It has been a while since I have seen a film with the Cronenberg name attached to director. But Possessor, which is a (phallic-riddled) science fiction fantasy, was not actually filmed by the acclaimed, controversial and often daring, cult auteur David Cronenberg. Instead, it was directed by his son, Brandon…and clearly the apple did not fall far from the tree.

But to be fair, with three films under his belt (also check out Antiviral and Infinity Pool) its easy to argue that Brandon isn’t simply a carbon-copy of his father. Sure, that same interest in reshaping the human body into a grotesque form is certainly there, but Brandon also has a bit of his own flare. For one thing, he is a bit more colour conscious than his father. He also loves including scenes with trippy montages, perhaps to a fault. And so far, his interests seem a lot more targeted than his father’s. Brandon likes to tell stories about identity that exist in alternate world’s that have created speculative technologies.

Yes, I know the director of Videodrome and eXistenZ has also ventured into this territory; but Brandon ALWAYS goes here. When considering the entirity of his extensive canon of films, David’s tastes seem far more thematically and stylistically eclectic by comparison.

Which brings us to Possessor. This is the story of a Tasya Vos, a near-future assassin who works for a company that has developed a technology that allows people to take over the consciousness of another individual. Not only does this tech allow an assassin to get close to a victim by using an unexpected host, it also makes it easy for the host to be framed and, if the possessor desires, forced into committing suicide before being made to talk.

(So yes- the gist of the premise is that someone made a consciousness transferring device and then decided that its best use would be as a machine of death for committing the perfect murder. Just go with it.)

The problem is that all the time Tanya Vos has spent in the machine impersonating different victims has caused her to have a bit of an identity crisis, which her bosses are aware is a known side effect. She’s also started having violent fantasies while with her husband that she takes into the bedroom. She is a woman torn. She wants to be a good mother and wife, but she has become addicted to the machine.

Obviously, something is got to give.

As a work of speculative fiction, the future Possessor depicts is both horrible and, minus the consciousness transferring device, feels already present. The corporation that Tanya Vos has been asked to infiltrate involves data collecting and profiling. We watch as company workers use the cameras on our computers to identify the items in our houses. In a society where personal privacy has no protections, its not hard to see why nobody in this film is interested in debating the ethics taking control of another’s body. Though never stated, the assumption is that corporations have heightened powers and pretty much just do what they want. But violations to privacy have clearly taken a mental toll on the violators, making them increasingly detached and desensitized and this is the theme Brandon Cronenberg seems most interested in exploring in this film.

In fact, things have gotten so bad for Vos, that she seems acting as much in her regular life as she is doing her job.

Truth be told, if I had to list a film that is a spiritual companion to Possessor, I would choose Under the Skin before I’d pick any of Brandon’s father’s films. These two films just have so much in common. Both deal with identity, depicting strong female anti-heroes that are essentially forced to act as someone they are not. Also, both films give you little history or context for the events that unfold. And both blend hyperreal violence with surreal experimentation. Possessor even has its own similar body popping-type moment, though not quite as jarring as that horrific moment in Glazer’s film (that would be an impossibility) and (small spoiler coming) localized to just the face.

Though Possessor gets admittedly a little too caught up in own experimental imagery, particularly in those moments when Tanya Vos is caught between consciousness, the film’s leads, Andrea Riseborough and Christopher Abbott, help to ground the film with strong performances. Jennifer Jason Leigh also thrives in her supporting role as a mentor for Vos who may or may not have her best interests at heart- depending, I guess, what you think her best interests are. After all, unless you watching an action-comedy, seeing someone attempt to navigate between a career as an assassin and their family is probably not something is going to end well.

At its core, Possessor is a science fiction film, but the graphic nature of Possessor’s violence has also allowed this film to be embraced by the horror community. Generally, I prefer these types of movies to what are essentually horror films with science fiction flourishes. Cronenberg’s films have the feel of science-fiction made specifically for adults. 

At one time, it was rare to see a film like Possessor being made, but lately it seems like studios are more willing to take chances on these lower budget, high concept science-fiction films. (Perhaps it is related to the success Alex Garland has had.) Now, with a new Cronenberg in town, I look forward to the possibility of seeing even more films like this being made by a competent hand.