Possessor is one of the gnarliest sci-fi horror films I’ve ever seen, and it’s incredibly made…but I’m not entirely sure I can recommend it to anyone.
From the son of filmmaker legend David Cronenberg, Brandon Cronenberg’s second feature film Possessor has a lot of his father’s signature marks of body horror. I’ll admit that I’ve never seen any of Cronenberg’s films from beginning to end, but I’ve seen so many clips and references that his influence does not pass unnoticed. Brandon’s reliance on practical visual effects with very little use of CGI probably made his father beaming with joy. His work on creating the world of Possessor is magnificent and makes the most of very little. There are so many amazing sci-fi concepts that are explored in this film with as little digital movie-magic as possible, which is honestly an astounding feat for this movie.
The film has a simple premise: Tasya Vos is an incredibly skilled hitman who uses secretive tech that allows her to enter the consciousness of other humans, allowing her to carry out the execution of her targets under the guise of a stranger. However, use of this technology disrupts the user’s mental and emotional fortitude, and begins to take a toll on her during her latest job.
All of this is introduced in an incredibly staggering opening sequence brilliantly performed by Gabrielle Graham, and it’s easy to forget to breathe until the title card appears. Andrea Riseborough is solid as Vos, but I think the star of the show has to be Christopher Abbott, the main character whose consciousness is hijacked by Vos. I really loved Abbott’s work in It Comes at Night, but I think this has to be his best performance so far. He has such a complex role to fill in this film because he has to play himself, and someone who is acting as himself but is not completely familiar with all of his personality traits. It’s an insane juggling trick that was extremely rewarding to see on screen.
On top of the stellar performances, everything about this film oozes with personality. The creepy synth music is absolutely perfect for the film, and the slow moving wide angled shots give the film an otherworldly mysticism, even though it’s set in the late 2000s. I cannot stress enough how much Cronenberg is able to do with his tricks of the camera and clever use of color and practical effects. It’s very reminiscent of Alex Garland’s work, but with an even smaller budget.
Now to address the dismembered elephant in the room and the primary reason I can’t recommend this film to most of my friends: the absolutely gruesome nature of the film. And I mean it is GRUESOME. This has to be in my top 1 of the most disgusting movies I’ve ever seen. I’ve never looked away and squinted so many times in a single film. This film absolutely loves to indulge in its own filth and go all out with not just its goriness but also its hyper-sexualized scenes. There’s a part of me that understands that some of these scenes are necessary to highlight the themes of the film, but there’s also a part of me that thinks this movie could be made without going so far with the gratuitous violence and sex. If this is something you THINK you can handle, I’m not even sure I would recommend it even then.
If you’re not completely off-put by this kind of hardcore sci-fi horror genre, and are a fan of David Cronenberg’s work, then I don’t see why you wouldn’t enjoy this film. I think it’s hard to talk about Brandon’s work on this film without mentioning clear influences from his father, but he honors his legacy and brings a fresh take into the 2020s. It’s wild that this is my favorite film of 2020 so far, and it’s something that I can’t necessarily talk about with anyone. This is viewer beware to the Nth degree, but if you can tough it out…you’ll find that it’s an incredibly special sci-fi film from a visionary up-and-coming director.
Grade: A-/87
*Sidenote: I saw the uncut version, but I heard that the cut version is basically the same save for a few omissions of the absolute goriest parts. I think it also gets rid of a couple ding-dong shots.
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