“These violent delights have violent ends” This is a saying that really comes to mind after viewing Possession(1981), and really no easy way of saying how visually disturbing this one is.
The plot is about the deteriorating relationship of a married couple Mark and Anna. Anna asks for a divorce and Mark suspects infidelity is the cause. His suspicions are confirmed but the truth is much deeper and darker than he knows.
This is not an easy watch as you see mental and physical abuse. Mark becomes completely unhinged and Anna does as well. And that is before we even see the more insane things that happen. The subway station scene is definitely one of the most mentally disturbing things that I have seen on film, and that is saying a lot.
And just when you thought that was it, there’s more as there is something in an apartment building that you wish you could unsee. Then it becomes clear something very unnatural is occurring more than just a broken marriage. Yet just when you think you can’t take anymore, the ending throws more on you, utterly breaking your mind at the end.
Yeah, this movie is going to sit with me for awhile. The viewer is left to figure out the reason if there is any. It’s not just one person that’s been affected by whatever is going on. The whole family has, and all of them are just broken beyond repair. Anna is the one is the apex of it all, but her experience passes on to her ex husband and son.
This film is available for streaming for the very first time on Shudder, and if you been hunting this down, this is now your chance to check it out. It’s easy to see just why it was banned when it was originally released. It also contains one of Sam Neill’s earlier roles. Sickening, disturbing, and terrifying, Possession will not leave your mind well after watching, and that is what true horror is all about.
Till next time, stay scared!
-Tha Thrilla-
