Possessor – Bold and Ambitious Horror That Does Not Hold Back

Bold and beautifully displayed over the backdrop of a dark Toronto, Possessor, the latest horror/thriller directed by Brandon Cronenberg son of Canadian Legend David Cronenberg, is a perfect example of breaking the barriers of Canadian cinema. Riseborough stars as Tasya Vos, a highly skilled assassin who uses “brain-impact” technology to infiltrate and take over the bodies of others to perform assassinations. When tasked to take over the body of a man named Colin Tate (Abbot) to perform her latest hit, the lines between her own reality and the one she’s consumed begin to blur. 

It is worth mentioning right away that Brandon Cronenberg’s use of the great city of Toronto and its culture is unlike any other film that has done so. Films that truly embrace their locations are hard to come by but whenever they do come around it’s always great. Although that alone isn’t enough for a great film, the film offers enough here for fans of body horror, gore, and insanity to certainly make it worth their while.

Picture a plot similar to Inception but instead with an extremely hard R rating and the result is Possessor. From Riseborough, Abbot, to Sean Bean just to name a few, the whole cast truly delivers. Meanwhile, as he has done in countless other films this year, Abbot steals the show. The demands from essentially playing two conflicting roles is not for every actor, but Abbot handles that challenge effortlessly. Although Riseborough’s Vos is arguably the main character, the fact that her character is literally inhabited within another role meant that she was not afforded much of a chance to stand out. Nevertheless, she made the most of her screen time by delivering a great performance in her own right.

Where Possessor truly stands out was its captivating cinematography and direction. The vibrancy in color on display and the unorthodox lighting and use of imagery transports viewers through this chaotic journey. That being said, that imagery is extremely graphic and will definitely not be for everyone, especially the feint of heart. It holds nothing back, showing loads of blood and every gory detail which would only get worse as the film went on. However, the film’s arguably gratuitous nature distracts from of the seriousness of the film’s subject matter. What held it back was its derivative and predictable screenplay that seemingly made little effort to bring anything new to the table. Somewhat making up for this was its truly solid yet brutal action/horror set pieces. Given the fact this is one of Cronenberg’s only credits, he talents will surely improve over time.

At the end of the day, Possessor is sure to be divisive due to its gratuitous and over-the-top nature. Audiences who can get over this will be treated to an experience unlike many in recent memory. Easily as fun as it was discussion-worthy, it is a film that is definitely worth checking out in near future.

still courtesy of Elevation Pictures

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Jaeden Noel