Possessor

Directed by Brandon Cronenberg

Running time: 1hr43 | REVIEWED BY CATHERINE BRAY

Possessor (2020) starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Andreas Riseborough

Dystopian sci-fi thriller Possessor features some brief but intense scenes of highly textured violence; you can really feel the teeth shatter, the bones crack and the skulls crunch as they give way. I’m including this wince-inducing detail up top since if that’s not for you, you may wish to move on now. Life is alienating enough, without hanging out in worlds that weren’t designed with you in mind. The assassin in Possessor played by Andrea Riseborough learns a similar life lesson, although when I say “played by Andrea Riseborough”, I should caveat that it’s a little more complicated than that, with plenty of shifting identities and body swap shenanigans in store (shout out to Christopher Abbott — between this and The World To Come, he’s clearly destined for greatness). 

I don’t always gel with Riseborough as a performer, and I think that’s because she’s so very good at acting — I find myself sat there, distracted by the thought “look at this amazing performance - what an actor!” This is my issue, not hers. But that quality really works in her favour here, where shifting personae and the idea of performing your own life are both very much to the fore. This is a slick and engaging existential thriller that moves at a brisk pace and — yes! — also has Jennifer Jason Leigh and Sean Bean in it. Personally, I’d be happy to watch at least a film a month based on that template.

Possessor (2020) Written by Brandon Cronenberg | Shot by Karim Hussain | Edited by Matthew Hannam

Order on BluRay | Available to stream