Possessor

Echt heftig! Ein psychologischer Film mit einer düsteren futuristischen Vision, der dem gewöhnlichen Publikum nicht gefallen möchte. Im Gegenteil, mit jeder weiteren Minute sinkt die Anzahl der potenziell zufriedenen Zuschauer*innen. Schon das Thema an sich ist beunruhigend – so eine Zukunft wollen wir nicht! Und die ultrablutige, kaltblütig drastische Gestaltung verstärkt das extreme Erlebnis der Zuschauer*innen. Ein schwerer, emotional unzugänglicher, aber faszinierender und intensiver Film. (16.10.2021)

Possessor is a very unconventional film that I went into completely blind, and I was all the more surprised by its interesting premise. Tracking, abducting and then controlling people via brain implants is not a common movie idea after all, and when the horror genre is thrown into the mix, it's a combination that deserves attention. But what happens when the controlled subject spirals out of control and regains their original consciousness? The drawback for mainstream audiences is definitely the slow pace, which picks up a bit after an hour, bringing with it a brutal and unexpected climax that will please gore fans in particular. From that point on, things get going and you know what you're in for. The narrative style is too artsy in places, the shots are long and the music psychotic to the point of being suggestive, but paradoxically it suited me here and I have no problem with it in reasonable quantity. The finale is bleak, depressing, and perfectly reflects the interplay between the two personalities (the possessor and the possessed) while forcing the viewer to ask an existential question about this whole subject, sort of a cinematic version of Black Mirror. The film won't please everyone, but those who get into it will be delighted. (20.11.2020)

The critics at Sundance shamelessly sang odes to it and, after reading a few texts praising it as a genre milestone and a unique, bold and tough film like no other, I imagined it a little differently in my head. I won’t pretend that I was unconditionally happy with what I got in the end, but that’s not Cronenberg’s mistake. Possessor does have a good and original premise, it’s certainly well and stylishly shot and acted… but, with equal certainty, it remains a low-key small thriller and calling it one of the movie events of the year is not really anchored in reality. The experience is hindered by a strong link between the viewer and two of the main characters and, in my opinion, also because the struggle between the characters of Riseborough and Abbott lacks more tangible substance. (03.05.2020)

A Canadian oddity from Cronenberg jr. A very strange film that has an interesting idea about brain implants that can control alien bodies and make them do nasty things. I remember that the first festival reviews were very enthusiastic and the film leaked online before its trailer, so I didn't know what I was getting into, but I'm not too happy. The film has a very slow and uninteresting pace and even though there are about three nice brutal scenes (beginning, middle, end), I was more bored than entertained. It's a little too artsy for my taste and definitely more for the discerning viewer. But it will find its fans. Story***, Action**, Humor>No, Violence***, Entertainment**, Music***, Visuals***, Atmosphere**, Suspense**. 5/10. (28.04.2020)

If anyone is to copy David Cronenberg, then at least let it be another Cronenberg. The apple not only didn’t fall far from the tree, but also fell into the paranoid cyber-thriller genre and even invited Jennifer Jason Leigh along for the ride. The truth, however, is that while the father (in the first half of his creative career) realised his potential through biomechanics and grotesque apparatuses, the son rather keeps the body and technology separate and deals with the connection of minds, not only thematically, but also formally through edited collages and expressive tableaux. (21.02.2020)