The Possession – Horror Movie Review

When ‘The Possession’ turned up in horror movie suggestions on Netflix, it didn’t look like it would have a lot to offer as far as films dealing with the genre is concerned. The poster of this 2012 production directed by Ole Bornedal might remind viewers of films ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’ (which is a pretty good one by the way) and ‘The Exorcist’.

Let’s get to the plot – Basketball coach Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his wife Stephanie (Sedgwick) are recently divorced, because he is rarely there for his daughters Emily (Natasha Callis) and Hannah (M adison Davenport). With the couple now living in two different homes, the girls get to divide their time between their parents. So one day, when Clyde buys an antique box for his younger daughter Emily, little do they know that it’s home to a sinister spirit that consumes children. The rest of the story is obviously about the possession and if the family can save Emily from the malevolent demon.

This film is very slow, has few jump scares, but when they do come, there is so much anticipation built around the scene that the viewer can expect something creepy is about to happen soon. Unfortunately, for a horror movie, those creepy moments are very few and far in between. The cast is the only saving grace in this thinly plotted script. Actor Natasha Calis who plays little Emily, who gets ‘possessed’, does a very commendable job. It’s funny that I didn’t recognize Jeffrey Dean Morgan in the lead role, despite writing so much about him over his role as the villain ‘Negan’ in ‘The Walking Dead’ series. Sign of a good actor I suppose. So the cast slips into their roles effortlessly, but the story is just not strong enough.

There is some Jewish folklore that’s mixed into the story, which was only mildly interesting. A little more background to the evil spirit could’ve perhaps generated more interest in the viewer. Just a silly old box, with some dead bugs in it doesn’t really inspire confidence in anybody. On the surface, it sure looks harmless, but even when the night gets darker, nothing too sinister happens. The climax was straight out of an 80s horror film, with very little to scare the viewer. It’s a 5/10 for this film from me.