Possessor (2020) is Scary Mind-Bending Fun

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The following review is spoiler-free!

The new sci-fi horror film Possessor is unlike anything I've ever seen. Borrowing elements from popular science fiction releases like Inception, Brandon Cronenberg's new movie twists the assassin/heist sci-fi plot into something revolting. Like a car crash, once you start watching you can't look away from every bit of gore and terror on screen. IndieWire called Possessor a "gory techno-thriller" and I couldn't agree more. 

Possessor operates within strict rules and logic which establish an unwavering sense of realism. Its slow pacing and meticulous depiction of the daily grind of the average worker makes its universe feel lived in and real. The future Cronenberg shows us isn't sleek and chrome, its either pastel apartment complexes through a muddy gray lens or horrifically bright red.

Despite its promotional imagery the horror of the movie is rarely visual. Instead Possessor grabs hold of Stephen King's definition of terror: "when you come home and notice everything you own had been taken away and replaced by an exact substitute." Your boyfriend is not your boyfriend, your wife is not your wife. The protagonist is so accustomed to her work diving into the consciousness of others she has to rehearse her humanity, she wrings her hands and stands in the street as she practices the simple line "I'm starving" until it sounds similar to how she imagines saying it. Her world is an endless pattern of dissociation.

Cronenberg's film is one of the best new releases I've ever seen. It's repulsive and the violence makes it difficult to recommend to the faint of heart, but for those with a strong stomach and the desire to see a film explore the core of identity I can't recommend Possessor enough. Its swelling slow score, incredible (and downright gross) visuals, and meticulously lined up symmetrical shots make it a feast for the eyes and the ears. As the credits rolled I was left with one simple thought: How do you recall being yourself when you spend so much time practicing being other people?

Possessor comes out October 2nd and is available in select theaters and drive-ins.

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