Forced back to his childhood home, Philip (Sean Harris), must deal with a number of issues, including his overbearing and horrifying stepfather, Maurice (Alun Armstrong). Philip is a disgraced puppeteer who, in addition to dealing with Maurice, must face the horror of one of his most terrifying puppets to date. As Philip attempts to rid himself of this atrocity it becomes clear that the puppet, who often appears to be gone from his life, is only playing Possum with Philip, as it has a mind of its own. Can Philip finally unburden himself from the demented puppet, or will he be haunted for the rest of his life?
The opening, pre-credit scene contains only the main character, Philip, and his encounter with a duffle bag. Viewers have no idea what exactly is taking place, but it is unsettling. Immediately after, the credits begin and writer-director Matthew Holness takes this opportunity to lure in his audiences and set up the remainder of his film. The opening credits are intense, unsettling, and the music throughout is ear piercing; the credits provide viewers a glimpse of what is to come throughout Possum. Those opening moments, while providing little in terms of story, are used effectively to creep out the audience and pull them into the story of Philip and his puppet.
The beauty of Possum is its originality. It’s hard, in modern times, to come up with an idea that is completely original as a result of the great minds that have come before and successfully developed seemingly countless cinematic hits. However, Possum finds a way to be original in its approach toward horror. It combines the horror and thriller genres; and, in a magnificently twisted way, uses horribly creepy visuals to drive the film forward. There have been a number of films, including Shutter Island and Inception that have kept viewers guessing from beginning to end, ultimately to reveal them with something worth the wait. Throughout the course of these films there are hints at what’s to come, but Possum is different. A picture, a puppet, and a locked door are given to audiences as the only connection between them and Philip’s past (and whatever it is exactly that he’s trying to escape from--other than the puppet itself). There is seemingly no way to piece together what transpires throughout the film, and viewers, much like Philip, feel trapped in the dark, that is until the very end of Possum.
Where other films, even in their ambiguity, present viewers with a payoff worth the wait, I’m not entirely sure that Possum delivers in the same fashion. All of the ridiculousness appears to be leading viewers in a particular direction, even though the purposely fractured nature of the film makes it difficult to follow at times. The end feels a bit too obvious and leaves viewers wondering if the reward was worth the rocky journey. Of course, part of the reward is the journey itself, and Holness manages to keep viewers intrigued from the first second until the possibly less-than-adequate end. If nothing else, the ending of Possum makes sense, at least providing viewers with the sense that what took place wasn’t for nothing at all.
Possum is uniquely twisted and, even though it shares a similar style with other mystery thrillers, feels fresh. That freshness that Holness, Harris, and Armstrong provide is, if nothing else works for you, enough to keep viewers entertained. Cinephiles understand the complexity of what occurs throughout Possum. While a creative work of art for sure, the end struggles to entertain like the rest.
Written & Directed by Matthew Holness.
Starring Sean Harris, Alun Armstrong, Simon Bubb, Rohan Gotobed, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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