Possession

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Possession

R

1981

2h 4m

Horror

Drama

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Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

40 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

After Anna (Isabelle Adjani) reveals to her husband, Mark (Sam Neill), that she is having an affair, she leaves him and their son. Mark is devastated, and seeks out Heinrich (Heinz Bennent), the man who cuckolded him, only to receive a beating. After a series of violent confrontations between Mark and Anna, Mark hires a private investigator to follow her. Anna descends into madness, and it's soon clear that she is hiding a much bigger secret -- one that is both inexplicable and shocking.

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Critics Consensus

Blending genres as effectively as it subverts expectations, Possession uses powerful acting and disquieting imagery to grapple with complex themes.

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Rachel Syme

The New Yorker

The film contains one of the great gross-out scenes of all time...

Oct 21, 2024

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Peter Sobczynski

RogerEbert.com

[Possession] remains one of the most grueling, powerful, and overwhelmingly intense cinematic experiences that you are likely to have in your lifetime.

Rated: 4/4

Oct 1, 2021

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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

Adjani won the best actress prize at Cannes for her dual performance (as an unfaithful wife and her angelic doppelganger), but the whole cast is astonishing, exorcising painful feelings with an intensity that rivals that of the filmmaking.

Jan 23, 2014

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Think 'Rosemary’s Baby' reimagined as David Cronenberg bio-horror colliding with European psycho-drama.

Apr 26, 2025

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Bianca Garner

Filmotomy

The film is essentially about the war between the sexes and the destructive nature of love.

Oct 11, 2024

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Ray Pride

Newcity

Zulawski’s beloved berserker of marital mayhem... is the vicious m-----. Bergman’s <i>Scenes From A Marriage”</i>? Only vamping... See it with someone you’re not sure about.

Rated: 10/10

Jul 2, 2024

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no

wasn’t even the same movie lmfaooo

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/06/24

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unknown

Movies wasn’t even that good, it was boring and most of the time just them fighting and getting naked

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/03/22

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Dave S

There’s absolutely nothing worse (excuse the hyperbole) than reading the hype for a movie, sitting down to watch it, and muttering ‘huh’ as the credits role. An example? Possession. Andrzej Zulawski’s psychological nightmare of a movie certainly has its merits. First and foremost, Isabelle Adjani gives the performance of a lifetime as the shrieking victim of mental illness, including one scene that will forever be etched in the mind of the viewer. The cinematography and direction, although a bit over the top at times, is interesting, as is the story and the related themes. However, the editing can be jarring (especially in the second half), much of the acting and dialogue is wince-inducing, and the interior sound is often muffled and echoey. Possession is worth a watch, no doubt, but doesn’t necessarily live up to its reputation.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/31/25

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Sergio A

It has so much to say that it can be hard to understand at times, and that’s okay. However, when it comes to surrealism and excess, it lacks the finesse found in David Lynch’s films. The performances are outstanding and many scenes are iconic, but the film constantly risks overdoing everything, without offering any nuance to balance its intensity.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/04/25

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Jason S

This was really bad. Overacting (what if the shining had 3 jack nicholsons in it?), not enough time with the creature which is creepy, and too much domestic drama.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/25/25

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Anthony F

Beyond pretentious. Pathetic ripoff of Polanski’s “Repulsion” Absolute garbage, like being trapped in dab acting class for 2 hrs plus.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/02/25

Full Review

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Andrzej Żuławski

Director

Isabelle Adjani

Anna

Sam Neill

Mark

Margit Carstensen

Margit Gluckmeister

Heinz Bennent

Heinrich

Johanna Hofer

Heinrich's mother

Jenna Ortega’s Five Favorite Horror Films

Major Awards Need to Stop Ignoring Incredible Horror Performances

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Synopsis

After Anna (Isabelle Adjani) reveals to her husband, Mark (Sam Neill), that she is having an affair, she leaves him and their son. Mark is devastated, and seeks out Heinrich (Heinz Bennent), the man who cuckolded him, only to receive a beating. After a series of violent confrontations between Mark and Anna, Mark hires a private investigator to follow her. Anna descends into madness, and it's soon clear that she is hiding a much bigger secret -- one that is both inexplicable and shocking.

Director: Andrzej Żuławski
Producer: Marie-Laure Reyre
Screenwriter: Frederic Tuten, Andrzej Żuławski
Production Co: Gaumont, Marianne Productions, Oliane Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Drama
Original Language: English
Runtime: 2h 4m

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