Review of The Possession (2012) by Thomas W — 16 Jan 2013

Based upon allegedly true events that took place in Kirksville, Missouri (honest!!), The Possession tries to become another horrifying person-possessed picture that unfortunately comes across as a generic rip-off of other recent releases in the exorcism sub-genre.

As this is one of the few stories that is supposedly true -- the person the main character is based on works at KCOM -- it is unfortunate that several fictional accounts of demonic possession have been better handled behind the camera than Ole Bornedal's film.

The film has been relocated to the Pacific Northwest and it stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen, The Losers) as a divorced father of two girls ... one of whom finds herself oddly attracted to an old box at a yard sale that she just has to have! Full of horror film chliches that have ALL been done before, the director fails to give us even a new take or spin on something that we have seen before.

The first half of the film appears to be a competent film as it builds up some chills and feelings of unease; but the second half is a formulaic hodge-podge of seen-this-done-that. Kyra Sedgwick (Something to Talk About, "The Closer") plays the ex-wife who has little to do other than act confused, mad/angry or terrified when something goes awry.

I had honestly hoped to really like this film as I had connections to K-ville; but it is a mess. Boo -- as in "boohoo" ... not the scary "boo!".