Sommerleigh Pollonais – Horror Head Writer
DAY 30
Movie: Possessor (2020)
Plot: Possessor follows an agent who works for a secretive organisation that uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people’s bodies, ultimately driving them to commit assassinations for high-paying clients.
Review: There are some films that are difficult to describe with words. It’s just better if you see it yourself, as the visuals and ideas they’ve created tend to impact you in a way the narrative doesn’t. Like his famous father David (The Fly, Scanners), director and writer Brandon Cronenberg loves to delve into body-horror. And his latest film Possessor, a Sci Fi-esque tale of an assassin who uses other people’s bodies to commit murder is chock full of these kind of visceral scenes that crawl under your skin and stay firmly put there.
Actors Andrea Rosborough (Mandy/Oblivion) and Christopher Abbott (It Comes at Night/The Sinner) play the two main characters who sometimes inhabit each other. Their excellent performances do a lot to keep you invested in the outcome of their stories. Stories that explore (metaphorically) topics like gender identification and the abuses (allegedly) committed by corporations when they have access to our personal data.
Extremely dark in tone, I feel like Possessor may have benefited from a few lighter moments to break up this intensity. But if it’s straight up horror you want, the film does deliver. With a blend of both practical and special effects, Cronenberg doesn’t shy away from the gruesome and the gory. Some of these scenes are so well shot, it’s difficult not to look away, as someone gets impaled or shot in the head. This one may be too realistic looking for some audiences.
That said Possessor has some interesting themes, strong visuals and solid acting. It’s not going to be for everyone, with an unapologetically grim mood that carries through from beginning to end. But if you’re looking for something to watch that earned its hard R rating, you won’t go wrong with Possessor.
Sommer’s Score: 7 out of 10
For part 30 of 31 Days of Horror and my review of Uncle Peckerhead (trust me – the film is better than the title) you can click here. And for more than 100 horror movie reviews and lists you can check out the RMR horror section here.
Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever and I’ll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes.
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