Possessions

Heavily influenced by the 80's classics like The Shining, Cujo and The Exorcist this movie shows up in 2024...this raised many questions, specially...Why?.

And where did all The Simpsons money go?, I mean, you have to be pretty desperate for money to agree to do a movie like that. Obviously I'm talking about Lisa Simpson herself in one of the worse characters a horror movie could have had. A psychologist who covered up an exorcism gone bad and under the suspicion of another one, immediately tried to send the kid to a mental institution.

Don't be fooled by the title, it's referring to the possession of belongings in a storage facility, because the only attempt for an exorcism is done off camera in plain daylight. No possession, nothing to see here.

Initially I was lured into watching the 2024 horror movie "Possessions" because of the cover. I stumbled upon the movie by random chance here in 2024, and seeing it was a horror movie that I hadn't already seen, much less actually was familiar with, then of course I sat down to watch it. I am a lifelong fan of the horror genre, after all.

I didn't know what Clive Standen was starring in this movie, so it was quite a nice surprise to see his name on the screen and see him pop up on the screen. And that definitely instilled some expectations to the movie, despite the fact of not knowing what I was in for here.

Writer and director Brent Cote put together a rather generic, predictable, bland and disappointing storyline and script here, if I have to be bluntly honest. The movie started out well enough, but the narrative quickly reached a stand-still and then just seemed to run on fumes. Brent Cote just didn't manage to construct something that takes the audience on a thrill ride, and there aren't ups and downs along the way. Nay, the movie just sort of went straight out of a very flat direction, and thus there was no excitement to be found here.

There were elements to the narrative that had potential, but writer and director Brent Cote just failed to utilize on those, and that made for a very bland viewing experience. "Possessions" wasn't the least bit scary, unless you are a newcomer to the horror genre and this is your introduction to the genre.

The acting performances in the movie were not capable of lifting up the narrative from the bland slump, because the actors and actresses virtually had very little to work with in terms of anything interesting from the script and character gallery.

Visually then you're not in for anything grand, as "Possessions" isn't a movie that utilizes special effects. There were a few effects throughout the course of the 89 minutes that the movie ran for. But you're not in for anything memorable or extraordinary.

"Possessions" was a disappointing horror movie, and it is not one that I would recommend for fans of the horror genre to rush out and get to watch, nor for fans of Clive Standen to do so. And while I did manage to sit through the entire movie, I was only very mildly entertained, and this is definitely not a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time.

Once the movie came to an end after 89 bland minutes, I have to admit that I was left with an overwhelming sense of 'was that really it?'

In fact, the movie's cover over-sold the movie by a landslide. Don't get suckered in by the cover, as I did.

My rating of "Possessions" lands on a generous four out of ten stars. If it wasn't because of Clive Standen being in the movie, I would have rated it a flat three stars.

While the premise holds promise, Possessions, directed and written by Brent Cote, stumbles in execution. The film leans heavily on horror clichés, and in this case, it falls on the unfortunate.

The eerie atmosphere and stark lighting do create tension, but they don't help keep the plot from failing to deliver on its intended potential. The movie's pacing languishes, leaving viewers yearning for more momentous scares.

The cast, led by Clive Standen and Yeardley Smith, gives earnest performances, but the script doesn't provide them with enough depth. Mason Wells as Tyler, the son, manages to evoke sympathy, but the film's overall impact remains lackluster.

The concept of haunted storage units is intriguing, yet the film struggles to maintain sustained suspense. The jump scares are easy to predict, and the resolution lacks the punch needed for a memorable horror experience. The creepy kid trope, embodied by Mason Wells, adds a little uneasiness, but it's not enough to salvage the film.

This film falls between mediocrity and missed opportunities. While I find it to be another unmemorable addition to the horror genre, it fails to fully exploit the unique premise that it tries to embrace. There might be a few moments to appreciate for you die-hard horror fans, but for most viewers, I recommend watching this film if you have run out of other films (especially if you've caught up with your backlog of horror films) and don't want to waste thirty minutes trying to find something to watch.

In summary, Possessions (2024) is a dusty old storage unit full of disappointment to blow.

Watch this film if you're a little interested in a horror movie based around using storage units, but keep in mind that there won't be any jumping-out-of-your-seat spooks.