Possum

Possum is a (very) slight yarn about shamed puppeteer Richie (Sean Harris) returning to the decaying home of his childhood. Richie spends his days wandering an undisclosed part of Norfolk ( population 10?) to the accompaniment of a Radiophonic Workshop soundtrack. There's a child abduction case lurking in the shadows too. Could Richie be involved, and what is that ghastly apparition nesting in the bowels of his bag? Yeah, on paper, this one sounded like it'd be right up my street. So its with heavy heart I regret to inform you that Holness' debut in the writer/director chair is a major disappointment.

Based on a self-penned short story (and showing every inch of it) Holness' painfully derivative Lynchian pseudo art-horror would have been rightly rejected before a frame had been shot had his name not been attached to it. However, it's less Eraserhead and more Frank Henenlotter's Basketcase gatecrashing David Cronenberg's Spider without the wit & intrigue of any of them. Surprise & suspense evaporate within the first 20 minutes and it spends the rest of its time hitting the same dull beat until the non-too-shocking anti-climactic reveal.

I do appreciate the repetitive nature of the narrative is intentional and is absolutely fundamental to the vivid picture it attempts to paint of a nightmare in a damaged brain. But the lack of variation in tone and design (not to mention locations) make for a very ugly and oppressive viewing experience, and not in the way it's creator would hope.

The performances are unconvincing too: Alun Armstrong as Richie's seedy Uncle Maurice, devours the scenery amateur-dramatics Bill Sykes style, whilst Harris (an actor I've irrationally had it in for since his rancid space-crusty turn in Prometheus) goes full method with one-note, misery-guts mug and mannered mannequin body contortions. And true to Lynch-clone fashion, he does it decked out in a gormless-looking, buttoned to the neck grey shirt.

Its ironic then that, the only positive thing to say about him (and Possum as a whole) is the major contribution he makes to the creepy-crawly thing you can see on the poster. The arachnid is sublime, and the only thing you'll remember long after you've forgotten the film.

Found this little gem on Halloween and glad I did. Even though it's not a typical horror persae I would lump it in with Babadook. However I found this movie had more weight than Babadook. Possum is emotionally and psychologically heavy and even though it's a slow burner (some may tire easy) it does hold your attention with very few actors. The film is very atmospheric and does not rely on jump scares but paints a very sad picture indeed. Bleak and sinister af the end made me feel sick, worth a watch.

It's rare today for a horror film to respect its audience as much as 'Possum' does. Horror films that ask their audience to concentrate, think and solve are becoming less and less popular. All people seem to want is the fast-food horror that 'The Conjuring' universe spews out 3-4 times a year. And that's fine if horror isn't the genre you go to when you're looking for a heavy and deep film, but I would suggest you are missing out on some rare treats like 'Possum'.

What's going to hurt this film with audiences the most is that it is admittedly very slow. A lot of the dialogue is cryptic and there is basically no action. Despite this though I found I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. It was almost hypnotising in a way. I was determined to work out exactly what the film was trying to tell me.

The film asks a lot of you. First of all to understand what it all means, and then to understand a twist through that same lens. I was fairly confident I had understood most of it, but I did read an explanation thread on the film afterwards just to be sure I had it right. Needless to say this film won't be for everyone, and some could even argue this isn't really a horror film, but if you feel like a challenge I'd recommend giving it a look.

This was a legitimately solid movie. It somehow managed to feel strange albeit perverted without the use of any exploitive tropes. The feeling of unease definitely comes from the puppet itself; the use of old grungy synths adds to it's abrasively painful presence. The perforemances were never theatrical, but still has the edge of beingn satirical without ever being 'funny'. Expect to get creeped out//or at least uncomfortable when watching. I watched during the daytime and was still frazzled for angood 2 hours after watching. Brit Horror doesnit again. 7/10

'Possum (2018)' is a psychological thriller laden with symbolism and metaphor, both of which aren't fully fathomable until the credits have rolled. Once they have, however, the piece's previously enigmatic images and implications become much more impactful. In fact, they become downright disturbing. This is the true strength of the bizarre little tale: its retrospective horror. Of course, it has in-the-moment merit, too. This includes, but isn't limited to, a fantastic lead performance from Harris, a creepily ethereal score and some successful surrealist imagery. The spidery puppet that stalks the protagonist is rather alarming, especially when it decides to move. It's not so much a 'creature' as a reflection of both the lead's long-buried trauma and film's true meaning, which collate in a truly harrowing final scene. Obviously, the flick isn't perfect. It's pretty slow and, even, repetitive, especially as it moves into its second act. It also asks quite a lot of its audience, in the sense that it requires total engagement in order for its payoff to really stick. I can see why some haven't connected with it. However, its atmosphere and general intrigue are more than enough for me. When all is said and done, it forms a cohesive and actually quite (unconventionally) scary experience. It's not a nice film, but it's undeniably an affecting one. 7/10