I had been highly anticipating this movie for quite some time, but maybe this wasn’t the best choice for election day in America. Maybe it was. Driven by mesmerizing visual design, intense performances, and killer original music, Possessor Uncut is brutal and relentless, grade-A nightmare fuel.
The story follows an agent for a clandestine organization that uses brain implants to occupy host bodies, for the purposes of targeted assassinations on behalf of private clientele, as she begins to lose control while on assignment and finds herself battling the host’s mind for dominance.
Brandon Cronenberg takes over where his dad left off, putting all his filmmaking talent on display in his sophomore film. His mind-warping, kaleidoscopic visuals give the movie a distinct look that captured the fragility and intangible nature of the mind as well as I’ve ever seen. The practical effects shots are incredible and they’re masterfully woven into the ethereal fabric of the visual design. The subtext about work/life balance and job dissatisfaction is something that most people can probably relate to even if Cronenberg dialed the intensity way up in order to prove a point.
Rupert Lazarus’ minimalist modern production design reminded me of Scanners which I’m sure was intentional since that was one of David Cronenberg’s iconic 80s movies. Everything from the coloration to the shot selection creates a very distinct cinematic presence and I even sensed some Christopher Nolan influence in there as well. Karim Hussain’s shot framing is exceptional and his cinematography is a large part of the film’s visual fingerprint. Jim Williams’ incredible original score gets under your skin in just the right way for this story and is often as unsettling as the visuals it accompanies.
Most of the movies I grew up with were pretty violent and the Schwarzenneger, Stallone era was filled with it, so I’m not typically off-put by that alone but the sheer brutality in this film, at least in the uncut version, was significant. It’s explicitly graphic, while makeup and practical effects are much more realistic than they used to be, so that plays a factor but there was something else that made it so unsettling. It wasn’t just the violence but how Cronenberg wrote it into the characters’ psyche that made it unique. The intimate, personal nature of the savagery is unlike anything I’ve seen before and that’s what made it so arresting. Considering that Evil Dead carries an NC-17 rating, I’m surprised to see this come in as only an R. Consider yourself warned.
Both Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbott gave excellent performances and their mind-meld tango is incredible to watch play out as they both have a distinct physicality to their characters. Riseborough excels in these challenging roles and Abbott’s got a kind of dark Pual Rudd thing going on, so I would be surprised if we didn’t see a lot more of them both. I should also mention that Gabrielle Graham was incredible in her small role. She might only be in it for a few minutes, but her performance set the edge for the rest of the film. Jennifer Jason Leigh and Sean Bean helped bolster the cast with savvy veteran performances as well, and securing those kinds of names is a testament to the strength of the script.
This definitely isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but the filmmaking talent is undeniable and I can’t wait to see what the young Cronenberg does next. Even though I couldn’t fall asleep easily the night I first saw it, I’ve already re-watched it a few times during the rental window if that counts for anything.
Recommendation: Not for the queasy or faint of heart. This movie is going to have a very particular audience, even within the horror community, but it succeeds as a visceral and cerebral piece of psychological horror. If you are a fan of David Cronenberg’s work, then you’ll probably be happy to see Brandon following in his father’s footsteps. Otherwise, you might want to pass on this.