Possessor:
The best horror film of 2020 Rachel Denham-White Brandon Cronenberg, the son of the legendary David Cronenberg, is already making a name for himself in the horror history, as his newest film Possessor is one of the most original horror movies I’ve ever seen. Taking place in an alternate 2008, Possessor stars Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Sean Bean. The story follows Tasya Vos (Riseborough), a contract killer who inhabits the bodies of victims through a brain implant and forces them to assassinate valuable targets. When she is tasked with killing a multi-millionaire CEO, she hijacks the unsuspecting Colin Tate (Abbott), but encounters enough resistance to start a disturbing downward spiral of melded minds and lost identity. This film is genius at exploring its central idea. We’ve had plenty of body-swapping narratives before; from Face/Off to The X-Files to 2020’s Freaky (another underrated horror gem). However, they never seem to go into this level of detail. Tasya’s possession of Colin illustrates just how alien it would be to inhabit another body, having to deal with differences in height, strength, health, balance and even tone of voice. Also, the alternate reality of the film is very engaging. With subtle differences in technology and the way this affects everyday life, it’s just another element that makes Possessor so inspired!
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The story isn’t as fast-paced as your average horror movie. Possessor starts off very slow, but the plot builds and builds with minimal dialogue or explanations, letting the visuals and the atmosphere tell the story. Tiny details are manipulated or warped, while inconsequential scenes are brought back in big ways. All of this lets the audience figure out the plot for themselves, a breath of fresh air compared to the typical structure of ‘tell, don’t show.’ Thanks to Karim Hussain’s incredible cinematography, this film is a visual spectacle. The use of colour was a big standout; the screen was often saturated with vibrant primary colours, or refracted and distorted by mirrors and reflections, giving us a host of trippy visuals. The camera work was inventive and full of variety. In moments where we experience possession, the camera pulls into an uncomfortable closeness, giving us an invasive look into this strange process. But in the more fast-paced moments, the screen distorts with lens flares and bright flashes of colour, barraging us with auditory and visual disorientation. Everything from the pounding electronic score to the hyperactive editing creates a true assault on the senses. In this way, watching Possessor becomes an experience.
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