Possum
Directed by Matthew Holness
Disgraced children’s puppeteer Philip returns to his childhood home of Fallmarsh, Norfolk, intent on destroying Possum, a hideous puppet he keeps hidden inside a brown leather bag. When his attempts fail, Philip is forced to confront his sinister stepfather Maurice in an effort to escape the dark horrors of his past.
A disgraced puppeteer returns to his childhood home to destroy a hideous puppet and confront his past.
Cast: Sean Harris, Alun Armstrong, Andy Blithe
Member Reviews
Some films are better in short-form. This would have been one of them. I appreciate nuance, symbolism, and psychological horror, but the pacing for this did not make up for the attempted artistry of the film. I nearly fell asleep. If someone edited this down into 35 mins, it would have been a great watch. All the hang time between scenes where anything happens doesn't make it an enjoyable movie. I find people hyping it up to be pretentious, much like the film itself.
Not exciting, but interesting.
Minimal plot and dialogue. Maximum tension and terror.
Dreamlike and tense, eerie beyond description. With minimal casting, masterful cinematography and slow burn tension, this film weaponizes minimalism to create an omnipresent sense of unease and dread that is genuinely terrifying. An incisive and creepy statement on the effects of trauma. Perhaps it's only weak point is one minor bit toward the end, but even that brief moment can't drag the experience down.
Slow burn, psychological movie. Not really a scary movie but is good for those who like more artsy movies somewhat like skinamarink.