Movie Review: Possessor

This article was originally published in the Kelowna Daily Courier. The original version can be viewed here

Brandon Cronenberg is a chip off the old block

Possessor, the second film by director Brandon Cronenberg, is a visually striking psychological thriller featuring the most original game of cat and mouse in recent memory.

The film stars Andrea Riseborough as Tasya Vos, a corporate hitwoman who can inhabit the bodies of others to commit assassinations for the benefit of her employers. However, after years of possessing others, Vos is beginning to dissociate from her own life. When her boss orders her into the body of a man named Colin Tate (Christopher Abbott), she becomes trapped in his mind, locking her and Tate in a battle for control of his body.

From the outset, Vos’ crisis of identity is clearly and believably portrayed by Riseborough. Vos is quiet, constantly on edge, and must get into character just to interact with her family. Despite an early conversation with her handler Girder (Jennifer Jason Leigh) implying she wants out, Vos immerses herself fully in her work as soon as she’s given a new assignment – seemingly relishing it as a form of escapism.

Meanwhile, Abbott must juggle the dual roles of Tate, a man whose life is falling apart as he realizes he is no longer in control of his actions, and Vos, a woman who is also performing that role. Abbott’s performance is transformative, mirroring Riseborough perfectly in some scenes, acting nothing like her in others, but usually maintaining a convincing middle ground that results in a believably paranoid insanity.

In one moment, Tate is living his life as normal, even if he’s not saying what Tate would normally say, the next, he’s attempting to murder people he’s apparently known for years. As the movie progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to discern whether Tate or Vos is in control. Though either one might be predictable, the character that is the combination of the two is anything but, leaving the audience constantly on the edge of their seats.

Cronenberg’s writing elevates Possessor as a horror film, and his directing cements it as one of the most genuinely horrifying of the year. Several scenes show Vos and Tate in the same space – be it a room, an environment, or a shapeless void – as they square off within Tate’s mind. These scenes are essentially dream sequences and make use of the surreal nature of dreams to depict gruesome and impossible body-horror reminiscent of Cronenberg’s father’s films. The film’s poster is a picture of Abbott wearing a distorted mask of Riseborough’s face that’s lifted directly from one of these sequences.

What’s more, the unpredictable nature of Possessor’s main characters means the most gruesome sequences come out of nowhere – some are hardly a second long – but never feel like cheap surprises. Instead, Cronenberg’s timing and penchant for mostly-practical effects often leaves the audience wondering which parts were even real.

Possessor is a gruesome movie, with shots of gore and violence that will stick with audiences. It’s also a chilling depiction of impending insanity that can leave viewers doubting what they’ve just seen.

8.5/10