Our take
Possessor announces a visionary new voice in Brandon Cronenberg, and is one to watch for the concept alone, brilliantly melding science fiction and horror into one. Cronenberg’s direction is reminiscent of a cross between Christopher Nolan’s Inception and Jonathan Glazer’s Under The Skin, but has more than enough originality to stand well on its own. However, unfortunately, it is surprisingly slow at times, and is far from the mind-blowing gore fest that was promised, resulting in a well made but underwhelming experience. BUT, if you were in the mood for a trippy introspective sci-fi thriller and are able to keep your expectations tempered, this is well worth a watch
What it won
Sundance
1 nom
The story
Tasya Vos, an elite corporate assassin, uses brain-implant technology to take control of other people’s bodies to terminate high profile targets. As she sinks deeper into her latest assignment, Vos becomes trapped inside a mind that threatens to obliterate her.
Elsewhere
"A beautiful nightmare that it's hard to wake up from."
— Leila Latif
"If Possessor ultimately feels more like a testament to its director's excellent taste in influences than a film that entirely gels in itself, it's still a thoroughly troubling watch."
— Alison Willmore
The details
Who picked it
Diego Andaluz is a freelance film critic, journalist, and podcaster based in New York, serving as Awards Editor at DiscussingFilm and Editor-in-Chief of The Global Film Show. His commentary has been featured in AwardsWatch, The Film Stage, Deadline, IndieWire, People, and Mashable.
