Possession
A marriage collapsing in divided Berlin becomes an operatic descent into obsession, doppelgangers, and grotesque supernatural horror.
Overview
A chilling exploration of love and obsession that spirals into madness.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- hysterical
- surreal
- oppressive
- late night horror viewing
- cult cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly recognize Andrzej Żuławski's striking direction, unforgettable imagery, symbolism, and Isabelle Adjani's ferocious performance, while remaining divided over the film's excessive and confusing melodrama.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mark and Anna's divorce crisis escalates into obsessive confrontations, violence, and monstrous consequences.
Anna's obsessive secret life takes physical form through a gruesome supernatural process connected to the marriage's disintegration.
Isabelle Adjani plays both Anna and Helen, with Helen's calm nature serving as a stark counterpoint to Anna's increasingly volatile behavior.
The direction is noted for swooping camera movement and an unbridled visual style that mirrors the characters' emotional extremity.
Films like Possession, and why
Repulsion
psychological horror, marital breakdown, female hysteria, and destabilized identity
The Brood
surreal domestic horror, sexual anxiety, symbolic transformation, and intense performances
The Fly
body horror, relationship trauma, grotesque metamorphosis, and art-house extremity
The Tenant
enigmatic supernatural horror, fractured identity, and dreamlike psychological dread
Movie Details
- Director
- Andrzej Żuławski
- Release Date
- 1981-05-27
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (1446)
Cast
- Isabelle Adjani
- Sam Neill
- Margit Carstensen
- Heinz Bennent
- Johanna Hofer
- Carl Duering
- Shaun Lawton
- Michael Hogben
- Maximilian Rüthlein
- Thomas Frey
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC+ Amazon Channel, Shudder, Shudder Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel, Kino Film Collection
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Possession about?
- A marriage collapsing in divided Berlin becomes an operatic descent into obsession, doppelgangers, and grotesque supernatural horror.
- What is Possession like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Possession as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Possession violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Possession as graphic.
- What did critics think of Possession?
- Critics broadly recognize Andrzej Żuławski's striking direction, unforgettable imagery, symbolism, and Isabelle Adjani's ferocious performance, while remaining divided over the film's excessive and confusing melodrama.
- Which films are like Possession?
- Films with a similar feel include Repulsion, The Brood, The Fly, and The Tenant.
- How long is Possession?
- Possession runs 124 minutes.
- Where can I watch Possession?
- In United States, Possession streams on Philo, AMC+ Amazon Channel, Shudder, Shudder Amazon Channel, Shudder Apple TV channel, Kino Film Collection.
