Director: Matthew Holness
Writer: Matthew Holness (Screenplay)
Starring: Sean Harris, Alun Armstrong, Simon Bubb, Andy Blithe, Pamela Cook, Charlie Eales
Plot: After returning to his childhood home, a disgraced children’s puppeteer is forced to confront his wicked stepfather and the secrets that have tortured his entire life.
Runtime: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Unsettling Throughout
Story: Possum starts when a puppeteer Philip (Harris) returns home after his latest performance has left him disgraced, his step-father Maurice (Armstrong) had been waiting for him to fail and now Philip wants to figure out of to destroy his puppet which does seem to have a mind of its own.
As Philip continues to look to get rid of his terrifying puppet it just keeps return and add in a new missing schoolboy report, Philip is let wondering if the puppet had something to do with this evil or not.
Thoughts on Possum
Characters – Philip is a puppeteer with one of the creepiest puppets you have ever seen, he is returning home to escape after his latest show went terribly wrong and it isn’t long before the strange events continue to plague him. He becomes a suspect in a missing persons case and the puppet he is trying to get rid of, keeps returning for him. Maurice is his stepfather that always pushes him too far, he always seems to be judging Philip. We only truly get to meet two characters with the puppet having a life of its own.
Performances – Sean Harris is genuinely creepy through this film giving a performance that is bound to get him placed in any horror film he wants for years to come. Alun Armstrong does well in the supporting role which does work very well in the film.
Story – The story follows the puppeteer that is haunted by his own puppet while is clearly a metaphor for something else going on in his life. This is a strange film to say the least, it does deal with real issues that can be disguised and will keep you feeling uneasy throughout. We could spend time studying certain issues in this film, but that goes into full spoilers.
Horror – The horror comes from the uneasy feeling we are getting through the film, with just what could be going on, the appearances of the puppet itself, which does look genuinely creepy.
Settings – The settings for this feel only add to the atmosphere involved in the film, each place feels like something terrible could happen.
Special Effects – The effects in the film come from the puppet creation and slow movements that it gives us through the film.
Scene of the Movie – Puppet first appearance.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It is slow in places.
Final Thoughts – This is a movie that does leave you feeling unsettled by what we see with a puppet that just feels difficult to look at.
Overall: Creepy horror.
Rating
