Charles Camp An incredibly bizarre film about the dissolution of a marriage told through the lens of the creature/body horror genre. Lots of lofty, philosophical dialogue as well about religion and human nature, though tonally the film goes for outlandishness and, at times, comedy, rather than feeling stuffy and intellectualized. Most of my enjoyment was derived from the unique genre-mashing, very compelling and somewhat experimental camerawork, and the absolutely unhinged performances. The acting in this film is really quite something. If you've ever seen a film by Andrzej Zulawski, you're aware that he directs his actors in a very atypical way and the result is what most would call "overacting." In this film, the absurdity and sheer intensity of the performances works quite well and leads to some truly arresting moments. However, the "heightened" acting style persists in nearly every scene, even those that may not really call for it. I fully realize that this is the style Zulawski is going for, but to my taste it was occasionally off-putting and took me out of the film. Perhaps just a bit more restraint here and there could've magnified the impact of the most volatile moments. It also felt like the film could've done a bit better at escalating the tension as it progressed. It's at full throttle nearly right out of the gate and manages to sustain that nicely, but it comes off feeling a bit one-note by the end. Again, some restraint could've possibly made the proceedings feel more dynamic. Regardless, it's a very unique and notable film with great performances that's very much worth checking out if you're into this sort of thing.Light 4/5

rbbdagge I am glad I watched this film alone on DVD because I would have been embarrassed sitting in a cinema with other people. The acting is both artificial and appalling, and the script (?) risible. There simply is no meaning or sense to most (any?) of what is said (or done). Yeah, I get the mental breakdown bit bla bla bla, but even so..... If you love that type of thing, great - go, see it and inject your own meaning to a very blank canvas; if not, stay well away. And no, I am not a fan of Star Wars-type films.

siderite I can't begin to pretend I understood the film, but that means that, at least for me, the movie failed. It was a roller-coaster of great and stupid scenes, of hysterical acting and amazing acting and a script that mingled together divorce drama and Lovecraftian body horror and zen thinking and symbolism so heavy that I couldn't possibly enjoy it.Keep in mind that this is a performance that brought Adjani a Cannes best actress award, which is totally deserved. Sam Neill isn't far behind with an intensity of expression that makes the viewer feel things. However, what I felt was obnoxious was the heavy symbolism, the "you're not smart enough if you don't get it" type of art that always irritated me. If you are a great artist, express yourself so that people can understand.Bottom line: a weird melange of genres that ultimately felt like a masturbatory work for the writer and director of the film. The acting of the main character and the creature effects, as few as they were, were great. Others, like the gay detectives and the "best friend" where not only bad acting, but poorly made characters. The story was a mess. And it was a two hour long film that felt like a three hour one.

Leofwine_draca One of the hands-down most bizarre movies you'll see in your entire life, Andrzej Zulawski's POSSESSION is a remarkable film that resists efforts to pigeonhole it into a genre. Is it a film about marriage breakdown, a la the great European art-house directors of old? Is it a slimy, slithery outer-space horror flick? Is it a crime flick, like the '70s Italian police movies, with private eyes, motorbike chases, and stunts? Or is it a character study of madness and self-hatred, a la Polanski's REPULSION? The answer is none of these and all of them. POSSESSION is a one of a film and a guaranteed love-it or hate-it experience.For what it's worth, I thought it was a really good film, even if it was once of those efforts that make you feel uncomfortable and, in a way, leave you wishing you'd never seen it (I felt the same about THE EXORCIST). Sometimes horror can be just too effective. The marriage disintegration scenes were the worst part of the film for me. Zulawski has his actors shout and scream their way through scene after scene, almost brawling in some instances, hitting and cutting each other and trashing their apartment. Don't expect subtlety here – characters have sudden mood swings and can transform from caring lovers to violent psychopaths in a split second. Isabelle Adjani carries the film, and I actually find her the most frightening thing on screen: her blank stare and icy demeanour give her an almost alien look. You end up really convinced that SHE is mad, so it may be one of the best performances out there.Sam Neill fares less role in a kind of up-and-down role, in the same year that he made his name in OMEN III: THE FINAL CONFLICT. Is he the hero? Is he the villain? Again, he's both and neither, and while I do like this actor a lot, some of his overacting is a little embarrassing. For his worth, though, Zulawski has assembled a great supporting cast of bit players and weirdos, with the highlight being Heinz Bennent's bisexual druggie. This man should have had an Oscar for the creepy character he plays here! One of the main characters in the film is a rarely-seen monster, a weird tentacled squid man animated by great effects from technician Carlo Rombaldi. This is a fantastic creation, even better as we only see it in a handful of moments, and once again Rombaldi has surpassed himself, here at the very highlight of his career.Where to begin with the rest of the movie? Some of it is nasty, with Adjani committing bloody murders and detectives lurking around; it feels like a giallo, something Argento would make, perhaps. The ending throws in some superbly-shot action scenes which come as a nice pay-off for the slow build-up. The climax has an evil doppelganger that reminded me of the alien in PREY. Other parts are just unnecessary – the subway miscarriage is way overdone and completely icky. No wonder this film became a 'video nasty' in Britain for a little while. The film has lots of odd undercurrents and there are even some comic bits. Homosexuality is a running theme, as is parenthood. The ending, with its sounds of bombs dropping, leaves the reader to make their own mind up about just what on earth is going on. I can't define POSSESSION, and I can't begin to describe it, but it scared and disturbed me which meant it worked as a horror flick.