Possum (2018) User Reviews

A unique and challenging film that won't be everyone's cup of tea

[jtindahouse · 6/10 · 5 August 2019]

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.

Evil hands

[leonayt · 6/10 · 8 March 2019]

The story is about a puppeteer, Richie, came a to small town to visit his uncle. While I was watching, I thought he is a guy that is cursed by some spider spirit. He attempt to destroy the spider puppet but the spider keep on coming back to him.

At the last part of the movie, where he opens the door of a room, that's the time all truth reveals.

When Richie is still small, he was raped(my assumption) and tortured by his uncle Maurice. The scary spider is actually the representation of the hands of uncle Maurice. There was a drawing in Richie's diary where the spider is crawling toward him in his bed. I think it is the illustration of the childhood nightmare of Richie on how his uncle torture him using his evil hands.

First 5/6 of the movie was about Richie throwing away his puppet. As Richie grows old, he try to throw away the "spider"(trauma), but the spider(trauma) keeps on coming back to him. I can see the fear on his face every time he saw the spider.

At the last part of the movie, he enter the room. The childhood trauma replays and he can't bare it no more. He kills his uncle and set free a kid that his uncle kidnapped. I think setting the kid free symbolizes Richie setting himself free from childhood trauma.

You can't kill it...

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 13 September 2019]

'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

Great performance from Sean Harris!

[tedd0093 · 7/10 · 16 September 2019]

This is definitely an audience splitter, since the material itself is very dark and not so frequent on entertaining scenes. When that is said, the movie is very interesting and has a great atmosphere overall.

The main character played by Sean Harris, is a career turning point for the actor, as it is above everything else he has done before! it's emotional and gripping till the very end.

When the movie ends, everything comes together and all the plot points from before suddenly makes sense. Some of the scenes building up in the beginning, can feel a bit tiresome because of the slow tempo and the long unbroken cuts. Some of the scenes might feel a bit irrelevant, although not lesser interesting because of that.

A very solid produced film, with great performances and a very nerving atmosphere that haunts you long after the movie ends.

Disappointment compounded by positive reviews

[peeps_ahoy · 3/10 · 22 August 2021]

First and foremost, this film would be a lot better if we didn't know the entire time from film descriptions etc that the uncle is abusive. But we do, so the film is extremely straight-forward. There's heavy symbolism, but it's so obviously not real and we are beat over the head with it, so it's easy to figure out and it's not trying to evade that.

SECOND, I do not understand some of these reviews. Some say it's the scariest movie or scenes, but I don't see that - and no, I hate jumpscares and am not looking for gore. Also those who said they felt shocked at the end. Reading that before checking this out, the ending was so plain and abrupt that I was left saying "What? ..... WHAT?" in confusion how that was where the film ended.

The only way this can be actual horror (as opposed to an artistic depiction of an abused person and their psyche) is if you are deathly afraid of that puppet. And yes, it's creepy and I hated seeing its face, but it is not onscreen much at all. Most of the film is the camera watching Philip from a distance walking around in still outside scenes.

Also the heck were those things in the jar?! That is the one thing that was actually unclear to me, and clearly they are significant.

Oh well. If you want very artsy, low dialogue psychological drama with some creepy moments showing (simply showing, like laid down in some grass) the "puppet", this is for you. But I wouldn't dub this horror, nor nearly as good as people claim it to be (under the horror label). Definitely felt like a slow burn with almost no burn, just a bit of a flicker at the end.

Low Rating is Inaccurate

[afrodome · 7/10 · 14 January 2019]

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

Garth Merenghi's Dullplace

[bobhartshorn · 5/10 · 2 November 2018]

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.

A masteriece of horror; real and imagined

[horrorismyhome · 10/10 · 1 December 2018]

It's often said that the definition of insanity is repeating your actions and expecting a different outcome. That is literally the best description of Phillip, the protagonist in "Possum."

Phillip, a disgraced puppeteer, returns to his childhood home to confront his demons and his stepfather, a grungy, cruel man who taunts Phillip in every scene. The landscape, both inside and out, is dreary, repetitive, and barren. There is no variety in Phillip's life, nor in his mind. Everything is bleak. Everything is as it has always been.

From the start of the film the symbolism shows you exactly what to expect when you first meet Phillip. The balloons against the wallpaper in a child's room is a brief but succinct recap of the major trauma of Phillip's life, and the character does not disappoint when he appears. Clearly a traumatized and broken man, Phillip spends the entire film trying to rid himself of his baggage, which again, is quite literal in the overnight bag he carries with him everywhere and is always trying to destroy and leave behind.

Just when you think, right, he's done it, the next scene shows the bag and its contents still with him. At times I wondered if these sequences were a dream, or if they were meant literally and that something is really haunting him, and the answer, i believe, is that it's both.

Like 'Spider", "Possum" is about madness eating away at us. No matter what we do to rid ourselves of it, we are unable. Its omnipresent, it is silent (the sparse dialogue is exactly true to this idea), it is unrelenting and it may very well win.

Harris' facial expressions and body language are almost painful to view; so adept is he at conveying the excruciating loneliness of losing one's mind. It's a brilliant performance.

I've read comments expressing dismay about the ending and lack of resolution. Firstly, the ending is shocking and came as a surprise to me. While I felt the duality of man themes expressed throughout (Harris' trench coat soaked with black mud on one side, and spotless on the other, was a good visual for that), I was focused on that duality being Phillip's). As for the lack of resolution for Phillip, there very often just is none. People go mad, people fall between the cracks, people disappear into their trauma and sometimes they are not saved. Bleak, yes, but true.

I've watched this twice in the past 24 hours and I'll likely watch it many more times. If you've ever been broken or traumatized, you may recognize some of yourself in Phillip. If you've ever known or loved, but never understood, a broken person, you may find this to be an incredibly empathic experience.

I can't rate it higher than 10, but I would if I could. Brilliance.

Very slow burning psychological horror

[torrascotia · 6/10 · 3 November 2018]

I am all for movies in which the story is deliberately held back from audiences for fear of ruining the story, however in the case of Possum some information should be made available. This movie is about sexual abuse and the psychological response to abuse from the victims perspective. My concern about this movie is that it could potentially be triggering for someone who has experienced abuse due to the explicit nature of the movie, and the fact the promotion for the movie seems to intentionally hide as much of the story as possible. Therefor it may not be suitable for some audiences. That aside what we have is a story about a clearly traumatised man who returns home to live with what appears to be a step dad or an uncle, with a puppet which has the face of a man but the body of a giant spider. The idea of playing Possum or dead is a central theme to the movie which is at times mundane and also surreal. The main protagonist seems anxiously attached to his spider puppet but at other times seems intent on its destruction....if only it was so simple. If you find the idea of puppets with a mind of their own or doppelgangers scary then you may find this disturbing, same goes for if you have an issue with giant spiders. The acting is excellent and is very convincing throughout. This is a very slow burning movie in that we are drip fed bits of information all the way through and it only resolves in the final few moments. This may be too much for some people as the story can get quite repetitive and the lack of action may be a turn off. This is a very unusual movie in that its style was in part inspired by 1920s silent horrors while the story is based on Freudian ideas of terror. Therefor there is very little dialogue but its driven by a score which is sure to win awards. One of the biggest selling points of the movie is the score, its by the legendary Radiophonic Workshop who made the original theme to Dr Who. Apparently the director Mathew Holness, he of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace fame, used Radiophonic Workshop music as a temp score but then was lucky enough to get his movie entirely scored from scratch by the Workshop. Its a very well directed movie by someone who knows exactly what they wanted, however it will not be to everyones taste simply due to the low key nature of the movie and the bleak subject matter. This is certainly one of the bleakest horror movies in recent years and apparently his next is even darker. Like Mr Holness said at his live Q&A at the Cameo Edinburgh, there are no laughs in this movie. So any fans of Darkplace shouldn't expect anything light-hearted, its a very serious horror. Is this the final transformation from Mathew into the real life Garth Marenghi? Recommended for film buffs but not so much for the casual horror viewer seeking gore and action. Not produced by Dean Learner.

Yikes

[wallerj-23488 · 3/10 · 22 May 2022]

The movie is not great. The reviews don't do justice to how bad this movie actually is. I'll give it this, the performances by everyone were great. While this movie wasn't scary i did give me an uneasy and eerie feeling, but truthfully, to call this a horror movie is just wrong, it is a thriller but again not a great movie.

The puppet is used in the promotional art yet, it used very little in the movie which i think is truly a disadvantage. The ending was good i can't lie but everything else definitely needed work.

An Underrated Gem

[Marco_Tontodonati · 9/10 · 27 May 2019]

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.

"Can you spy him, deep within? Little Possum, black as sin."

[Condemned-Soul · 6/10 · 9 April 2019]

Disturbing psychological drama Possum starts with promise: disgraced children's puppeteer Philip (Sean Harris) returns home with the intention of destroying his hideous puppet, while confronting the traumas of his past and his unpleasant Uncle (Alun Armstrong).

The simple horrors of the first act are enough to send a chill down your spine and stifle any yawns the slow pacing could entail. The atmosphere is thick with mystery and unease, the countryside location is moody and desolate, and the main character is gloomy and strange.

The main talking point is the psychological horror; a result from the title character - Possum. This creepy puppet with horribly authentic, hairy arachnid legs is the stuff of nightmares. Its limbs induce terror just at the sight of them, and anyone with arachnophobia is going to struggle throughout the runtime once this monstrous puppet stirs from its hidey place. Carried around in leather bag, almost at arm's length by Philip, the legs attach to an unnerving white skull. Through hallucinatory sequences, no doubt a result of the protagonist's traumatic childhood, we get flickers of this monster in action, stalking in eerie silence, combing surfaces with its grim appendages. These images are menacing, and you can't praise the puppet design enough for what they instil. Combine these nasty glimpses with an intermittently, softly spoken children's rhyme that fleshes out the creation and there's a suitable level of suspense that yearns to be utilised further.

Philip tries to discard his puppet many times on his sullen treks through bleak marsh and bland woodland, but it keeps coming back. Or rather, Philip cannot let it go. As the film progresses, you'll be forgiven for becoming restless. The sound design and imagery in the first half is excellent, but writer/director Matthew Holness can't sustain the intrigue once the narrative becomes more serious and important. Possum is clearly a metaphor for the childhood horrors that plague Philip which haunt him with malignant frequency. Yet instead of wrapping the audience with suffocating dread as a conclusion beckons, the plot unravels in a forgettable manner, and the horror is diluted and eventually peters out into a tepid anti-climax.

Possum has some nice ideas, backs them up with some horrifying imagery, but drifts away in a montage of strangeness. The ending implies many dark and depressing events, and a second watch may yield more positive rewards. In a single sitting, however, this psychological drama's greatest asset is the lifeless black spider depicted on the poster.

Score - 6/10

Pretense instead of suspense

[jwinf · 2/10 · 11 September 2022]

Watched this movie for nearly an hour before realizing that basically nothing had happened besides pretentious narration that is supposed to act as foreshadowing to a final act that I never made it to. Great cinematography and sound design can't keep you awake if nothing is going on. The movie's concept had potential, but it's completely wasted here.

I need to make this review longer in order to actually post it, but there's legitimately nothing else to be said about this film. It is a total waste of time that you will never get back and will leave you wondering why you didn't choose something better in the end.

Possum obliquely exploits eight legs to produce an agonising tale on trauma.

[TheMovieDiorama · 7/10 · 14 February 2020]

"Little Possum, black as sin. Bag is open, growing wider. What's inside it, man or spider? Little boy, don't lose your way. Possum wants to come and play". There are two entities in life, from an ever growing list of rational and irrational fears, that indescribably give me the heebie-jeebies. Spiders, no matter the size, and marionettes with faces painted on. Holness manages to equip both of these traumatising elements (that he also fears) within his psychological horror to provide insight into the fragmented psyche of a mentally broken character. A disgraced children's puppeteer who returns to his childhood house in order to confront his past trauma that has been rapidly manifesting within him.

Trauma, regardless of its severity, is a haunting presence that lingers over one's mind. Forever following your footsteps. A reminder of the evocative hurt that suffocates. Holness utilises, what I can only describe as, a spider marionette with a lifeless head attached to its petrifying body, to symbolise both the protagonist's psychological wounds and a means to escape the tenebrous reality he resides within. Sparse in dialogue yet bathing in excess visual symbolism, Holness manages to provide a deeply-serious character study and merge it with the confinements of an independent budget. Creating a nightmare-fuelled, hair-raising, nerve-wracking story along the way.

To the average viewer, the repetitive scenes of Harris walking around the Norfolk broads in a beige overcoat whilst holding an ominous bag containing said Possum, may come across as tediously dull. Despite these scenes not adding much to the feature's entirety, it indicates the cyclic torment that this emotionally pained individual experiences on a daily basis. Attempting to obliterate Possum, his metaphor for trauma. Undoubtedly the film requires work from the viewer, however that only enhances its ominous presence and engagement.

Harris offers a commanding central performance, with the ability to sink deep into his character's psychosis. His glum face, fatigued eyes and stoic stature represents the agonising prison he has created for himself. It's subdued, yet incredibly powerful. Armstrong provides some dialogue exchanges as the uncle, which frustratingly nullifies the conclusion when considering the visual narrative style that precedes it.

And, inevitably, praise must be given to the conceptual design of Possum. The marionette itself should be destroyed immediately. Hailstone (whom designed it), locked up as well! Not only will it haunt my nightmares for the next few arduous days, as I wake up in the middle of the night hoping it isn't sitting at the end of my bed and looking into my soul before creeping towards me, but categorically forces this feature to be memorable. The dream sequences offer some of the most creepy imagery I've ever seen, especially when Possum's legs slowly move out of the bag, but again, my own fears make me a susceptible subject. This may not have the same prominent effect on you. Regardless, that does not matter.

Possum, at its core, is not a creature feature. Remove the dangly legs of the central marionette and the same ominous feature would still be just as effective. Holness exquisitely creates a subtle British psychological horror by providing an expressionistic visual tale on abuse and trauma, slowly deepening the abyss of torment as we gradually walk further into its character's void. Had the ending been more effective and consistent, this may have been a new classic to come.

Creepy spider puppet but too slow.

[deloudelouvain · 3/10 · 3 April 2019]

There are too much things that just bothered me in this movie. It's way too slow and repetitive to keep my full attention for such a long period. It's dark and gloomy, that's the positive thing about Possum, but the mystery just took too long to reveal. You will have to wait until the last five minutes to know what the underlying problems are for Sean Harris to act so mysterious during the entire movie. The spider puppet is creepy, more to my wife than to me, but since the story is so slow it just loses it's purpose at one point. The acting wasn't bad but the story just failed even if for once the ending was better than the rest. I can see why people would like this movie but to me it was just not good enough.

Aesthetically pleasing, but not quite enough beneath the surface

[wellthatswhatithinkanyway · 7/10 · 10 April 2019]

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

Philip (Sean Harris) is a disgraced children's entertainer, who has returned to the small town where he grew up, and where his parents died in a housefire. He has come along with a bag, containing a hideous doll, with long, spider legs and a human head. He gets reacquainted with his uncle Maurice (Alun Armstrong), and begins to suffer a series of intense, visual hallucinations that allude to something else. Philip must get to the bottom of it all, after a local schoolboy goes missing.

With the relentless amount of cheap, derivative American horror being released by the barrel-load, it's always encouraging at least when we Brits have a go, even if its done with a significantly smaller budget and much less hysteria. I've always been freaked out by eerie, off putting physical incarnations, that may not pose any imminent threat of harm or death, but just get under your skin, mess with your mind and give you nightmares (The Scream painting being a perfect example!) In Possum, it's some long, winding spider's legs (which anyone who remembers Arachnophobia may already be triggered by!) as well as some other creepy imagery, such as smoky balloons! It's certainly visually unsettling, and creates an uncomfortable atmosphere, it's foundations, though, are sadly just not built strongly enough to hold it together as much as it needs.

It's a film with only two really central characters, the main one played by Sean Harris, who just fits the skin of a role like this perfectly, a wiry, weary looking man, who just embodies a troubled weirdo to a tee. His performance itself is darkly convincing, and he creates a devastating chemistry with Armstrong as the creepy uncle, with whom he shares a troubled history. But, like most else with the film, it's all implied. The plot is driven along by metaphors, and getting the viewer to put two and two together. It's intriguing enough to begin with, but after a while it's all become frustratingly vague, and you're just left scratching your head at its overly cerebral efforts. Even at just under an hour and a half, the plot doesn't have a strong enough base to sustain your attention.

It creates more of an impression than any number of modern American horror films, with their cheap jump scares, CGI and lack of intelligence, but they still have an identifiable beginning, middle and end, and a satisfying resolution. For his next project, debut feature length director Matthew Holness might want to lay back on his faux intellectualism, and concentrate on the surface stuff. ***

One Of The Most Dull Films Ever

[oz_13_was_taken · 2/10 · 17 February 2019]

Sure, it's got atmosphere. What it lacks is any kind of a plot. How many times are we going to watch Richie unzip his brown bag at the base of a tree? How many times do we need to slow-zoom on a door? How many times do we need to see Richie attempt to get rid of his spider-puppet, only to change his mind and go get it again? And, yes, I get that the puppet is a metaphor for his troubled past that he can't get rid of. Yes, yes, very clever. There are also several scenes that serve no purpose, such as Richie visiting his old school. There's also something about a storybook Richie wrote when he was little that turns out to be quite redundant. This is a perfect example of what should have been a 30-minute short film stretched out to feature-length. The reveal, which happens in the last 5 minutes, is not worth the monotonous journey it took to arrive there, no matter how much scary, brooding music you use. All the 9 and 10 ratings on here are astonishing. Don't waste your time.

Flawed but skin-crawling feature. One of the best horror/thriller movies to come out this year

[mackstanbridge · 8/10 · 6 November 2018]

I really don't understand how this film only has a 5.6 rating on here. Are we really that desperate to get baited with a jumpscare that a good film like this will simply get overlooked and criticized for simply building up suspense?

Anyways, while the movie may tend to get a bit tedious towards the midpoint, it does tend to feed you just enough information to keep you intrigued until the last half hour, which is absolutely exceptional and possibly the most scared I've ever been watching a horror. However, that does not change that fact that if you miss a tidbit of info, you may become lost and therefore uninvested in the film from there. Sean Harris and Alun Armstrong both do exceptional jobs in their roles in this film; their performances alone are worth seeing this film. The puppet or "Possum" is pure nightmare fuel, and some of the practical affects of this film are really quite convincing in making it seem alive. The soundtrack by the Radiophonic Workshop in this film is unbelievable, and I don't think this movie would be able to succeed without it.

There's also countless metaphors throughout the movie, several shots that pay homage to movies such as Trainspotting, and an absolutely shocking ending. However, it's probably best that there are no spoilers on this review, and instead recommend that you see this film yourself. If you're into horror movies with a large level of suspense throughout, without relying on the easy satisfaction of jumpscares, this film should definitely be next on your list.

Get a taste of what insanity might feel like

[TwistedContent · 7/10 · 11 November 2018]

Insanity - that's the word that came to my mind regarding "Possum's" style and atmosphere. A slow-burn psychological horror drama, carried out creepily by all the right lonely-and-isolated settings & frames, and weird, but undeniably great acting. It's obvious, that this is a low-low-budget indie & also a master class of what you can achieve with little budget and devoted actors. The director, probably Inspired by the works of David Lynch, delivers an amazingly shot creepy take centered around a doll (and a poem about it) & it's maker, but fails to deliver a conclusion. The ending was not ominous or thought provoking or anything like that, it was just anticlimactic and the story felt unfinished. All that buildup for a void at the end. However, the disappointment at the end did not ruin my overall opinion on this movie - this is a great creepy-crawly watch for anyone that enjoys art-house cinema, cinematic weirdnesses & slow-burning psychological horror movies. Probably one of the best horror movies I've seen involving a doll. This one's real scary lookin'. Do not come seeking violence, blood, action or your usual ghosts n killers. 7/10

Would've been better as a short film, nothing new

[DanaStyle101 · 3/10 · 20 February 2019]

The concept & execution are done well, but stretching everything into a feature length film was unnecessary. It gets a bit laggy aside from the already ample time set for creating suspense & intrigue. I found myself getting bored & impatient with a "just wrap things up" mentality - you're given the information needed to connect the dots, but are then beaten over the head with it for another 45 minutes.

Sinister AF

[rosspatrick-26-445640 · 8/10 · 1 November 2018]

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.

This is good

[slimecity-38663 · 7/10 · 16 February 2019]

I like horror that involves you and makes you think. The two leads in this are great. Plus there arent many other actors in it - increasing the sense of isolation and dislocation. The main actor does a great job and the interaction between the two leads is creepy and unsettling. I like the atmosphere and the lack of action. Plus, the film is so well done that you dont even know what decade its set in, it looks 80's but Im still not sure. The degeneration of the main lead as the film unfolds is palpable and well-played, he imparts a real sense of psychosis. Not really a horror per say, but worth watching if you are into dysfunctional relationships and really skanky, disgusting houses.

I want to like it.

[running_with_scissors · 4/10 · 3 May 2021]

Basically it's one of those movies where you've got to wait for the ending to understand what you're watching.

Until then its like a lot of creepy looking scenes loosely linked together.

Clear if You Follow Closely & Analytical

[westsideschl · 6/10 · 25 January 2020]

The problem is that the beginning & many scenes after prepare you for a creepy supernatural horror film, but as it turns out there's a lot of symbolism surrounding a troubled, since youth, man & his caretaker uncle. You are led to believe for almost all of the movie that the spidery thing has a life, but towards the end it's possible it's all in the mind of our protagonist. Great directing, acting, cinematography. Personally, I would have gone w/creepy vs. psychological.

Starts good but ultimately unrewarding

[oksanasinner · 5/10 · 26 November 2019]

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.