Capital Celluloid 2021 — Day 210: Tue Dec 14

Possessor (Cronenberg, 2020): Genesis Cinema, 6.20pm

This screening is part of Human Resources, a season of films exploring the depiction of work and labour on screen. The season is curated by Ryan Ninesling, an MA student in Film Studies, Programming, and Curation, in partnership with the National Film and Television School, Close-Up Film Centre, and the Genesis Cinema.

Chicago Reader review:
Possessor is an especially timely film. Playing to writer-director Brandon Cronenberg’s strengths, his sophomore feature is a stylish body-horror full of striking and unshakable images, much like his 2012 debut, Antiviral. Aimed at capitalism instead of celebrity, this cautionary tale follows elite agent Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough), who works for a secretive organization that uses brain-implant technology to inhabit other people’s consciousness. Once inside, the agent commits assassinations for high-paying clients. It’s an impressive and well-executed premise, which the cast’s acting chops support skillfully. When Tasya enters her newest mark, Colin Tate (Christopher Abbott), at the direction of her boss, Girder (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a struggle ensues as their respective consciousnesses battle for control of the body, underscoring Cronenberg’s assertion that in our capitalistic society, even our own autonomy comes at a price. He asks us to think, what is one willing to leave behind in pursuit of a perfect performance review?
Becca James

Here (and above) is the trailer.