Possessor

If Possessor reminds us by these themes of many films by David Cronenberg it is not a coincidence because the writer and director of this film is none other than his son. This belonging is not only felt in the form of this film but also by the many shocking scenes that are scattered throughout the story. Certainly Possessor is not an easily accessible film and does nothing to make itself loved by the spectators. Its disturbing and borderline clinical staging makes this film see itself as a truly intense cinematic experience.

After his first film Antiviral (2012) for which he also wrote and directed, Possessor continues to show that Brandon Cronenberg seems to want to continue in the same artistic direction as his father and this is felt not only from the point of view of his direction but also in his relationship to the body and its mutation. In discovering this film, it is impossible not to think of films like Scanners and Videodrome as the impact of certain scenes turns out to be as shocking as it is truly frightening.

Possessor shows us as an agent, Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) who works for a secret organization using a revolutionary brain implant technology to take possession of other people's bodies, pushing them to commit assassinations for well-paid clients. This seemingly infallible plan will prove to be a double-edged sword, however, when it takes possession of the body of Colin (Christopher Abbott), who turns out to be a being capable of opposing its possession and committing acts of extreme violence.

Brandon Cronenberg must be recognized not only for his gift as a storyteller but also for his real know-how in directing his actors. The cast includes Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Rossif Sutherland, Tuppence Middleton, Sean Bean and Jennifer Jason Leigh. This independent production benefits not only from a quality cast but also shows that each of the important characters is perfectly portrayed. This easily reinforces our immersion in this film.

While today's cinema would tend to rely on spectacular and outrageous effects, Brandon Cronenberg operates here as a true expert in psychology and totally transcends the genres of science fiction and brutal thriller to make this film a real plunge into hell from which no one will come out intact. The brutality of certain scenes will remain ingrained long after the discovery of this film and certainly makes Possessor a film apart and well worth discovering.

Possessor
Written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg
Produced by Fraser Ash, Niv Fichman, Kevin Krikst, Andrew Starke
Starring Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Rossif Sutherland, Tuppence Middleton, Sean Bean, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Music by Jim Williams
Cinematography: Karim Hussain
Edited by Matthew Hannam
Production companies: Rhombus Media, Telefilm Canada, Ontario Creates, Rook Films, Ingenious Media, Crave, Arclight Films
Distributed by Elevation Pictures, Neon (USA), Signature Entertainment (UK), The jokers (France)
Release date: January 25, 2020 (Sundance), October 2, 2020 (United States and Canada), November 27, 2020 (United Kingdom)
Running time: 104 minutes

Viewed November 30, 2020 in original version

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