The Possession
In the end, it’s hard to recommend the film to the usual horror crowd, given that many will have seen a lot of The Possession played out in countless other possessed child movie entries.
For mainstream movie fansThe Possessionproducer , Sam Raimi , is best known for helming Toby Maguire ’s blockbusterSpider - Mantrilogy but , for revulsion motion-picture show lovers , the movie maker is also responsible for for directing rooter - pet likeArmy of Darkness , theEvil Deadfilms , and most recentlyDrag Me to Hell . While the in - requirement director ca n’t in person oversee every scary movie project that queer his desk , he ’s assisted in bringing several other fan - favorite revulsion properties to the big screen - producing the AmericanGrudgeseries as well as the upcomingPoltergeistremake .
ForThe Possession , Raimi turn over over the theater director ’s chair to Danish film maker , Ole Bornedal ( Nightwatch ) - with a dramatis personae that includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan ( Watchmen ) , Kyra Sedgwick ( The Closer ) , as well as reggae fusion recording artist , Matisyahu . Has Bornedal , who is mostly nameless to American interview , managed to take enough pages out of Raimi ’s playbook in club to present audiences with a terrific young take on the " possess young person " repugnance sub - writing style ?
Unfortunately , despite a self-colored execution from Morgan and several genuinely creepy moments , The Possessionfails to severalize itself from received exorcism stories and motion picture experiences - even if it is " Based on True event . " While the " Box " chemical element of the plot definitely adds mystery and intrigue to the minutes , many of the photographic film ’s twist , change by reversal , and scares are well predictable ( not to name outright spoiled in the trailer ) despite being redact in an above middling nucleus premiss . Unlike the often glossa - in - buttock approach of some Raimi - produced horror movies , The Possessiontakes itself very gravely and moviegoer attend for a unequalled or stern scare fest will belike be underwhelmed . However , compelling lead actors and mostly engaging characters elevate theThe Possessionabove some of its dispossession picture contemporaries - resulting in a competent but unremarkable horror drama hybrid .
As mentioned , The Possessionstory is pretty basic fare : following a protract interval ( and eventual divorce ) between Clyde ( Morgan ) and Stephanie Brenek ( Sedgwick ) , daughters Em ( Natasha Calis ) and Hannah ( Madison Davenport ) survive with their mother and expend prison term with their father during sure weekends . On one of their visits , Em , Hannah , and Clyde visit a neighborhood yard cut-rate sale - where the youthful Brenek girl is quickly drawn to a secret box engraved with Hebrew inscriptions . However , when the loge is in conclusion opened , Em begins to exhibit uncharacteristically strange as well as more and more red behaviors . As his girl grows more and more disconnected ( not to observe unsafe ) , Clyde engage Rabbi Tzadok ( Matisyahu ) to serve him follow the origin of the malevolent box . Of course , it ’s never quite that simple , right ?
The dynamics between Clyde and his daughters deliver the goods in add together a grounded , and relatable , layer of family dramatic event onto what would otherwise be a very standard dispossession story . The film , and horror scares , are much more subdued than similar offerings - relying heavily on solid performances from Morgan and Calis to relay Em ’s ongoing shift . Sedgwick ’s Stephanie , as well as the over - arc divorcement patch assembly line , is n’t about as compelling as the Clyde and Em interactions but , for the most part , they make for to help oneself make Morgan ’s lineament more adorable - given that he ’s at first border as a sort but in the end self - absorbed and scatty forefather .
Bornedal owe a lot to Morgan - considering the actor approaches hisPossessionrole as if he were in an indie Oscar - bait flick . Clyde is well one of the most endearing horror protagonists in recent memory - largely because Morgan commit to scenes that would otherwise be histrionic with a nicety and charm that is seldom find oneself in the genre . The delicate affection between Em and Clyde , juxtaposed against the more complicated family relationship of Clyde and teenager Hannah , offer an fascinating foundation for things to go horribly wrong .
Similarly , Calis is captivating as she carries Em from a sweet and witching kid who spouts quips about the benefit of vegetarianism to a very creepy and core out out watercraft for malevolent incarnate . There ’s never a moment where Calis comes across as a vernal actress play a ominous character - even when the film pushes family drama to the side in favor of upping the repulsion ante . Whether recreate Em lucid and aware or " possessed , " as soon as the corner is opened , Calis delivers a smart balance that go on the young girl ’s care and mix-up consistently at the cutting edge - which is far more horrifying to ascertain than many of the film ’s scripted scares .
In spite of those nuanced offerings from the lead story , The Possessionpresents a pretty thin repugnance experience . There are jumping scare , tense and crimson skirmish , as well as plenty of creepy moments but there ’s also very little that audiences will not have control before in one picture or another . Most of the genuine " kills " are enact on side characters with sparse connections to the Brenek family - little more than center to keep tension up while transforming Em and explore the box enigma . As a result , without real worked up investment in likely victims , witness are mostly just watching a series of violent thing play out , not fully engaged in the would - be horror , since there ’s no aroused connection to satisfy . That said , once the film attain the third turn , and the truth about the boxwood and Em derive full dress circle , there ’s a fleeting opportunity where enough pieces accrue into topographic point and a few genuinely interesting horror moments are provided . Unfortunately , by that point , many motion-picture fan may feel as thoughThe Possessionhit its pace far too late .
A pair of acute performances as well as an challenging pith assumption aid elevateThe Possessionabove criterion exorcism oblation and moviegoer who are interested in a creepy drama movie emphasize by a telephone number of disturbing horror second might determine something worthwhile inThe Possession . However , the pic is miss the playfulness of prior Raimi - produced efforts and , as a more serious film , miss both unique scares as well as interesting twist . In the ending , it ’s hard to recommend the photographic film to the common repugnance crowd , impart that many will have seen a lot ofThe Possessionplayed out in infinite other " possess child " film entry but , for those who just want a spooky dramaturgy stumble ( or are less familiar with the tropes of the genre ) , Bornedal ’s plastic film might be worthyof your soulof a ticker .
The Possession is a supernatural horror film directed by Ole Bornedal. It follows a young girl who becomes obsessed with an antique wooden box purchased at a yard sale, which unbeknownst to her father, contains a malevolent spirit. As her behavior turns increasingly erratic, her family must confront an ancient evil to save her. The film stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick.
If you ’re still on the fence aboutThe Possession , check out the trailer below :
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The Possessionis Rated PG-13 for matured thematic stuff ask violence and disturbing sequences . Now play in theaters .
The Possession is a supernatural repulsion motion picture direct by Ole Bornedal . It follow a young girl who becomes obsessed with an antique wooden box purchase at a yard sales event , which unbeknown to her father , contains a malefic flavor . As her behavior turns increasingly planetary , her crime syndicate must confront an ancient wickedness to save her . The film star Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick .
