Directed by: Ole Bornedal
Distributed by: Lionsgate
Release Date: August 31, 2012
Rated: PG-13
Synopsis:A young girl buys an antique box at a yard sale, unaware that inside the collectible lives a malicious ancient spirit. The girl’s father teams with his ex-wife to find a way to end the curse upon their child. (Via IMDB)
Shaunta: The Possession is an old-school horror movie. Modern scary movies often are very psychological, either without a physical threat. This movie harks back to Freddie and Mike Meyers–and of course The Exorcist–where the horror is a true, external threat.
Natasha Calis, who plays the lead little possessed girl, is great. She morphs from sweet and pretty, to scary and strange. She stole the show, absolutely. Her dad, played by Jeffery Dean Morgan, is great, too. He did an especially good job of embodying the helplessness a parent feels when something out their control happens to their child.
The Possession was a fairly predictable movie. I knew that there was a demon in that yard sale box right away. No part of the movie took me truly by surprise. But, it was nicely tense and intense and I was satisfyingly creeped out through the whole show.
I think my favorite part of the movie, though, was the way that it fit a compelling family story into a scary horror movie. Even though I wasn’t surprised by the outcome of the family story, I enjoyed it. And the only really surprising part of the movie for me was what happened to the interloping new boyfriend at the end.
Bottom line: if you like horror movies, this one isn’t disappointing, but it also isn’t anything super new or shocking. There isn’t anything about it that won’t come through if you wait and watch it at home, but it was fun to see at the theater, too. I guess that makes it a middling movie.