Possessor

Saw Possessor, a film by Brandon Cronenberg, son of the famous body-horror maestro David Cronenberg.  similarly to his father's work, this film leans on a sci-fi concept which is intriguing in the abstract but messy and harrowing as depicted in this film.  The idea is that in the near future "Possessors" are able to leap into other peoples' bodies and carry out assassinations.  They then kill themselves (ie the host body) and vanish without a trace.  Alas, this film has many traces indeed and we find our Possessor on a final job which she cannot escape.

The film is far more horror than sci fi.  It focuses on gruesome murders and grotesque imagery of the Possessor and possessee melding together and tearing apart.  The film contains both the visceral horror of this imagery and the existential horror of a loss of identity.  Not only is the host of the possessor losing control of their actions, but the possessor herself seems to be losing herself in the host and in the violence of the job.  She is supplied with a small pistol for quick executions but often the deaths are brutal and extremely bloody.

There's some nice meta-level stuff as well of course.  We have a point-of-view shot from the host's eyes, putting us the audience in the role of possessor.  Elsewhere in the film we are following along with the possessor, so are we perhaps possessing her?  Similarly, she studies her victims and repeats things they say like an actress trying to find the right line reading.  But she is an actress.  Is she possessing the role of the possessor?  She also repeats lines to herself when seeing her estranged husband.  She's not sure how to say "darling" and is struggling to control herself.  Who is in control here?

The film is eerie and chilly and dismal.  It ends on a heck of a downer note, with two pools of blood seeming to kiss as they join.  It's haunting and extreme however.  The central struggle of course is the main character trying to kill her host body.  An effective film but not one I think I'll re-see any time soon.