Possessor (2020)

Possessor follows an agent who works for a secretive organization that uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people's bodies - ultimately driving them to commit assassinations for high-paying clients.

Director:

Brandon Cronenberg

Writer:

Brandon Cronenberg

Stars:

Andrea Riseborough, Christopher Abbott, Jennifer Jason Leigh

13 wins & 37 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gabrielle Graham	...	Holly
Hanneke Talbot	...	Katherine
Matthew Garlick	...	Elio
Daniel Park	...	Policeman
Andrea Riseborough	...	Tasya Vos
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Girder
Hrant Alianak	...	Lead Technician
Rachael Crawford	...	Dr. Melis
Rossif Sutherland	...	Michael Vos
Gage Graham-Arbuthnot	...	Ira Vos
Kathy Maloney	...	Reporter
Megan Vincent	...	Alice
Danny Waugh	...	Patrick
Christopher Abbott	...	Colin Tate
Tuppence Middleton	...	Ava Parse

Storyline

Tasya Vos is a corporate agent who uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people's bodies, driving them to commit assassinations for the benefit of the company. While she has a special gift for the work, her experiences on these jobs have caused a dramatic change in her, and in her own life she struggles to suppress violent memories and urges. As her mental strain intensifies, she begins to lose control, and soon she finds herself trapped in the mind of a man whose identity threatens to destroy her own.

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Plot Keywords:

tech noir | questioning sanity | injection | body horror | assassination attempt | 

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Taglines:

No Body is Safe

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong bloody disturbing violence, strong sexual content, some graphic nudity, language and brief drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the original script, Brandon Cronenberg did not write the character of Holly as belonging to any specific race. Gabrielle Graham's audition for the role impressed him greatly, which led him to cast her right away. In an interview with SyFy he elaborates: "[Graham] really just nailed the subtle, nuanced, and emotional aspects of that sequence. So I cast her for that reason. Obviously, if that character is Black, you can read that scene as saying the corporation has the other layer to their actions in scapegoating her, and especially in the current context, that becomes more relevant."

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Goofs

Early in the film Holly kills a man at a party, then instigates 'death by cop.' After she is shot multiple times and collapses, a police constable (officer) shoots her in the head, killing her. Once the subject is disarmed and no longer a threat, a police constable would not murder the person.

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Quotes

Tasya Vos: Pull me out.

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Alternate Versions

Possessor exists as a cut US R rated version and an uncut MPA Unrated Version titled Possessor Uncut. The producers were keen to differentiate between the two versions and the 'Uncut' tag is an official re-titling of the film. UK releases are the Uncut Version and are 18 rated.

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Connections

Featured in FoundFlix: Possessor (2020) (2020)

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Soundtracks

Detroit II
Written by Shigeto (as Zachary Shigeto Saginaw) & Marcus Elliott
Performed by Shigeto
Published by The Ghostly International
Administered by Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd. & Copyright Control
Licensed courtesy of Ghostly International

User Reviews

An unforgettable ride.

Immensely disturbing, shocking and provocative; "Possessor" takes you on a wild ride while playing with your mind.

In this science-fiction horror film, an agent working for a secretive organization uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people's bodies, driving them to commit assassinations for high-paying clients.

It goes without saying that Cronenberg is heavily influenced by the earlier films his father made but I also couldn't help but think of John Frankenheimer's "Seconds"while watching this. You can see where Cronenberg wants to play with sci-fi, horror and even reality. It's a daring vision and one you won't soon forget (if you have the stomach for it). Christopher Abbott is haunting in the lead role and Andrea Riseborough delivers a solidly chilling performance. It's a scary-ass film and I'm telling you there are visuals in "Possessor" that will haunt you for days, but I recommend you see it.

Follow @snobmedia for all reviews!

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Instagram

Country:

Canada UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 October 2020 (USA)

Also Known As:

Possessor

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$252,664, 4 October 2020

Gross USA:

$752,885

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$910,809

Company Credits

Production Co:

Rhombus Media, Rook Films, Particular Crowd

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1