It is often unfair to judge a person based on their family. Every person has their own unique identity that deserves to be evaluated on its own terms, but it is commonplace for humans to make these connections regardless. It is easy to assume this is a topic that somewhat plagues director Brandon Cronenberg, son of horror shock-horror maestro David Cronenberg (Shivers, The Fly). When you are the progeny of such a notable filmmaker, you can either go in the complete opposite direction or embrace the baggage that comes with your name. Cronenberg does the latter with real gusto in his sophomore effort that coincidentally enough tackles themes of identity in the context of some extremely trippy and gross body horror. Billed as Possessor Uncut, the film has become a lively topic of conversation ever since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January due to the extremely graphic content that resides in the black soul of the film. The film is extremely violent and squirm inducing, but it is actually best to approach this one with lowered expectations if you are coming to it solely for this. The film is a fascinating tale, but stories of the severity of the actions may not live up to the hype for those with a high tolerance for rough images.
The film starts out with the grisly murder of an important businessman in a Toronto restaurant by a young woman named Holly (Gabrielle Graham). Holly is shown mercilessly stabbing this man over and over before agonizing over the decision to kill herself. Holly’s fate is sealed by responding police while a ghostly pale woman snaps out of a machine across town like something out of The Matrix. This woman is Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough, Mandy), the ace star of a secretive company that deals in corporate assassinations through technological possession of unsuspecting host bodies. If Inception wants to control you through your subconscious, the individuals in Possessor say that is too much work and hijack your physical body to perpetrate murder and leave you for dead. Brain hijacking can be a bit rough on those who participate in it, which is why Tasya has a supervisor named Girder (Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight) to make sure her mind is completely untangled upon returning to her body. All is not right with Tasya, though; the hit with Holly did not go completely as planned on multiple fronts, and she cannot seem to stop thinking of a knife sliding into the neck of her victim when she is with her family. Is this a sign that she is haunted by her actions, or is this obsession a hint of an underlying darkness that pulses through her? The film keeps such questions purposefully vague.
Tasya needs to take a break from work, but she no longer feels her family is safe around her. When she is called upon to participate in a high-value assassination, she gets ready to do what she does best. She is set to jump into the mind of lowly corporate drone Colin Tate (Christopher Abbott, The Sinner), who happens to be dating the daughter (Tuppence Middleton) of the CEO of a data-mining conglomerate (Sean Bean, Game of Thrones). Some very important people want this man to be taken out of power, and being killed by the tread-upon potential son-in-law seems like a reasonable narrative. The film is way more conventionally plotted than one might expect, but the ways in which it keeps you guessing is where this movie truly thrills. The interplay between Riseborough and Abbott is fascinating to track, as both actors are doing some truly stellar work. Abbott is rarely playing Colin as a person, but rather Colin as inhabited by Tasya. The way in which Abbott is able to convey being a stranger in his own body is endlessly fascinating. As the cracks that were present in Tasya start to come through when she is in Colin, things get wildly opaque as the lines between the two start collapsing and you are never quite sure who is in control of the host.
Possessor is not a film that is going to answer all of your questions, and that is okay. This is a film that is tailor-made to inspire discussions concerning the ambitious ideas at the center of the narrative. Cronenberg has crafted a psychodrama that leaves you questioning whether or not we can ever truly know if we are in control of our actions. The manner in which identity is moulded by modern technology is taken to its most extreme conclusion throughout the course of this narrative. Cronenberg depicts the slipping of self through the melting and stretching of flesh in a way that is quite a spectacle to behold. Of course, he has picked up a thing or two from his dear old dad concerning practical in-camera effects while bringing something inherently of his own making to the proceedings. This is an impeccably made film on a technical level; the lead performances could not be better and the visuals are some of the most striking you will see this year. Possessor is one of the more accessible of the “shocking films” that seem to come out every so often. The narrative journey can be a bit unsteady, but the execution is so bold that you cannot help but be transfixed by the whole thing.
Video Quality
Possessor Uncut makes the most of its 4K 2160p presentation in 1.78:1 on this 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc. Due to the nature of the way this film uses perspective to inform the narrative, the styles on display here make for a stylistically inconsistent but technically accurate disc. There are so many shots that are intentionally high contrast, undefined or saturated with bold colors. No matter what is happening in the shot, the transfer is typically rendering it completely accurate to the creative intent. This presentation especially shows its worth with black levels that are incredibly deep and detailed with digital noise mostly absent from the screen. The 4K presentation provides a depth of field that just cannot be replicated as well with the accompanying Blu-Ray. Brighter scenes wow with an intense clarity and a strong handle of white levels that show no evidence of blooming. Skin tones look very realistic throughout and show a great amount of facial detail, even when skin starts getting stretched and pulled apart. Color highlights are another area of substantial improvement in comparison to the Blu-Ray. Colors from diffusion in certain settings to the crimson blood of victims really pop. The level of detail on the 4K UHD is so impressive that it makes some of the stomach churning gore seem that much more visceral. Overall, this is an excellent 4K UHD presentation that offers a noticeable uptick in quality on multiple fronts.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that opens up this world in a pretty fascinating way sonically. The sound design appears to be working overdrive here with instances of dreamy echoes, intense score and more all being brought together for one thrilling experience. The moments of possession offer distinct sounds that creep through the surrounds to provide some excellent ambient details. All of the various sounds in the mix seem accurately placed so that nothing ever feels off. Dialogue sounds perfectly clear without sound effects or the score trouncing on important information. The subwoofer is given an intense workout throughout much of the runtime when engaging in the fracturing reality. This track mostly feels like an assault on the senses in the very best way.
Special Features
- Deleted Scenes: Three scenes of unused material totaling nearly nine minutes are provided here featuring Tasya struggling with being in her own body, a discussion between a possessed Colin and the client and Girder shown in the syncing process. These lessens the ambiguity somewhat, but they are very much worth checking out.
- Behind The Scenes:
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- A Heightened World: A nearly 11-minute look at the world with the cast and crew in which they discuss the aesthetic they were trying to accomplish and reveal how they pulled off certain special effects in the film. There are some shots in the film that I was shocked to learn were not CGI, and learning the practical things they employed is incredibly fascinating.
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- Identity Crisis: A 15-minute behind-the-scenes featurette which looks into the origins in the movie, Cronenberg’s work with the actors, the ideas in the film and more. The participants are game to offer up insights into the story and filmmaking process in a way that is really enjoyable.
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- The Joy of Practical: A 12-minute examination of the special effects in the film that is a bloody fun time.
- Green Band Teaser: The minute-and-a-half long trailer that is appropriate for general audiences.
- Red Band Teaser: This minute-and-a-half long trailer includes some imagery that is not for children.
- Uncut Trailer: A two-minute trailer that is more in-depth and gives you a better sense of the plot.
Final Thoughts
Possessor is an extremely trippy and deliciously unsettling psychological drama that is not for the faint of heart. The performances in this film are truly incredible to witness, and Cronenberg directs with a mesmerizing eye for visuals. The film is not one for easy answers, but repeated viewings should reveal even more to appreciate within the story. Well Go USA has delivered an extremely strong 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a wonderful A/V presentation and some interesting special features. If you are craving a dark, violent sci-fi tale that burrows itself into your brain, Possessor should prove to be a wise use of your time. Highly Recommended
Possessor will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital on December 8, 2020 in its Rated and Uncut forms.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Well Go USA has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
