The Possession is the latest exorcism movie to make its way onto the big screen, and with few flaws, it certainly lived up to my eager expectations. Any horror involving young kids experiencing exorcism is disturbing, tormenting, and truly terrifying – here, The Possession is no exception.
Natasha Calis plays a young girl named Em, who suddenly becomes entranced by an abandoned antique box at a yard sale. Em easily persuades her dad, Clyde (Jeffery Dean Morgan) to buy the collectable and take it to his new home. After countless sleepless nights, Em slowly loses herself to the box and gradually her body is taken over by an evil spirit. With Em’s family convinced her father is to blame for Em’s behaviour; the truth frustratingly unfolds into a race to recover Em’s body, and ultimately, her spirit.
This harrowing horror is based around a true story, which is never good for the nerves! Young Natasha Calis fits into her role perfectly as a demented little demon – I’d certainly say her performance alone lifted the whole film. Aside from Calis’ performance, there were a few things during the film that didn’t seem to add up. What happened to the scary bandaged guy at the beginning? Did the Dentist die? Some unfinished plots somewhat let the film down, resulting in the main storyline becoming far too predictable. In fact, as soon as Em laid her eyes upon the box within 15 minutes of the film, it didn’t take a genius to figure out what was going to happen.
Director Ole Bornedal excelled himself in terms of the fear factor of the film, which ultimately, is what a horror is all about. The Possession had you squirming in your seat in pure anticipation for the many jittery scenes throughout the whole film. The element of knowing a jumpy moment is about to hit you at any point was utterly nerve-wracking, which is why I loved it so much! The Possession typified all things that any conventional horror would include – from grotesque insects to meat-eating vegetarians, and why nobody ever thinks to turn any lights on is beyond me.
Regardless of the predictability, The Possession is a film that I would definitely want to watch again. Those flashes of sheer terror are something to scream about before laughing at, and that can only be achieved from a good film. If you didn’t like moths before, you will definitely have a fear of them now.
