31 Days of Horror: Possession

Horror isn’t just a genre; it’s an amalgamation of pop culture, cozy traditions, and things that go bump in the night. This year, we're taking our 31 Days of Horror across the entire cultural spectrum. We’ll be taking a look at movies that scare us, games that kept us paranoid, scary books we cozy up with under blankets, music that sets that spooky tone and seasonal food we’re craving–or strange food you’d have to tie us up and force feed us. Whether you’re looking for something truly terrifying or a cozy autumn haunt, come back every day this month for a new bite-sized review or spooky adjacent list.

Birthed out of the painful and tumultuous emotions of writer /director Andrzej Żuławski faced while getting divorced, Possession is a masterpiece of horror. Combining a variety of genre elements in the most pervasive avant garde fashion, the film had been a difficult to procure cult classic. But thanks to the resurgence of physical media, it's now readily available (albeit contentious color grading throughout its releases).

The film centers on the relationship international spy Mark (portrayed fantastically by Sam Neil), his wife Anna (portrayed even more fantastically by Isabelle Adjani), who is seeing another man and wants a separation, and their son Bob. At first glance the film sounds like the making of a great drama, but moments into the film things just feel off. You have to be aware that this film relies heavily on emotion over plot, the feeling you get watching these people slowly destroy their lives over the logic behind their actions. Characters are staged oddly, they speak off to the side, and entire sequences feel disjointed and out of place.

However it's all for a reason. Possession is a finely crafted film that truly take every aspect of its creation into account for maximum effect. The film as as uncomfortable as uncomfortable gets, with it's social political themes (the film takes place in West Berlin in the 80s) seeping into the other aspects of the film: from the duality of people (figuratively and literally as Bob's teacher Helen is the spitting image of his mother), the psychological pain of a divorce, and of course my favorite: body horror.

Much of the film goes off the deep end rather quickly, with instances of otherworldly influences wreaking havoc on Mark and Anna. I don't want to spoil too many of the turns the film takes, but I will not that the subway scene is heartbreaking frightening and insane. It's no wonder that even if you haven't seen the film, the image of Isabelle Adjani frantically flailing around has become a staple of horror imagery.

Like most great films, the film is open to deep and varied interpretation, thanks to its many layers of reality that can all be taken literally or with a boulder sized chuck of salt. You can view everything as a metaphorical representation of the characters heavy distress, or maybe the more supernatural aspect are actually happening. Whatever path you take, it's a harrowing experience that will leave you frightened for day to come.

Go watch this amazing film before Hollywood remakes it. Oh, they already are? and it seems promising? Let's hope it doesn't turn out like one of the film's doppelgangers.