Review: Possessor Limited Edition 4K UHD
4K UHD: Possessor (2020)
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree is the best way to describe Brandon Cronenberg’s work, a modern take of life today, body horror, cerebral, thought provoking and based in the human condition.
In Possessor we follow the story of Tasya Vos (the amazing Andrea Riseborough) who’s an assassin in an alternate 2008.
Vos works for an organisation that kills people for money by taking over control of the minds and bodies of other people, but accessing an implant – they don’t know they have – where other’s consciousness is implanted. The only way Vos can return back to her own mind is by making her host commit suicide.
But Vos is struggling, her handler Girder (Jennifer Jason Leigh) thinks she would kill more effectively if she cut ties with her son Ira and husband Michael, it seems Vos’ real personality is slipping through when she’s on a job, rather than being wholly focused on the job.
Her next job is to take over the body of Colin Tate, (Chris Abbot) who’s engaged to wealthy CEO John Parse’s daughter, Ava. The whole assassination goes wrong. Leaving Vos and Tate battling for life.
It sounds complicated, and is, suspend all belief here for an intelligent, beautifully shot Dystopian story of fragile minds and nature versus nurture. This is an eloquently told film, with wonderful performances throughout, with a good sprinkling of ultra violence. Similar in tone to Crimes of the Future – but Possessor came first, perhaps the mantle has been passed on?
Special Features:
- Presented in Dolby Vision HDR approved by Director Brandon Cronenberg and Director of Photography Karim Hussain
- New audio commentary by Brandon Cronenberg, Producer Rob Cotterill, Karim Hussain and Special Effects Artist Dan Martin
- This Unfamiliar Life: a new interview with Brandon Cronenberg
- Inside the Machine: a new interview with Karim Hussain
- Feel the Real: a new interview with Rob Cotterill
- Disassociating from Mind and Body: Zoë Rose Smith on Possessor
- Camera Test Footage
- FX Show and Tell with Dan Martin
- Archive featurette: A Heightened World – A Look at Possessor
- Archive featurette: Identity Crisis – Bringing Possessor to Life
- Archive featurette: The Joy of Practical – The Effects of Possessor
- Deleted Scenes
- Short Film: Please Speak Continuously and Describe Your Experiences as They Come to You
- Trailer
Review by Tina from a disc kindly supplied by Second Sight Films via Aim Publicity.
