Possessor reviewed by Mark Kermode

Mark Kermode reviews Possessor. Tasya Vos, an assassin who possesses other people's minds to take out her targets, finds her senses of reality and self begin to slip away during her latest mission.
Please tell us what you think of the film -- or Mark’s review of the film. We love to include your views on the show every Friday.
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[@MrP1nk92]

This felt like a chris nolan film made by panos cosmatos

[@timk6181]

I just loved how flat out fearless this film was. No care whatsoever for audience sensitivities or commercial appeal. I admire that.

[@olderloverxx]

True. I felt assaulted. Smothered by the film. That's what I sign up for every time I watch horror. Rarely does any psychological horror given me panic/claustrophobic tension. This managed to maintain that tension throughout the entire movie. Masterpiece.

[@starwarsroo2448]

Most disturbing movie I’ve ever seen and yes it kept unflinchingly escalating right up to the end

[@BlueZirnitra]

That really makes me want to watch it. I'm bored of middle of the road, inoffensive, board sanitised movies that are devoid of any balls or passion. It's like if they bore us enough none of us will care about anything.

[@robertolecki7492]

'Brian's Brain': Starring Ted Danson as Brian who is possessed by Tom Cruise who is Ethan Hunt in 'Mission Impossible 8'. Directed by Brandon Cronenberg (who is possessed by his father David)

[@zq1734]

Wife of Bryan surely

[@euansmith3699]

@@zq1734 I'm Bryan, and so is my wife! This brain swapping is getting very confusing!

[@JarodRebuck]

This has become one of my very favorite films. I appreciate Kermode’s review; however, I take issue with said reviewer’s remark that this film is “gleefully gory.” Never did I feel the gore in the movie was gratuitous in any way in the sense that it was “gleeful.” It was repulsively violent and portrayed violence as such. The film is sincere, even in its accurate albeit appalling depiction of violence. 4 out of 4. The film is a masterpiece. Brandon Cronenberg is a genius.

[@jonaFUN999]

Watching a child get shot was a bit much

[@bendavies9157]

@@jonaFUN999 but the teeth smashing and closeup eye gouging were fine? 🧐

[@bendavies9157]

Agreed about the violence - we're so used to it being watered down and stylised but having something so hostile, blunt and disgusting was a welcome shock to the system.

[@a.rasmussen2862]

I disagree with a passion. The movie is not near a masterpiece, but is a flawed movie filled with plotholes, bad acting and a poorly written manuscript. Who runs this operation? Is it government-controlled or is it controlled by an illegal organization? Why is Tas being praised so much for her work, when she's obviously incapable of doing the job smoothly? She's very illogical - why would she not just use the pistol and not smash a guy to pieces with a fireplace-stick-thingy, if she has PTSD from her job and why is she so eager to do this job? The questions are ten-thousand-fold, and none of them are answered by the movie itself. 2/10 at best - bad movie-making.

[@Jimmy020889]

Murder is barbaric. Torture is barbaric. The central conceit of the film is seeing how the protagonist loses her humanity and experiencing her descent with her in a visceral way. I think given how many people take issue with the violence and gore proves that it was successful in doing that.

[@okilfeathermusic]

Best film I've seen this year so far, thoroughly delighted that Cronenberg Jr. has taken over the family pub.

[@jamesharris5707]

The apple hasn't fallen too far from the tree on that one, hey

[@foosbooze263]

It’s like Inception meets Existenz. Not quite as visceral as his father but not the popcorn flick yet ambitious in scale like Nolan and his dads films. I hope he keeps up these type of films. The practical effects were excellent and are sorely missing in modern films. This guy much like his father (my favorite director) makes the movies I like to watch.

[@Ankit.Sethi.]

Simon at the end, "If there are no puppies and kittens in it, I'm not interested."

[@Patrick-jj5nh]

Andrea Riseborough seems like one of those actors who can't do any wrong by the doctor.

[@Mr3Machine]

Did he see The Grudge?

[@alanlivie5312]

Mandy is ace too. It’s all about the director and Cage but she’s great in it too

[@MaximTendu]

@@alanlivie5312 don't forget Jeremiah Sand.

[@TheSpotlessMind93]

This is by far my favorite film this year. I'm glad Mark also liked it.

[@olderloverxx]

For me too. It's like I spent 2020 in movie limbo. This comes along reminding me how good movies could and should be. I've watched a lot of movies this year. A lot of rushed I'll conceived flat nonsense. Possessor comes along and blew my mind. I sat down in my room with a good set of headphones and Brandon sucked me into the whole experience. Then I watched it again a few hours later

[@Midgar2310]

Completely agree. One of the best of the year. Make sure to watch the uncut version.

[@jameswitherspoon837]

There isn't actually a cut version. 'Uncut' is a marketing tactic.

[@marvinnashsear]

@@jameswitherspoon837 There's both R rated and Uncut in the states so there is 2 versions.

[@jameswitherspoon837]

@@marvinnashsear There's not. There's only the festival cut and the 'uncut' cut and they're the same.

[@marvinnashsear]

@@jameswitherspoon837 Well if they are the same cut why are there 2 different blu ray releases in the states? One rated R the other Unrated.

[@jameswitherspoon837]

@@marvinnashsear there's no R rated blu ray it's only the uncut

[@alanlivie5312]

Watched it this evening and loved it. I miss the 80's Cronenberg films and this takes me back a bit. There's hints of underrated ExistenZ in there too. The gore effects had almost a Fulchi quality to them. I thought the middle section dragged a tiny bit but not to the point that I got bored. Andrea Riseborough was ace in Mandy too. Looking forward to Brandon's next film. Nice that Dr Kermode enjoyed it but wasn't a surprise :-)

[@acid3137]

Seen it twice now and it's absolutely wonderful.

[@rbdriftin]

Take a shot everytime Mark says "fleshy."

[@badkenbad]

And “fleshily”!

[@sophocles8761]

really off putting lol

[@Crunch_Buttsteak]

"Squishy & fleshily rewarding." -Mark Kermode

[@44dan5]

Look at that freak.

[@BenRangel]

Would recommend. Not as trippy than I imagined, thought it was like Mandy or Enter the Void. But it’s slightly less weird. Felt Black Mirror to me, that typ of scifi - but the atmosphere was more dense. Some parts of the film were needlessly unclear. At certain points I thought ”is this a dream?” When it was just meant to be a normal, real scene. Not great film making there... At the same time, the overall plot is kinda predictable once you strip away that confusion. Not a bad thing; it plants seeds from the start which it resolves nicely. A tiny gripe is that I did not care for any of the side characters one bit! Everyone is flat as hell. And the lead actress just has a face that looks constantly anemic and in pain. (Watched her a few times - just cant help feeling that way about her)

[@NickHunter]

I don't think that ambiguity of what's real and what isn't is accidental. As for the side characters, if I was being kind I'd say it was reflective of the lead actresses detachment to the world but I get where you're coming from. I just loved it

[@devonk298]

I've watched the full film a dozen times - and hate horror. I consider this more of a sci-fi film. I think Brandon is the most cutting edge filmmaker living today.

[@olderloverxx]

Terrified me. Some scenes I couldn't breathe. The claustrophobia ... Oh man. Its the first groundbreaking horror film I have seen in years and quite likely my favourite film of 2020. The performances by Andrea and Christopher . That 'tug of war' between them. They compliment each other perfectly.

[@NickHunter]

Definitely. Andrea practising being a normal member of the family before going home was really chilling and sad at the same time

[@jackmatthews947]

Just watched it and thought it was brilliant. Only seen a few Andrea Riseborough performances but they've all been superb and this is no exception. Extremely gruesome and very visually stimulating!

[@melvert33]

Mandy was a great film.

[@Patrick-jj5nh]

Sounds ace, shame can't see this one on big screen.

[@heartofcinema3454]

You can at Curzon - if you are not in tier 3 and have a local independent cinema nearby

[@Matthew9818]

I highly doubt anyone is showing this 🤣. It’s very graphic .

[@David-mi3il]

Absolutely loved this movie I hope I get the opportunity to watch this in the cinema. Raw, brutal and clever. Fantastic writing matched with great performances. Highly recommend.

[@winleerasanthanah4716]

Saw it with my friends. Great movie but man, it took me awhile after to recover for humanity.

[@nekro9t2]

Awesome film, the eye gouging scene was particularly rewarding. A proper mind melt of a storyline, definitely going back for a second viewing.

[@ed1rko17]

It definitely felt like a modern day version of David Cronenberg's nostalgic body horror stuff. Reminded me a lot of Videodrome. But he does have his own voice. Loved it.

[@SamDLIVE]

Really love this film, coolest flick I've seen this year. Can't wait to see what Brandon does, also hope the lead actress returns.

[@fanboydee]

This kills me. There's no way I'm up for disturbing gore-porn, but the spy-fi element of this sounds like EXACTLY the kind of thing I love.

[@NickHunter]

For the record it's not like "torture-porn" if that's what you're worried about. But the camera does not look away from some sustained violence. There are about 3 scenes which are very hard to watch but it doesn't dominate the movie. I found her identity confusion and "rehearsal" far more disturbing

[@MadDeuceJuice]

@@NickHunter Well let's see. There are two sustained scenes of knife/cleaver butcherings with one recurring close up of a knife going into the jagular. Another scene of ice pick stabbing with close ups of an eye gouging and picking out of teeth. Several high impact shots of gun wounds including particulartly nasty one at the end where a child's head explodes. Another close up of the last stabbing included a close up of the severed fragment of the victim's palm's regor mortis. If that's not "torture porn" I literally don't know what is. There's a lot of foreplay, but the "money shots" are all there.

[@NickHunter]

@@MadDeuceJuice Its violent and gory, I still wouldn't define it as torture porn. Nothing in it that comes close to the cruelty in movies such as Hostel, Saw or Human centipede, hellraiser etc. And gunshot wounds are barely on the register

[@NickHunter]

@@MadDeuceJuice Also it was a poker not an icepick

[@MadDeuceJuice]

​@@NickHunter I stand corrected, it was a fire iron. The main character has a gun at all times, but chooses the most sadistic method every time. Then, when she has sex, she's can't help thinking about stabbing close ups. The movie literally cannot hide the fact that it derives sexual pleasure from sadistic violence. My memory of the films you've listed is a bit faded but I don't remember them being that much worse than this. I mean this is REALLY up there in term of sadism. Most of it is completely unnecessary and borderline juvenile. The really shameless moment for me comes at the end when the movie brings home the point that the character is no longer "empathetic" visa-vi the butterfly. When did this character arc happen? Did she go from somewhat of a standard psycho to Jeffrey Dahmer-level psycho? Unless I'm missing something critical, it just brought home the point that the movie's violence did not serve a higher purpose and detracted from much more interesting themes of one's identity that get completely eclipsed by graphic self-congratulatory violence.

[@monsterlair]

Been looking forward to Possessor for a long time.

[@usedfuzzbox]

Was very much anticipating this after the trailer launched, and was not disappointed, movie of the year indeed!

[@theboss297]

I'm usually okay with gore but this was BRUTAL I loved it

[@MercuryCircuit]

I love this Movie Mark. One of the best Sci-fi horror movies I've seen in many years. Top review.

[@Warp75]

Cronenberg’s son did good. Definitely one of the better offerings of 2020

[@RPumpkinQueen]

it has some fabulous The Cell vibes for me, obvsl dripped down in fashion style and Tarsem Singh-iness.

[@johnnycanuck2]

I really really loved this.

[@Ben_Mdws]

A cracking film. Bold, bloody, loved the story, visuals and audio.

[@neondemon7617]

Really impressed by this.and the gore oh yes the gore was breathtaking.not for the fainthearted.

[@thecpalumbo]

Excellent movie. Intricate and ‘fleshy’.

[@1dr_wall769]

Mark describing "squishy" body horror makes me giggle

[@Lacking_something]

Sounds fleshily great!

[@waregraham8335]

Possessor has an amazing Soundtrack!

[@djmexim]

I needed a bit of recalibration after viewing the first hit scene in the club. Glad I persevered. Disturbing and entertaining in equal measure.

[@vvvictoriav5958]

commenting before watching i predict mark liked this

[@vvvictoriav5958]

1:49 i knew it! i also really liked this film.

[@L_Martin]

Wow, interesting concept.

[@pokeybloke7237]

Where/what platform can I watch this on please? Cheers! 👍

[@benjamincook6321]

Still waiting on a scene to get to my heart and guts like the dance in the new Suspiria or even the fluid scene in Possession but damned if this movie didn't aim for that.

[@thecoderofyoutube]

The miscarriage in the metro? That’s some committed acting right there...

[@robotaholic]

Loved this movie SO MUCH! Saw it twice. Best 🎥 in a long time!

[@johnmhuizar]

I like that while this is a horror tale, its plotline is essentially something out of old cyberpunk stripped of the neon trappings.

[@wychwoodmusic]

It's beautiful and visceral but... I dunno, felt kind of empty to me? The fact we never get any insight into why Tasya wants to be an assassin or succeed her boss... she wants money, I guess? Pretty cold and hard to relate to

[@Ballardian]

My reading of it was that she was addicted to the thrill and violence of it, and maybe psychological issues which resulted in her wanting to be in someone else's skin. I don't think money was the motivation.

[@sepiarain]

Finally got around to Antiviral the other day, and now just went into this blind... who would've thunk the concepts of perfect body horror would be a genetic trait?!?

[@TheVolginator]

Mare Obleet is Antiviral worth a watch? I just finished Possessor, so I am curious

[@5MinuteFilmClub]

Saw this at the BFI film festival this year and unfortunately didn’t enjoy it at all. For me it was style over substance. It just seemed to be trying to shock but I didn’t find any of it shocking or disturbing. The practical effects are the best thing about it.

[@neondemon7617]

Superb film and mark is right.it warrants a second viewing.loved it.

[@michaelcope856]

Great movie. Influences I see from The Thing and Lucio Fulci's Zombie Flesh Eaters. Great twist too. Lovely production design, the electronics and rotary dials, the old cars...

[@joelhartley5108]

Just watched it. Great film

[@fantasiazplatkami]

the idea was good, but the ending and pay off disappointed me

[@ununpopular]

This was brutally good.

[@sabrinakrisb4672]

I was looking forward to this review

[@ST-vx6ex]

Just saw this in the cinema. When they were leaving, I heard someone behind me say, "This was either really great or really s***" I myself thought it was good, not great, but I don't follow why some people in these comments think it's dull? I suppose it could've been condensed down a little but I thought it had some fantastic imagery, the gore/violence was done well, and the lead characters were compelling

[@SamDavies94]

The dullness of the film for me, comes with the lack of substance or depth of the events on screen. All the characters are avatars, we never get the time to experience their emotional range, they are merely puppets within a voyeristic landscape - when people die there is no resonance. As a viewer it begins to feel like the filmmaker knows there's not much going on behind the text and is hiding it with overly stylised camerawork, effects and lighting. The film looks gorgeous, steeped in colours and style, but when there's nothing beyond the surface, the surface itself becomes unimportant.

[@deckofcards87]

I see a lot of movies like this nowadays where the concepts seem cool but the filmmakers have no idea how to execute it interestingly or without falling back on tired formulas

[@benturner2727]

Dennis Reynolds film of the year

[@rhythmoriented]

Saw Possessor Uncut on the big screen. Phew! Probably no reason to see the edited version. (Edit): I’ve seen both versions now. Actually, the R-rated version DOES capture the story well, and the violence is more easily digestible for general audiences.

[@sophocles8761]

I am not sure about 'fleshily' comment its a haunting movie punctuated by uncensored violence but will take a couple of viewings

[@robotaholic]

"Cerebral teasing"

[@dmd7472]

Where see?

[@david15kramer]

Its amazing

[@PolAndDazShow]

Loved this , I'm late I know , looking for something similar..... anyone ?

[@vernonallen3370]

Its”fleshy” and not just in the gory sense.

[@Lilbuckets2]

I loved it

[@andyhall7032]

so promising...ultimately disappointing. would still put this and saint maud up there above anything else this year though.

[@andyhall7032]

@@digontozahid thanks dogonto !! I could always say it with a posh accent if you like !! what are your thoughts on the film ? as that is the actual topic at hand ?

[@andyhall7032]

@@digontozahid yes he would...and I look forward to more of brandon's films...I really must watch the fly and dead ringers again as they are works of utter genius...so perhaps I'm unfairly comparing the two directors when I should take the film on its own merits

[@SamDavies94]

'so promising... ultimately disappointing' I cannot agree more!

[@sazzadbinjahid436]

This movie could have been so much better. It had a good concept but I think the execution could have been better. Still a decent sci fi horror.

[@sabrinakrisb4672]

How could it have been better?

[@hevykevy316]

@@Musculargirl7685 or maybe people can like what they want.

[@David-mi3il]

‘ the execution could have been better ‘ ... Christ

[@CharlesFerraro]

It’s really not that gory.its like a 3/10 on the gore scale

[@SamDavies94]

I just finished watching it and it felt like such an unsatisfying and depthless film. None of the characters are real, as an audience there's nothing to cling on to - it feels like splatter/body-horror without any of the depth of his father's films.

[@ollyf5088]

Me too. I'm mystified as to how it got such good reviews, particularly from kermode who is usually on the money???

[@kevinthebaconslayer]

It was absolutely rubbish.. Spoiler alert.

[@LegPuppy]

really didn't get on with this. Liked some of psychedelic scenes but was ultimately rather dull

[@StevenSeagull123]

Dunno really... I was bored throughout the movie.

[@sagarsaxena6318]

really? I can understand it being called "incomprehensible" or "absurd" but boring it certainly isn't.

[@StevenSeagull123]

@@sagarsaxena6318 I know... Gory sci-fi should be my jam, but for some reason this movie didn't click at all for me. I'll give another shot another time.

[@mariaassunta7237]

I like horror and the cerebral side of it but hate gore. Too bad.

[@ssatva]

Weird note: I'm also not into gore per se in films, but somehow find David Cronenberg and a few others somehow make it less just flinch inducing, and more cerebral in itself; more about something, rather than just repulsive/ vicious. No idea if that would work for anyone else, but in case it does, I think it might be worth giving Cronenberg's eXistenZ or if you can find it Naked Lunch (not horror exactly, but surreal and with strong if strange body horror aspects) a watch, and see if it affects you differently? Not saying it will! Be ready to turn it off, and skip this if your hate is more than just distaste and discomfort! But I was surprised by how different it feels and works for me than what I normally avoid. I almost think we need a finer distinction. It might be legit to distinguish between 'body horror' which is about transformative and transgressive experience, and 'gore' which is about unrestrained violence...? Not sure that's valid, but something... just pondering.

[@mariaassunta7237]

@@ssatva :) I have watched several Cronenberg films. I have not liked most of them. Naked Lunch, Videodrome, Dead Ringers and The Fly stand out as ones that I really hated. I liked The Dead Zone except for the excessively gory death of the serial killer, which was ridiculous and so unnecessary. It's the only Cronenberg film I would rewatch.

[@ssatva]

@@mariaassunta7237 Outstanding that you know your limits and preferences, and here's to you being able to limit needless experiments! And good reviews can work to help us figure out what's going to work for us in advance, so Kermode and Mayo are doing us all a solid then. If you're into the idea, can you suggest any cerebral horror that has worked for you? Always interested in things worth tracking down, or just learning what does work for folks. But in any case, cheers! ^_^

[@AdamqK]

Having had to miss this when it was on at the LFF 2020, I eagerly siezed on it last night when I found it on streaming, and found it a crashing disappointment. For all its weirdness, I actually found it dull and predictable (Voss is clearly having problems from the start, so there's really nowhere to go) and while I love Andrea Riseborough, she didn't really get enough to do, leaving it to the bland Abbott, who exhibits the same hang-dog expression, for the most part, that he did in "Catch 22". I'm fine with violence, but the violence exhibited here isn't actually a part of the process, as it would be in Dad Cronenberg films, but an anomalous side-effect, so it just struck me as nasty and gratuituos. What a waste of good actors (and Christopher Abbott) and a potentially good idea.

[@davidaraujo927]

fleshly overrated...

[@henryburby6077]

this movie upset me in entirely new ways. not a fan.

[@athan336]

this movies has so many plot holes and dosent make sense like wouldn't it be more effective to hire a professional assassin than do all of this kidnapping and possessing (that btw the dead bodies still have chips in their heads so there not that secretive assassinations)

[@19jez89]

Pretty sure they say the chips disintegrate

[@eamonnbrereton1525]

I absolutely hated it but hope everyone else enjoys it

[@tomyates2551]

I found it to be a crushing bore. Dreadfully disappointing. It looks cheap, everyone sounds tired and disinterested with everything that's going on around them. It's a wonderful concept - and it leads to no sort of suspense of any kind. I cannot - for the life of me - see what everyone else sees with this one.

[@ollyf5088]

I agree with you. Seems from the comments we're in the minority :/

[@aguyinhisroom]

sometimes i think critics are either paid to all love a movie, or they just jump on a band wagon and all praise it bc other people praise it. No clue why they'd praise this. Definitely some interesting effects here and there but it's mainly an extremely disturbing, sociopathic child killing fest.

[@julienmark7810]

worst move I have ever seen. wasn;t good enough for movie theaters, so they market it as a masterpiece and get you to stream it. total waste of time and money, the director needs to cashapp me $5

[@davesmith7812]

It was dreadful. The younger Cronenberg has little to none of the father's talent. Self-consciously showy shots that only show how empty it all is, 2nd hand artistry, ill thoughtout story. Avoid and watch Scanners again instead