Possession 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Possession 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

"Goodness is only some kind of reflection upon evil. That's all it is."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown February 21, 2024

When filmmaker Andrzej Zulawski first began work on Possession, he was profoundly depressed, having recently been forced to flee Poland and, just two years earlier, having divorced his wife of five years (upon discovering, among many things, his young son, who was left at home, alone, unsupervised for the better part of a day). Co-writing a deeply disturbing story with Frederic Tuten from apartments in New York and Paris, Zulawski battled constant thoughts of suicide. However, time and the filmmaker pressed on to the eventual start of production, with the casting of Isabelle Adjani secured and the script, disturbing and repulsive as it was, finished. Joining the then-relatively unknown Sam Neill, Adjani delivered a startling performance that would go on to elevate Possession to another level. It was not only banned in the UK upon its release (labeled one of Britain's notorious "video nasties"), it caused Adjani years of mental health crises, including an attempted suicide. Audiences were stunned. Confused. Uncertain. Walk-outs weren't uncommon. And the actor's performances -- incorporating a Polish stage style that renders every emotion as either loud, frantic, expressive, unnaturally intense, and explosive -- was mistakenly labeled by some as ridiculous. (A criticism that continues to pop up from time to time, despite Zulawski's intent, which was for Neill and Adjani to emote as if there were no boundaries between inner and outer self.) Add to that the unsettling crescendo of madness, social and political satire, doppelgänger surrealism, otherworldly gore, interspecies rape, child neglect, and spousal battery? It's not hard to see why audiences have always struggled with Possession.

But therein lies its mad, terrifyingly personal brilliance, not only as an arthouse horror film (if it can even be classified merely as horror), but as a deeply upsetting and affecting multilayer drama that exposes the extremes to which love can so easily fray, splitting into resentment, bitterness, hate, rage and abuse.

"You look ugly. You've hardened. For the first time, you look vulgar to me."

Set in the shadow of the looming Berlin Wall and simmering with Cold War paranoia, Possession has repulsed many and baffled even more. Beyond its descent into madness, disturbing manifestations of the mind and ungodly tentacled monster, though, is not a creature feature or a traditional horror film, but rather a surreal portrait of a torturous, disintegrating marriage with fissures in the physical, emotional and supernatural realms. International spy Mark (Sam Neill) returns to his home in West Berlin only to find that his wife, Anna (Isabelle Adjani, who earned a much-deserved Best Actress award at the 34th Cannes Film Festival), is seeking a divorce. She admits to having an affair but insists that has nothing to do with her desire to leave. When Mark hires a private detective to uncover the truth, an even more disturbing secret is revealed: Anna keeps a separate apartment housing an otherworldly beast to which she feeds random men; an unholy infant entity with a ravenous sexual appetite (created by special effects legend Carlo Rambaldi, of Alien fame). What follows is a nightmare of jealousy, carnality, insanity and murder, where identity and reality begin to unravel. Directed by Andrzej Zulawski, who drew on his traumatic divorce from actress Malgorzata Braunek and his creative blacklisting in Poland, the film also stars Heinz Bennent, Margit Carstensen, Johanna Hofer and Carl Duering.

Click here to read Dr. Svet Atanasov's review of the film. He writes, "the excess and gore in Possession effectively mask Zulawski's condemnation of the system." Adding that "the horror is nothing more than a needed distraction in what is essentially an angry political film." He also praises Adjani's performance as "undoubtedly one of the greatest from the early '80s", calling it "indescribably intense and truly unsettling."

Possession 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Easily one of the most striking catalog 4K presentations in recent memory, Possession's 2160p director-approved restoration is stunning in all its nightmarish delirium. The palette is chillier than I've seen it but also far more lifelike and suited to the film's themes and separations. Skintones are cold and pale, yet flush with a natural reddish hue whenever emotions or violence runs high. The Berlin exteriors and harshly sunlit interiors are just as wintry and foreboding, looking every bit the part cinematographer Bruno Nuytten intended. Detail is outstanding as well. Grain is beautifully resolved and quite consistent throughout (despite an increased aggressiveness in a handful of extremely dark scenes). Edge definition is clean, filmic and free of any edge halos or other artificial nonsense. And fine textures? Take one look at any of the screenshots accompanying this review. Pay particular attention to close-ups of Neill and Adjani. Gorgeous. Refined. Crisp and revealing. Shadow delineation doesn't disappoint either, and I didn't catch sight of any notable crush. Clarity is, simply put, exceptional. As to the encode, I didn't find a single thing to complain about. Banding, artifacting and other issues are nowhere to be found. On the restoration front, I couldn't even find a speck, spot or flicker of print damage to nitpick. This is, hands down, the best I've ever seen Possession look and the best presentation and restoration of an early '80s horror film I've possibly ever seen.

Possession 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Possession's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track may not be as mind-blowing as the film's 4K restoration and video transfer, but it certainly didn't give me any room to gripe. Dialogue sounds quite natural in the various locations and environments, remains perfectly prioritized even when insanity or chaos enters the arena, and effects and music sound great. There's no LFE support or surround channel activity, of course, but this is the film's sonics -- faithfully restored -- as it was captured on set, designed and mixed, and originally presented.

Possession 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentaries - Three audio commentaries are included: a new track on the 4K disc with film historian Sally Christie, a previously released sit-down with director Andrzej Zulawksi and East European film scholar Daniel Bird, and a third previously released commentary with co-writer Frederic Tuten and Daniel Bird.

• The Failure of Language (HD, 10 minutes) - A new video essay with renowned author and film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. Very good, but I wish it were longer.

• The Other Side of the Wall: The Making of Possession (HD, 52 minutes) - This excellent production documentary delves into everything from the script and characters to the film's structure and visuals. Zulawski's career is discussed as well, with numerous interviews from those who worked with the director first hand. Written and directed by Daniel Bird.

• Interview with Andrzej Zulawski (HD, 36 minutes) - Produced in 2009, this terrific interview with Zulawski allows the director to comment on the sociopolitical climate that inspired and underlined the film and its themes, the performances, its reception and more.

• US Cut of Possession (SD, 77 minutes) - A mishandled, poorly edited curiosity. Little more.

• Repossessed: Re-Editing Possession (HD, 13 minutes) - The differences in the film's original and US cuts.

• A Divided City: The Locations of Possession (HD, 7 minutes) - A look at the film's real-world locations.

• The Sounds of Possession (HD, 19 minutes) - An interview with composer Andrzej Korzynski.

• Our Friend in the West (HD, 7 minutes) - Another interview, this time with producer Christian Ferry, who recalls discovering Zulawski while working for Paramount Pictures.

• Basha: The Unsung Heroine of Polish Poster Art (HD, 6 minutes) - Posters tell a tale long before a film is released. A good artist can do a lot to bolster expectations and excitement; a bad artist can render a movie forgettable. Polish artist Basha is the former.

• International Theatrical Trailer (HD, 3 minutes)

• US Theatrical Trailer (SD, 2 minutes)

Possession 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I cannot recommend this 2-disc 4K release of Possession enough. The film is divisive, yes, but for those who find a foothold and begin to climb, it proves itself a dizzying and disturbing ascent into psychosexual madness that must be seen, and re-seen, to be believed, understood and appreciated. Take your time with it. Savor its horrors. Invest in its hysteria. Absorb its deeper themes and meaning. On the other side, you'll find a film literally unlike any other before or since. The 4K Blu-ray release, meanwhile, is the stuff of top tier, must-own instant purchases. With a perfect director-approved restoration and stunning video transfer, a faithful DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, and hours and hours of special features (including a new commentary and video essay created for the film's restoration), there is no reason for this release of Possession to be anywhere other than in your cart, on your shelves, or in your 4K UltraHD Blu-ray player. (I'll make an exception if you've loaned it out to a friend.)