A cinematic masterpiece as if Dante Alighieri and Marquis de Sade got high together, took notes in their altered state, and then had Pink Floyd compose the soundtrack.
Imagine waking up from a dream, not knowing where you are, how you got there, or why everyone around you is speaking in a language that makes no sense to you. For anyone like me-who has devoted two-thirds of their life to alcohol and similar indulgences-it's an easy feeling to empathize with. But now, add another layer: not just being out of place in a physical sense, but feeling displaced in time itself.
When you finally snap out of it, you realize the entire world has changed. Your old world has literally burned to the ground, and as if caught in a trance, your mind and body are left wandering aimlessly through the wreckage of the apocalypse.
There's no need for elaborate metaphors. As of 2025, anyone who has lived through the past two decades into middle age can relate to this feeling.
Zulawski's film-like all of his works-isn't for everyone. As I've frequently written on my Letterboxd and IMDb accounts, cinema, in general, shouldn't be for everyone... But we lost that battle.
Many people claim that Possession features Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani at their worst, but the truth is, Zulawski and all his films-including that one-deserve immense respect.
Criterion, hear our plea-add this man's entire filmography to your collection.
