'The Possession' begins with a silent opening (which I adore in horror movies as a 'mood setter'), as an old woman is listening to a box speaking Hebrew atop her fireplace. Hammer in hand, the woman attempts to destroy the box but is stopped by a violent invisible force that tosses her around like a rag doll before her son enters the house and finds her unconscious. Her son ends up selling her belongings in a yard sale (I'm assuming to pay her hospital bills), including the box, where Jeffrey Morgan and his two daughters purchase it. Shortly after, one of Jeffrey's daughters is possessed by the demon that was trapped in the box and all hell breaks loose. She slaps around a classmate, slaps around herself, pigs out on pancakes and raw meat, chokes a Jewish guy, oh and tries to stab her mom. The movie has depth, I'll give it that.
However...
1. Most of the movie is spent on character development and the back-story on Jeffrey and his ex-wife and two daughters. In fact, most of the time you're just watching Jeffrey walk around or watching his daughter create chaos. I was so happy when I got to see an outside character interact with the family because it was such a rare occasion. I would be surprised if anyone can spot more than two minutes of an outside character talking or interacting with anyone in the family (Jewish man at the end excluded).
2. I forgot I was watching a horror movie. I was an hour into the movie and I was so caught up with the father's world crumbling around him and feeling sorry for him when I remembered "Wait, isn't this supposed to be scary?" It felt like I was watching a drama. I don't need drama, which is why I watch horror movies.
3. The music, or lack-there-of, more like tones, come in at inappropriate times to an abrupt halt into silence just as the scene is getting good. Constantly. I remember a lot of rooftops, you know why? Just when you think something scary is about to happen, the music builds up, and the scene quickly changes to an aerial view of some rooftops - throughout the movie. I could probably draw a sketch of their neighborhood from memory. Rooftops are not scary.
4. Little girls getting possessed and standing with their hair in front of their faces has been played out way too many times. I don't know what else to say... Stop it. Enough already.
5. The ending reveals the physical form of the demon as it climbs out of Jeffrey Morgan's mouth, literally, and plops to the floor. The thing looked pitiful, like Gollum from 'Lord of the Rings'. I'm not kidding. I half-expected it to start asking for "precious" as it crawled its way back into the box.
In closing, it's not scary, it's barely horror, but Jeffrey Dean Morgan does sell his character pretty hard. You'll find yourself caring about what happens to him and hoping for the best, so if you're looking for a dramatic-toned film, I'd give it a watch.
2 out of 4
It's not scary, but I've seen far worse movies.
Cheers and goodnight.
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