Possession (2009)

Sarah Michelle Gellar fans rejoice! This long awaited thriller was finally released on DVD in the UK this week - no less than five years after it was completed.

A remake of the Korean thriller Addicted, Possession focuses on newlyweds Jess (SMG) and Ryan (Michael Landes), as they try to adjust to married life. This proves difficult with Ryan’s troublemaking brother Roman (Lee Pace) skulking around the house. Things eventually kick off and Roman and Ryan end up in a head on collision after which both brothers are whisked off to hospital and spend many months comatose. That is until Roman wakes up claiming to be Ryan saying that he has switched bodies with his brother. Devastated by the news, Jess must decide if she can trust Roman and if what he is telling her is the truth or just another one of his evil games.

I really enjoyed this film. Although it’s from two of the producers of The Ring and The Grudge it is more akin to Gellar’s The Return in tone which I was pleased about, as I had previously enjoyed that film.

The cast are great, the locations and cinematography help add to the moody atmosphere and the screenplay and performances keep you guessing to the end through the various twists and turns.

Originally scheduled for a wide theatrical release in February of 2008, the distribs unfortunately (Yari Film Group) filed for bankruptcy which saw the film’s release date pushed back almost a dozen times before it finally received a straight to DVD release in the US in 2010. For me, the extra 2 years we’ve had to wait have been worth it.

OVERALL SUMMARY
If you enjoyed the pacing and tone of The Return then you should enjoy this thriller.