'The Possession' review: Fun with horror
In this undated publicity photo released by Lionsgate, Jeffrey Dean Morgan stars as Clyde in the film, "The Possession." Credit: AP
Another horror movie about a little girl possessed by a demon? Seriously?
Well, only half-seriously, and that's the saving grace of "The Possession," a story so overly familiar that director Ole Bornedal ("Nightwatch") figured he might as well have fun with it. That seems like the right approach to a script that includes a mysterious box, a malevolent spirit and a stormy, streamy exorcism.
Written by Juliet Snowden and Stiles White, "The Possession" faithfully follows the blueprint of its genre, beginning with the once-strong but now strained family unit. Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick play Clyde, a workaholic basketball coach, and his ex-wife, Stephanie, who share custody of cheery little Em (Natasha Calis) and pouty tweenage Hannah (Madison Davenport). It's Em who brings the spooky box home from a yard-sale and unwittingly opens her soul to invasion.
Pretty soon, people start seeing things, Em's voice gets weird, Clyde's house is plagued by moths -- you know the drill, and "The Possession" knows that you know. It barely bothers to tell a story, but instead shuffles various vignettes into a greatest horror-hits playlist. Still, Bornedal's camera is such a likable ham, constantly sneaking up on folks and watching their eyes go all buggy that it's hard not to chuckle along.
Morgan ("The Watchmen") is rather charming as Clyde; Sedgwick is rather less so as the snippy ex-wife, though that may be her function. A twinkly eyed Jay Brazeau livens up the dreary role of the folklore professor who has to explain the obvious, and Matisyahu, the Jewish rapper, is one of the film's genuine bright spots as Tzadok, a twitchy, hip-hop Hasid from (where else?) Brooklyn.
"The Possession" may not be very scary, but it can be mildly entertaining. That's more than a lot of dead-serious horror-movies can say.
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