Brandon Cronenberg Makes His Daddy Proud with ‘Possessor’

“Cronenbergian” pertains to the twisted works of filmmaker David Cronenberg, specifically his graphic depictions of bodily mutations. A film scholar might take offense at this simplification, referencing his common themes of sexuality, the morphing of modern technology with our daily lives, and humanity’s inability to comprehend reality objectively. But when it comes to popular culture, Cronenberg is largely famous for being one of the originators of “body horror”. People remember him through the glorious head-explosion seen in Scanners, James Woods growing a vagina in his stomach in Videodrome, or Jeff Goldblum transforming into a humanoid housefly in, you guessed it, The Fly. It has even sparked a famous episode of Rick and Morty, where Rick accidentally creates a hideous race of human beings referred to as “Cronenbergs”.

But in the last decade, David’s filmography has been more varied, the genres differ wildly, from Viggo Mortensen starring in crime dramas such as A History of Violence and Eastern Promises to the historical drama, A Dangerous Method, as well as the Hollywood satire, Maps to the Stars. Though there are talks about him adapting his first novel Consumed with Netflix, which might depict some of the sickening imagery he’s been known for in the past, David has gone far beyond the trappings of the body-horror subgenre. The last film of his that fits into this specific subgenre is 1999’s Existenz, probably the best example of the nineties obsession with virtual reality.

But David’s son, Brandon, seems to want to go to his family roots. Starting with his intriguing debut, Antiviral, it seems Brandon has inherited his father’s youthful interest. After nearly eight years, we now have his second film, Possessor, and the early reviews hailed it as a film that should make his father proud.

And he should be, as Possessor is one of the best horror/science-fiction films of the year, though it’s certainly not for everyone.

What the Hell is Going On?

Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) is an assassin under the employ of a secretive corporation that plots their murders by transplanting the mind of an assassin into an unsuspecting host. Basically, the host becomes the unfortunate patsy, and the authorities have no idea that they are puppeteered by shadowy forces. Once the host is liquidated, usually via suicide, the assassin returns back into her body.

After a mission, the assassin is examined for any loss of mental acuity and the possible loss of identity that can transpire after merging with the mind of another human being. After completing one particularly difficult mission, Tasya uses some of her vacation time so she can spend some time with her estranged husband (Rossif Sutherland) — who has no idea what kind of company she works for — and son (Gage Graham-Arbuthnot).

During this short visit, Tasya realizes she doesn’t feel at home there anymore. She quickly contacts her superior, Girder (Jennifer Jason Leigh), that she wants to continue with her next assignment immediately.

The target of this job is John Parse (Sean Bean), the CEO of a company called Zoothroo that seems to spy on people via webcams. The patsy is his son-in-law, Colin Tate (Christopher Abbott), a former cocaine dealer. The plan is to pin the murder on him, making it look like it was a family squabble that went horrifically wrong.

While the initial transplant is successful, Tasya struggles to control her host. It seems as if the consciousness of Colin keeps slipping back in, trying to take back control of his body. What culminates is a bloody struggle for dominance, as well as a series of questions regarding the true nature of Tasya and Colin.

There Will Be Blood

Possessor is likely the most gruesome film you’ll see this year. Every bit of bodily harm is shown in explicit detail, from bullet holes, needles penetrating skulls, beatings, and stabbings. Even an experienced gorehound like me was taken aback by some of the imagery.

One might call the violence excessive, but upon deeper analysis, it might reveal something about the psychology of Tasya. Considering that she loses her own humanity during any of these mind transplants, perhaps this is her way of dealing with the emotional toll. It might be the only thing that makes her feel alive. Even her superior, Girder (played by the always delightful Jennifer Jason Leigh), mentions that one particular murder could have been handled more humanely, but Tasya instead opted for a more brutal method. Needless to say, this film does not kid around. If you’re easily squeamish, be warned.

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READ THE FULL REVIEW ON OUR WEBSITE: https://moviebabble.com/2020/10/07/brandon-cronenberg-makes-his-daddy-proud-with-possessor/