HORROR YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: THE POSSESSION (2012)

THE POSSESSION (2012)

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The story of this PG-13 horror concerns a divorced couple Clyde (Jeffery Dean Morgan) and Stephanie (Kyra Sedgwick) and their two daughters Hannah (Madison Davenport) and Emily (Natasha Calis). When Clyde buys Emily a strange wooden box she spots at a yard sale, Emily soon starts to exhibit strange and violent behavior. Clyde soon finds out the box is a Hebrew demon box whose occupant Emily has unleashed. Now, somehow, Clyde must save his daughter from the demon’s grasp!

The Possession is a well-made and, for the most part, well-directed horror film that is sadly weakened by being just too routine and filled with clichés. Director Ole Bornedal actually does a good job building tension and does gives us a few scares, but Leslie Gornstein’s script is so full of the typical possession/exorcism elements, that even with the Jewish folklore, it can’t save the material from being far too familiar to be effective. The film is at its weakest when the actual exorcism finally takes place. Even in Hebrew, we’ve seen it all before, from swarms of insects to creepy voices to contorting bodies to conveniently empty hospital hallways. The more familiar it gets, the more Bornedal’s tension evaporates, and the last act loses us completely when it should grip us the most.

The cast is all fine, especially young Natasha Calis who really does a great job as the tortured Emily. It’s only Sedgwick who overacts a bit and seems uncomfortable with the supernatural themed material. Morgan makes a strong father figure and Davenport is quite adequate as Hannah.

All in all, it’s an OK passing of time, but nothing new to this horror sub-genre and quite forgettable when it’s all said and done.

-MonsterZero NJ

Rated 2 and 1/2 (out of 4) flies.

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