The Possession

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  June 12, 2013

  aquateen2

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  May 6, 2013

  Deano78

  An ok well made film, but again I have an issue with these 12A rated "horror" films, really need to be cranked up a little to be scary which would mean at least a 15 or 18 rating. It's just not that scary or jumpy, it has a good cast but it's too similar to many others of the gen... read morere. It could have been a lot better.

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  March 2, 2013

  fb100000145236770

  "Possession" is the one of latest possessed/exorcism Horror movie to come out. It follows a simple formula, little girl buys mysterious box, box contains demon, and demon possesses girl. From there her divorced parents argue, and ultimately come together to try to save her. B... read moreut, this movie uses a Jewish exorcism instead of a Catholic one, so it is different. It's fine for what it is, and not better or worse than any of the other movies like this. I will say that a couple of the effects are done very good(the girls eye, and the fingers in her throat). That alone helps separate this, but it's not enough to really say "man, this rises above the rest!" The cast are hit and miss, and exactly what you would expect in a movie like this. Horror fans like myself will probably like this for a one time watch, but I doubt anyone will really like this above other movies in the genre.

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  February 11, 2013

  itsjustme2004

  I may possibly have been a little generous with my rating here, but I found this movie much creepier than the majority of fims in this genre lately. It is well done, and not over-the-top at all...which I find is a common flaw with most horror films. Light on the gore, and minimal... read more shock factor here. If you need those, this is not a film for you. While it claims to be based on a true story, the only truth about it is the box. Everything else is pure Hollywood. But, someone did their homework on such phenomena as evil spirits, and ancient folklore, and I really liked that twist.

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  January 26, 2013

  YodaMasterJedi

  three stars...

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  January 19, 2013

  JonathanHutchings

  If you're looking for a 90 minute assemblage of the most obvious cliches in the possession sub-genre, look no further.

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  December 13, 2012

  TheDudeLebowski65

  The Possession is a film that had the potential of being so much better than what it turned out to be. While relying on special effects and cheap jump scares, this film tries to create something terrifying, but ends up falling flat most of the time. The film's biggest problem is ... read morethat it is a possession flick, and it is a subgenre that has been done way too many times before and therefore it gets tiresome, boring and ultimately uninspiring. You become restless halfway through the film, and the scares are predictable and not great whatsoever. As it stands, this is a mediocre film that is only mildly entertaining. The film could have been far better than what it turned out to be, but like I said, this is a genre that has been done before, and we know what to expect due to the fact that The Possession relies on predictable material that is not original and is sloppily written. I think the filmmakers could have done a better job at crafting a well rounded out script that can actually terrify the audience and make it a fun and entertaining ride. As it stands, this film doesn't do anything to deliver effective chills and a truly unique horror experience. Acting wise, there's really no standout performance and each character seem that they were copied from other films in this genre. There is not a shroud of original ideas at work here to really satisfy horror fans, and most of the time, you will be disappointed with the final result. This is one of the worst horror films of 2012, but if you want an effective horror yarn watch Sinister instead. This one on the other hand feels like it was stitched together from previous genre films and it shows. If the script could have been reworked, this one could have succeeded, but it ends up being a mediocre picture that simple leaves you wanting more out of your horror film experience.

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  September 20, 2012

  ghostdog86

  "The Possession" is basically a cautionary tale about what happens when you wear cheap jewelry. Directed by Ole Bornedal and starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan (or a poor man's Javier Bardem) Kyra Sedgwick (a poor woman's actress) and Matisyahu (he's still around?) this "horror" story... read more centers around a divorced couple with joint custody of their two daughters. One day (on daddy's watch) the younger daughter stumbles upon an antique jewelry-esque box at a garage sale. Little does she know that the box contains a "malicious ancient spirit", and it doesn't take long for the box to begin to change how the little girl acts around her parents and to have creepy fingers coming out of her mouth (you've seen the trailers). After that, we get a story where Jeffrey Dean Morgan is running around frantically trying to find out why his daughter is constantly speaking in an annoying demon voice. But will he be able to cure her before the demon takes over his child's body? And more importantly: Will the "malicious ancient spirit" be the thing that could possibly mend this broken family? All of these questions, and more, will be answered in "The Possession". Did I just make it all sound like a bad TV show? Good, since all "The Possession" delivers is an ABC Family after-school special, with demons in it. And therein lies its flaw. Now, are there moments of creepiness? Yes, there are (mostly in the visually engaging climax) but all in all, the story itself is far too simplistically tame and awkwardly silly to be a scary, or even well done, possession story.
  
  In Short: The movie is filled with unintentionally comical moments, the acting is pretty terrible across the board (I realize that nobody is going to watch "The Possession" for the acting, but...) and the story is completely a horror story by-the-numbers. In fact, there is really nothing to like (or be scared about) here until a final half-hour, which surprisingly showcases a visual final sequence which was actually scary.
  
  Side Note: This movie is not altogether as bad as it could have been, BUT if one is going to enjoy a film like "The Possession", the biggest piece of advice I could give would be, do not (DO NOT) fall into the trap of analyzing the validity of the storyline (as this is supposedly "based on a true story") because if you do, this film will fall apart upon contact. Riddled with insanely obvious plot-holes, "The Possession" could be seen (by some) as a scary movie for people who thought "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" was far too complicated. And that would explain why I did slightly begin to enjoy this film once I turned my brain off and focused solely on the visuals.
  
  Final Thought: Proclaiming "The Possession" as the Jewish "Exorcist", as many critics may have a tendency to do, may be more than a bit of a misnomer. I would say that "The Possession" is more like a dumbed down version of "The Exorcist". And again, while this film has its moments that do show off Bornedal's ability to construct a very visually disturbing ending (saving it from being just another one-star movie on Netflix) the story itself is suffocated by its own PG-13 plot so much so, that by the time anything scary happens, many audiences will have completely given up on this film.
  
  Written by Markus Robinson, Edited by Nicole I. Ashland
  
  Follow me on Twitter @moviesmarkus

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  September 12, 2012

  FrizzDrop

  I despise modern day scary movies. Not because they are unoriginal, contrived, and pointless, like you would expect. I also despise these films because of their stellar effects and visually outstanding monsters, ghosts, spirits, demons, and anthropomorphic entities. Though the id... read moreea for these films have been recycled and reused countless times since the original exorcism film of the seventies, they still strike fear with their creative fear mongering, and I do not like to be frightened in any way. This is coming from someone who was scarred by The Grudge while others waved it off as another Japanese reimagining. After watching this troublesome story you realize the buildup is far scarier than the actual payoff. There are very little effects and the final reveal of the fearsome possessor is comical at best. The story follows a little girl who is possessed by a dybbuk, which is a Jewish demon that takes the souls of children to feed itself. The scenes of the little girl possessed could just as easily be seen as a comedy, though the acting is quite convincing. Everyone in this film, especially Madison Davenport as the possessed little girl, did a really great job of being emotionally and mentally fearful without it coming off as overwrought and corny. Still, there is very little that is especially memorable or forgivable in this film. Moments after watching it you can't remember the title, as it's as formulaic and nothing as the rest of this. If you don't like horror films and tense at the very thought of screaming then steer clear of this or any other horror films for that matter, but if you want to learn about a Jewish tradition that is very real in this world, go ahead. You'll be sorry, of course, but go ahead.

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  September 7, 2012

  fb100000040220993

  For nostalgic reasons, when Summer gives way to Autumn, I really enjoy watching Horror movies. These days, I tend to stay in my comfort zone, and stick to the films that I consider classics. The genre just doesn't tend to produce anything memorable, or even watchable these days... read more. That said, this time of year, I'll inevitably go to the theater to witness a new horror film. I know better, but I do it anyway. This year I endured, "The Possession".
  The one thing that "The Possession" had going for it, was that it isn't found footage drivel. On the other hand, it's a movie that involves exorcism, so it's a forgone conclusion, that it will be a failure.
  Filmmakers must stay away from exorcisms. Let's face it, there is only one competent movie that's ever been produced involving the subject matter. Attempting to reproduce or exceed that film's brilliance will always be a futile attempt. Even if the film isn't trying to replicate the classic, it will always draw comparisons to the original, superior offering. Any movie involving exorcism ultimately comes off as an attempt to pass off cow manure as ice cream. There's really no comparison. Of course, if fools like me continue to fork out cash to witness these abominations, studios will continue to make them.
  Anyway, "The Possession" is completely void of any truly original ideas. Only the names, the places, and in this case, the religious denomination have been changed. On top of the stale storyline, the film is inexcusably bland. What transpires is just one monotonous scene after another. The most horrific event that takes place is basically a harmless infestation. While I'm sure being attacked by a swarm of moths is annoying and inconvenient, it's not exactly riveting suspense either. Most of the movie's attempts at unleashing horror are ultimately comical.
  Needless to say, you're better off avoiding "The Possession" all together. It's a waste of time.

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• The Possession
• The Possession: Dibbuk Documentary (Featurette)
• The Possession: Mouth Fingers
• The Possession: Where's My Box
• The Possession: Ole Bornedal On Being Inspired By A True Story
• The Possession: Matisyahu On His Character
• The Possession: Madison Davenport On The Story
• The Possession: Natasha Calis On Her Character
• The Possession: Kyra Sedgwick On Her Character
• The Possession: Jeffrey Dean Morgan On The Film Being Based On A True Story