Directed by Brandon Cronenberg
Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Sean Bean & Tuppence Middleton
Possessor is the kind of sci-fi that insidiously creeps its way into your mind. This happens to parallel the plot itself. the film follows Andrea Riseborough as Tasya Vos, a “corporate assassin”, as she faces setbacks and struggles in her job. A bit more sci-fi than horror, this film takes place in an unspecified future where Tasya works for a faceless agency, using her mind to possess targets and use them to carry out assassinations. When her mind starts to waver, she can no longer keep control of the host and the horror begins to set in. This film is a testament to how scary sci-fi stories can be. The horror lies mostly in the mere concept. The idea that someone’s actions may not be fully under their own control. Possessor is a tense ride throughout. With crisp cinematography making the world feel cold and sterile and contrasted to the gruesome violence as well as the neon hallucinations characters experience.
This film (the uncut version) is certainly not for the faint of heart. It’s bloody, gruesome, and unforgiving. The shock of some of the kill scenes teeters on the line of being “too much” but manages to remain grounded in its own world. The color palette maintains the sterile feeling throughout, making the world feel physically cold and emotionally detached, similar to Tasya herself. From the beginning it’s clear something is amiss, and as the film continues, more is revealed slowly but surely descending into one of the most intense endings I have ever seen, then immediately switching back to a cold and unfeeling final shot which perfectly ties the story together. Possessor has the kind of plot that sticks with the viewer. The kind with hints as to what’s really happening scattered throughout for those who pay close enough attention to say “Oh THAT’s why,” by the end. It is more similar to Under the Skin, with its quiet storytelling than some of the more mainstream sci-fi classics. Nonetheless, Possessor has all the right ingredients to be a cult classic all its own with Brandon Cronenberg somewhat paralleling his father’s most famous cult classics.
Possessor uses its soundtrack to great effect, with deep and heavy synthesizer tones completing the mood that the visuals set up. The performances are all stellar and while Andrea Riseborough delivers as the self-questioning lead, Christopher Abbott shines while fully embracing and encapsulating the fear, anxiety, and rage of his character.
Possessor has more of an experience for those who enjoy subtle storytelling, but given your full attention, the anxiety-ridden, gory exploration of higher sci-fi concepts is one that you will think about for days afterward and one of my favorite films of 2020.
