Possession | 100 Movies Bucket List

 

It was announced a few months ago that this film will be getting a remake, so even though I didn't know much about it, the announcement suddenly made me really interested in seeing it. Plus, with the recent news about Sam Neill (I'm writing this, and watching this, less than a week after his death) it seemed like the best time to finally give this one a go.

I don't know if I can really say that I 'liked' or 'enjoyed' this movie, but I'm definitely glad I've seen it.

It starts from a really odd place compared to your typical horror movie - it definitely feels like a drama at first. We're dropped into the middle of an impending divorce with no idea who anyone is or whose side to be on, if anyone. It forces the viewer to let their guard down and actually get into the story, rather than thinking about where the plot will go.

The actors are so fantastic. Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani go toe-to-toe amazingly well in some of the early scenes, it's fascinating to watch these two powerhouse performances.

But as it goes on, Adjani just completely comes into her own and gives an astonishing performance. She was also in the movie 'The Tenant' that I watched for the bucket list recently, but in this one, she completely stands out.

This film is a lot, to say the least. It's uncomfortable, it's crazy, and it wasn't made to be either enjoyable or scary, it feels like it was just made to be experienced, and it is certainly an experience.

It's generally classed as being more disturbing than actually scary and I'd agree with that. It's not scary in the traditional sense, but it's odd in a way that makes you uneasy, wondering what the hell is happening and what the hell will happen next.

This is a really original, outlandish take on a descent into madness. It gets to the point where the entire movie just feels like a fever dream, and you as the viewer are struggling to hold onto the realism of it.

I didn't engage with the movie as well as I wanted to. I felt very disconnected from the characters and their world, and this only increased the more crazy things got.

So overall, I don't really know what to make of this film, but I can't say I enjoyed it or would recommend it.