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Possessor

Possessor

2020
Sci-fi, Suspense/Thriller
1h 43m
Possessor follows an agent who works for a secretive organization that uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people's bodies - ultimately driving them to commit assassinations for high-paying clients. (imdb)
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Possessor

2020
Sci-fi, Suspense/Thriller
1h 43m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 55.83% from 712 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(712)
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Rated 25 Oct 2021
76
70th
I like my Cronenbergian body-controlling assassin movies like I like my coffee; bleak, emotionally distant and at times deeply uncomfortable with surges of intense violence. ...Man, I drink some weird fuckin' coffee.
Rated 01 Sep 2021
69
59th
Liked the cast and concept, could've lived without the Unrated version. An old man essay by Paxton: It's an odd thing to have grown up a gorehound and to be absolutely repulsed with today's horror. I think there's so much more hate behind what movies want to show you now. Tom Savini was excited to make things realistic and push boundaries but seemingly without loathing his audience, a more "look what I can do" approach than "bet you can't sit through this." Stupid when it's a Cronenberg, I know.
Rated 17 Nov 2020
81
86th
You'd be forgiven for thinking David Cronenberg is lying in a pod somewhere as his son's body goes to producer's meetings and sells them on themes of gender and identiy. Dad's face smirks as his son's body informs them that the gore, nudity and practical effects are necessary, really. And they're not even lying. Except then David wakes up and goes Damn, son, I never taught you THAT.
Rated 31 Oct 2020
78
71st
A grim look at the melding of our own identities with our work. The lack of freedom our work gives us and even if they do it's all the illusion of choice. How corporate identity has melded entirely with our own being. There's no escape.Technology is not inherently our friend. Progress is not inherently our friend. All these things need a firm guidance via the immortal science of Marxist Leninism and I have my doubts Visually stunning. Those colours! It is weird to see people vape in movies
Rated 25 Jan 2021
80
77th
Cerebral and gross oh baby long live this new flesh.
Rated 19 May 2021
75
72nd
Interesting, high-concept horror with some great ideas, made with a nice sense of style. Not wholly successful, but there was a lot going on under the surface, and even without that it was very watchable. It's very violent. I kind of wish I hadn't known who the director was before I watched it, because I ended up looking for comparisons in style and ideas throughout. Didn't really harm my enjoyment of the film, though. Worth a look.
Rated 02 Jan 2021
76
68th
If Antiviral was Brandon Cronenberg's Dead Ringers, then Possessor is his Scanners. Full of big, bold ideas and executed with plenty of style and gore. I was left wanting much more on a character level, and the script was asking for another draft or two, but the end result is still absolutely worth watching. Hopefully, we don't have to wait another 8 years for the next Brandon Cronenberg film
Rated 15 May 2021
70
67th
Playing like an ultra-violent episode of Black Mirror, Possessor is a fine debut, both strong visually and thematically interesting, but the minimalistic approach to storytelling hinters any real depth and the characters feel cold and empty (which might be a point in itself, but doesn't really work for me)
Rated 02 Oct 2020
90
87th
Brandon Cronenberg's second feature cannot help but remind you of his father, both because of the subject matter and the presence of "eXistenZ" star Jennifer Jason Leigh as Riseborough's handler. But this is far better than a mere copy of his dad's style. He has a much richer visual style, feeling at times like the more recent films of Nicolas Winding Refn or the work of Pan Cosmatos.
Rated 03 Jan 2021
82
80th
Brandon Cronenberg's second feature film is completely nihilistic and grim as hell. A warning about the continued sophistication of technology and our inability to separate ourselves from our work both have clear paths from his father's work. The synth score and dazzling practical effects are both haunting and make for a difficult viewing. Not for the faint of heart.
Rated 23 Jan 2021
5
57th
Some interesting scifi concepts and subtle worldbuilding (almost reminded me of the first John Wick in that way) in service of a kind of psychological thriller under which beats the heart of more or less a slasher film. Only real problem for me was pretty much zero connection with the main character or most others. Didn’t really care at all what happened to her, which is a legitimate way to tell a story but an obstacle for me in a thriller context.
Rated 12 Feb 2021
85
94th
I'm not a gore hound so I found the violence wildly disgusting. However, this is exactly the sort of sci-fi concept that tickles my fancy, and it has atmosphere in spades. And a compelling lead performance by Christopher Abbott.
Rated 28 Mar 2021
60
35th
My main issue with this film is how emotionally detached it is. Yes, that's the point, but it's difficult to become engaged with a sullen, quiet character who just ambles from scene to scene. I did like when the film focused on the body horror, because the film did get nice and gross. Sean Bean fulfills his destiny yet again here. Watching the uncut version, the biggest surprise in this film was seeing an erect penis on screen.
Rated 07 Nov 2020
8
81st
in a hipper alternate universe where malls are still a thing and Spencer Gifts is still cool, Deformed Andrea Riseborough POSSESSOR masks are in stock and all the edgy kids went as Deformed Andrea Riseborough in POSSESSOR for Halloween and I gave them all the good candy.
Rated 27 Dec 2020
70
70th
This is going to be polarizing. While I’d say I liked it, I can certainly see why many would hate it. I thought it looked great visually, and the premise is both intriguing and terrifying, just thinking about someone you know being possessed by a stranger. The pacing is slow, the transition shots can be a bit too artsy and drawn out, and it’s pretty brutal, so all of that may be a deal breaker for some.
Rated 29 Dec 2020
84
77th
When nepotism succeeds. Cronenberg Jnr has arguably made the kind of film his father would've in his body horror heyday, but with an updated technological sense and a heightened conspiratorial essence. An absolutely lean film, with mild twists and turns that aren't too jarring, but keep you alarmed and engaged all the way through right up to the end, all the while conveying a smart, but certainly not forced examination of the psychological effects of vicarious violence.
Rated 06 Jan 2021
84
91st
Fucked up take about who is actually in control of your life. With beautifully disturbing visuals and pretty mean gore effects, Brandon Cronenberg paints a nasty futuristic horror Sci-Fi picture for the ages. Though definitely not for all ages.
Rated 07 Jan 2021
70
42nd
It doesn't shock me that the son of the guy who made Cosmopolis & Eastern Promises made this. Brandon has adopted his father's detachment and penchant for high violence. I dig this premise and the idea of suffering from a blurring of realities. Pretty cool visual sequences during and after the Tate possession. The atmosphere is really on point here but the end result isn't anything overly spectacular. It's just a solid, surface-level sci-fi thriller, with way more dick and sex than expected.
Rated 17 Jan 2021
73
60th
Definitely a thoughtful movie about layered identities and the blurred power between different agents. This is definitely begging to have a queer analysis done to it, for the symbolic content is very apparent. I enjoyed the meditative pace, but something feels unfinished or not compelling in the execution of this film.
Rated 15 May 2021
40
28th
Not my jive at all. I guess the idea is fine, like a technophobic version of 'Being John Malkowich', but I didn't enjoy how it was executed. The 'artsy strobe' effects, the gratuitous sex scenes and the schlock violence ruined the themes that the concept could have explored. The direction felt a bit amateurish to be honest.
Rated 09 Dec 2021
50
23rd
I watched the uncut version. Pretentious and boring. A good story that could have been thrilling ruined with artsy nonsense.
Rated 13 Feb 2021
50
15th
The uncut version is bad. The penises don't help.
Rated 11 Nov 2020
87
86th
Transgender questions/dilemmas are slowly seeping into pop culture. They are becoming new, productive angles of how and what stories we tell each other. And I'm all here for it.
Rated 18 Jun 2021
58
26th
Like Son, Like Father!!! I know it's too soon to give my opinion (this is the first Film of brondon that I watched) but ; common!! not another Cronenberg!! I still have some problem with the Orginal one!!!
Rated 24 Nov 2020
30
20th
I wish they had focused more in the psychological toll and identity loss of the protagonist instead of going to the "what if the host fights back" angle.
Rated 11 Feb 2021
86
94th
This movie keeps getting into my head since I've seen it, and that's something I'm very happy to say about this one in particular. It's thought-provoking, moody, dark, and both physically and spiritually gruesome.
Rated 16 Apr 2021
80
60th
This is a very slow burn. It lacks a bit of context both in exposition and character development. Also the level of gore while done about as well as something like that can be done, was completely over the top and unnecessary. Fortunately though the film is bolstered by some great acting in addition to a captivating atmosphere brought on by wonderful (albeit minimal) world building. The premise itself is highly intriguing with just the right amount of Sci-fi elements sprinkled throughout.
Rated 26 Apr 2020
70
41st
The apple doesn't seem to fall too far from the tree with Cronenberg. Shades of his father are everywhere. It's a good movie, doesn't take long at all to get to gruesome deaths and when the gore happens it is sure to satisfy gorehounds. The plot itself is cool but I wasn't really able to get invested emotionally in the characters so it didn't have the impact that it might have had otherwise. I wish it would have explored its themes with more depth.
Rated 02 May 2020
90
96th
Long live the temporary flesh!
Rated 29 Jul 2020
50
49th
A low budget horror film that delivered a bit more than expected. Good performances but weak character development. At times, the story was hard to follow. A few segments were obfuscated by poor editing or sloppy direction. The music had sound-level problems. Simple plot. The special effects were mixed. Despite its flaws, it is effective. Worthwhile, if you don't mind the blood and gore which was fairly well done.
Rated 27 Aug 2020
66
0th
There's too much at work here that invokes the juxtaposition of inner and outer landscapes explored by papa Cronenberg but the sleek brutality of the film as well as the anchored, meditative repoire between Riseborough and Jennifer Jason Leigh give the film a bitter undercurrent as the screen is doused in blood. The same sort of disquiet that Brandon Cronenberg is after here has already been done better and with less reliance on gore by Almodavar, et al
Rated 04 Sep 2020
79
39th
Man this movie left me feeling confused. Not cause of the story, which is interesting and at times confusing on its own. I'm confused cause the premise is so cool and the scenes are shot so well, but god are the characters hollow. Anyone that's about to get character development leaves the moive, maybe they'll return 45 minutes? But not in a meaningful way that shows growth, so it doesn't really matter. With the deep flaws, fans of Cronenberg's father or body horror in general should still watch
Rated 09 Oct 2020
55
43rd
I like a lot how it conveys corporate sci-fi thriller in a gruesome slasher fashion -- just for the sake of shocking -- but I'm quite not sure about its arthouse-esque, surrealistic deviations leading nowhere. Sure as hell I would have enjoyed this much if it were a bit more straightforward and less foggy.
Rated 16 Nov 2020
70
58th
we've all had an "off" week at work... (also, Abbott is just quietly becoming one of the best actors of his generation with these roles, huh?)
Rated 05 Nov 2020
59
17th
I didn't like Possessor. With lacklustre action, artsy (or pretentious) shots & tedious dialogue; it's the frustratingly bad characters that are detrimental to the film. The intro sets up the premise well, but the following scene with Leigh & Riseborough is indicative of the tone the film takes. Whether Cronenberg's writing, direction or Abbott's performance, the film fails to conjure interest or sympathy. If the theme was the dissolution of humanity, they're must be better films out there.
Rated 10 Jan 2021
79
61st
The vacuous nihilism of 1990s postmodernism, today! There is no privacy, no will, no identity. Brandon Cronenberg keeping it classy like an acutely depressed P. K. Dick who rose from the grave to give one last peculiarly rancorous cautionary tale on technology. Black Mirror is some utopian idealism in comparison to the murky depth of self-loathing and disassociation that is this movie. To watch this film, make like a simulacrum (i.e., meme) and dehumanize yourself and face to bloodshed.
Rated 12 Jan 2021
35
20th
Some new classic of body horror and haute couture style. Dystopia and dysmorphia intermingled with gushing, flowing blood. Murder and suicide as corporate entities. The world as a nihilistic, post-modern house of glass. Something to be put in a chic NYC art gallery, served with salmon and avocado. Count me somewhat impressed, despite my disgust with it.
Rated 01 Apr 2021
83
94th
Two people fight over closet space in a single mind apartment. Both are addicts in very different ways and it all comes to a head in an unexpected way. A-
Rated 25 Aug 2021
64
21st
I'm hardly one to call myself a fan of David Cronenberg's stuff, the body horror is fine in concept, but he never really pulls off a great movie. Clearly, his son has picked up on some of his ideas. So what he produced just felt like diluted Cronenberg with an art house twist. Honestly, Brandon Cronenberg might actually be a better filmmaker than his father, but he didn't produce a better movie yet.
Rated 12 Sep 2021
75
91st
The uncut version's gratuitousness adds the extra punch this story needed to make it a 21st century sci-fi horror standout. I appreciated the extra sex, nudity, and graphic violence--few movies have pushed the limits like this, so it's an efficient and effective way for what is already a good movie to make itself even more memorable and distinguished.
Rated 02 Oct 2021
70
56th
It's definitely movie with an interesting and fresh idea. The thought of losing one's identity and not being in control of your own actions is horrifying on its own. It does drag on some, though, and while it's beautiful to watch, the characters are just not fleshed out enough to care about them. There's not a lot of emotional impact as much as there is the thought of 'this concept is kind of terrifying'.
Rated 09 Nov 2021
70
69th
Astonishing! Groundbreaking! *ALERT!* Please note, that in order to point out this movies' crowning achievement, I'm going to give away its biggest twist! Ready? Sean Bean...lives.
Rated 11 Mar 2022
45
24th
This isn’t the type of movie 
I would look for on my own 
I heard someone talking about it and it caught my attention 
It’s more psychological horror 
I would say but it is interesting to watch
Rated 29 Apr 2021
60
47th
Looks really good. The film is more like a bit of concept art; not particularly exciting or mysterious.
Rated 27 Jan 2023
2
31st
Interesting ideas but shallow execution. The artistic shots overextend their welcome, and the main metaphor takes precedence and is shoved in the viewer's face instead of arising organically out of the story and characters.
Rated 11 Aug 2020
80
73rd
This is the stuff,like Annihilation, that Netflix should be funding. Way better production values than it should have for the budget. Some seriously messed up visuals, good acting, well plotted
Rated 27 Oct 2020
5
81st
A movie worth going to the theatre and getting covid for.
Rated 28 Nov 2020
80
72nd
An interesting and wonderfully gory surrogate thriller further elevated by some undertones on gender synthesis.
Rated 24 Nov 2020
75
46th
wild fucked up ride!
Rated 21 Jun 2020
80
78th
Estranho, sombrio e efetivamente perturbador.
Rated 14 Jul 2020
60
63rd
okay movie
Rated 16 Sep 2020
52
50th
???????? ????? ?????? ???? ??????? ???????? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ? ????? ????? ???. ????? ???? ??? ? ?????? ?? ?????? ???? ??????? ? ?????? ???????? ???? ???? ????????? ???? ??????? ? ?? ??? ??????????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???????? ????? ??????.
Rated 09 Nov 2020
30
18th
DNF. could've been far more focused
Rated 04 Oct 2020
40
25th
Cool concept. Not a whole lot of exploration beyond that. Performances don't have a lot of range, and the plot hinges around a few key action setpieces that don't last longer than a few minutes each. Would be better as a television series.
Rated 23 Nov 2020
80
79th
Oof.
Rated 06 Nov 2020
89
81st
Intense.
Rated 16 Dec 2020
82
82nd
A bleak and satisfying tech thriller with memorable visual effects and gore. I think there would have been room to explore its world and themes further, but maybe this is a case of less is more.
Rated 31 Dec 2020
88
84th
Estava ansiosa por esse e valeu mesmo a pena, body horror de primeira linha e sei que é chover no molhado, mas este Cronenberg não deve nada ao pai, nem sempre filhos de grandes diretores herdam talento o suficiente, mas esse aqui tá com o futuro garantido. Plus: Dessa vez o Sean Bean não morre, mas provavelmente é a suposta morte mais terrível de sua carreira. Full Blu-ray UNCUT EATDIK
Rated 14 Jan 2021
61
27th
????????? - 1 ???????? - 1 ???????? - 1 ????? - 2 ????????? - 2 ????????? ???? - 2 ????????????? - 2 ?????? - 2 ???? - 1 ???? - 3 ?????????? ????? ???? - 1 ???? - 2 ? ???????? ?????? - 2 ??????? - 2 ?????? - 3 ?????? - 1 ??????????? - 1 ???????????? - 2 ??????????? - 2 ????? - 1
Rated 08 Feb 2021
91
73rd
A-
Rated 25 Feb 2021
59
65th
Some pretty good gore and an interesting idea for a movie, but it kinda falls flat on the 3rd act.
Rated 06 Mar 2021
25
12th
More pretentious, boring nonsense, in the same vein as Antiviral.
Rated 22 Mar 2021
80
68th
Raw, gory, and ultra-violent. It reminded me somewhat of ExistenZ (1999). It is also mesmerizing to see the beautiful Andrea Riseborough transformed into a monster using little more than blonde dye.
Rated 23 Mar 2021
6
93rd
Pretty slick and mysterious. Why does the possessor kill so violently? ultra-violence appears as a kind of mystery, insofar as there is almost no situation that requires an ultraviolent approach. Why does she have such a hard time pulling the trigger when her assignments are over given that she seems to have enough control over her host to get them to perform obscenely brutal acts? What is the glitching about?
Rated 26 May 2021
75
73rd
Engaging look at a future where humans can be plugged into like an hdmi cable and used for nefarious purposes. The direction is visceral and graphic, in which Brandon Cronenberg clearly learned a lot from his father. Very underrated film that deserved more acclaim than it received.
Rated 26 Apr 2021
82
81st
Damn. A mind-bending, nasty piece of work.
Rated 14 May 2021
80
31st
Hyped for Brandon's future. Major potential.
Rated 20 Jul 2021
50
22nd
Böyle iyi 1 konu, bu kadar ağır anlatılmamalıydı. Beyin yoluyla, uzaktan insanların, hayatlarını öğrenip, hareketlerini kontrol eden 1 mekanizmaya bağlı olan Andrea, patronunu öldürmek isteyen yeni damata yardımcı olmaya çalışır. İlk filmde, babasının izinden giden yönetmen, sonraki filmlerini de ağır anlatırsa dibe boylayabilir. Anlatım tarzı sert. Filmin sonunda, kalan sağlam bizimdir. Benim beynimde 5 tane lob var. Herkes lobları kadar konuşsun
Rated 12 Nov 2022
75
74th
Seriously was not expecting such an amazing movie! Great idea and brilliantly executed by not very known actors. The shots are great, and I really like that there were multiple main characters through the concept and that the main character's problem at the beginning became her (his?) downfall at the end. Warning: Extreme violence ahead!
Rated 23 Oct 2021
65
60th
Cronenberg Jnr is not quite there yet, but Possessor holds more promise than Antiviral, and there is some evidence that he is trying to carve his own path, despite his obvious debt to other film makers, including his father. The violence is quite unsettling, and Cronenberg throws enough curveballs to keep viewers on edge, creating a heightened sense of expectation to this dark tale of identity, technology and corporate control.
Rated 11 Dec 2021
85
89th
Second film from David Cronenberg's son Brandon who seems to have inherited a lot of his father's sensibilities and aesthetic. It has an intriguing setup that's expanded on logically and is satisfyingly resolved. It's thought provoking and takes its time to tell its story properly and the violent scenes aren't sugar coated hence are much more impactful than the throwaway, consequence-less violence of Hollywood movies. As a result the film feels far more grounded than your average horror movie.
Rated 14 Mar 2022
88
80th
I must be completely desensitized to gore ever since that deplorable scene from Bone Tomahawk or maybe it was the Xanax
Rated 01 Nov 2022
68
36th
possessor and Future Crimes seem similar. I think if they collaborated, we would have had one amazing movie instead of two good movies. There were a lot of interesting high concepts here that I felt were lacking in Future Crimes.
Rated 09 Mar 2023
25
15th
Why does every A24 or Neon film transmit information in a way only nerds with film degrees could even begin to understand? Half this movie is just random montage images trying to convey "something." I'm probably just too stupid. I like my Cronenberg (Jr?) as much as the next psychopath, but this is so arbitrary and masturbatory I can't even appreciate the great cinematography or Sean Bean. And when I can't appreciate Sean Bean, you really messed up. I'll go back to being stupid now.
Rated 06 Apr 2023
8
1st
Haaaaaaated this movie
Rated 20 Jul 2023
80
42nd
The depersonalization is really strong in this film, and seemingly straight forward scenes can be unclear. The writing kind of falls off in the last third, feels like they lost the plot. this is vaping cinema. like literally everyone was vaping constantly, very funny.

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