Possum

I enjoyed the first half. It was atmospheric, intriguing, bleak but beautiful. In the second half it starts rehearsing itself as if just to fill time. Very slowly leads it up to the exact conclusion you thought it would have. The latter isn't necessarily bad just feels unrewarding after sitting through so much filler.

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.

'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

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

This film was brilliant, it has a haunting charm and is the only film (other than Donnie Darko and Hereditary) that left me jaw-dropped by the time the screen cut to black and the credits rolled.

This film has beautiful cinematography, haunting soundtrack and even better acting. Seriously, Sean Harris does a fantastic job, the way he manipulates his eyes to represent the torture his character goes through is genuinely scary.

Need I talk about the uncle character? I won't spoil anything but, Jesus, his character makes me unsettled and uncomfortable everytime he is on screen.

I love this film a lot, it's not a scary film, but definitely a haunting one.

I really don't get the criticisms: I don't see how it was boring at all, it was an hour and a half long and despite feeling like a slow burn, it has a surprisingly fast pace. It's not dull, it's bleak, quiet and grey. Also, it's not a horror movie!!! Stop saying it's a bad horror because it's a thriller, it's a study on the psyche of an incredibly tortured soul. Don't go into this expecting a horror movie.