on-demand retailers like Prime Video and Apple TV or rent it for 30 days. If you choose to rent, just keep in mind that once you start watching, you'll only have 48 hours to finish.
Here are some quick links to buy the film on digital:
Prime Video — $5.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy
Google Play — $5.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy
Fandango at Home — $5.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy
Apple TV — $5.99 to rent, $19.99 to buy
Stream it on Hulu
Streamers can finally tune into Presence as well. It officially made its debut on Hulu on June 3, 2025. Hulu subscriptions start at $9.99 per month, but there are a few different ways you can save. We've rounded up the best ongoing Hulu streaming deals below.
The best Hulu streaming deals
Best Hulu deal for most people: Hulu annual subscription
The best way to cut back on Hulu's streaming cost is to opt for an annual plan instead of a monthly plan. If you pay for a year up front of Hulu with ads, it'll cost you $99.99 ($8.33 broken down monthly). Meanwhile, a $9.99 monthly plan would add up to $119.88 in a year. That means you'll save about 16% or just shy of $20 in the long run. It ain't much, but every dollar counts in this economy.
Best bundle deal: Get Hulu and Disney+ for 45% off
Disney's bundle plans remain the best way to slash costs of multiple streamers at once. You can bundle Hulu with Disney+ in the Disney Duo Basic bundle and get both streamers with ads for only $10.99 per month. That's only a dollar more than paying for one streamer on its own, saving you about 45%. You can also throw in HBO Max for just $16.99 per month total, which saves you about 44$ on all three.
Best for students: Hulu Student
College students can save 80% on a Hulu with ads subscription. Sign up through the Hulu Student promotional page and verify your college email address using SheerID, and the price will drop from $9.99 to just $1.99 per month.
Best for T-Mobile users: Hulu (with ads) included for Go5G Next customers
Aside from the free trial, the only way you can get Hulu for free in 2025 is through T-Mobile's Go5G Next plan and Experience Beyond plan. Better yet, you'll also get Netflix and Apple TV+ for free. If you're already on one of these plans, head over to the T-Mobile promo page and choose "redeem now" to claim the offer. You'll just have to enter your T-Mobile number and account details to sign up for Hulu. Not on the Go5G Next plan or Experience Beyond plan? Switch your plan and start taking advantage of the best free streaming lineup around.
Topics Film Streaming How to Watch
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep — Hulu is one of the only streamers that still offers a free trial, let alone a lengthy one. You can test out the streaming service before having to pay a cent with Hulu's free 30-day trial. After the trial period ends, the price will then revert to $9.99 per month with ads or $18.99 per month without ads.
Christina Buff is a Nashville-based freelance writer for who covers shopping with a splash of entertainment. If you’re ever wondering what streaming service you need to watch something (and the cheapest way to sign up for it), she’s your girl.
Christina received a B.S. in Business Communication (concentration in writing) from Stevenson University and began her professional journey writing and editing press releases. Since then, she’s written content for a marketing agency, blogged for celebrities, and covered local news, politics, women’s lifestyle, fashion, beauty, and just about everything in between for various publications.
When she’s not writing, she’s probably enjoying live music, studying human design, or embroidering and upcycling clothes. You can follow her on Instagram at @touchinfinity.
