MovieChat Forums > Possessor (2020) Discussion > An awful mess

An awful mess

posted 4 years ago by Thaisticks (3023)
5 replies | jump to latest

A lot of credit to The Matrix should be acknowledged for this one, down to being pulled out of the "possessor's" alternate existence at the time of most danger. But aside from the brutal violence and nudity and graphic sex, this doesn't have much going for it. Gets an incredible 93% rating from the critics on RT, but a much more accurate 59% audience score, and also 6.5 on IMDB, which I guess is not bad for a horror movie (although interest is weak, with only 16K votes). It's also interesting that critics are confused about the first murder--some claiming that it was Vos, some saying the possessor was not "gotten out" but was killed by the cops, some saying she did "get out." So I'm glad to see I'm not the only one confused. I thought the Black woman seen near the end in the lab was this first "possessor," but I'm not sure now.

[–] Kazak (2187) 4 years ago

I think it was made clear enough that Tasya was the Possessor in both cases. Through the “debriefing” (for lack of a better term) interview where she’s asked why she used a knife instead of the supplied pistol, etc.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

I was a bit dissapointed in the film.

It's developing a bit of a cult following. Some people really enjoy it. It has good ratings from critics and users alike (it has a 7.2 user rating on Letterboxd).

I saw some people talking about how extreme the film was (violence wise). I didn't find it that brutal.

I'm at a bit of a loss as to why this is getting so much acclaim. It is quite messy in it's narrative.

[–] Thaisticks (3023) 3 years ago

I had never heard of Letterboxd. It looks like Goodreads (where amateur readers share their usually not very usefull opinions about books) for "film" buffs. Is there a need for it with IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes and, dare I say, Moviechat already out there? Although, since I am too lazy to make a simple list with pen or pencil, that feature of the site may help me to not watch movies I've forgotten I've already watched! I still find that the best indicator of whether or not I will like a movie is the number of ratings on IMDB--not the rating itself, but the interest, or "following," it has generated.

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Letterboxd is basically IMDB meets Tumblr for young liberal college going Movie fans. Letterboxd leans more hipster, liberal & 'artisan' than IMDB, with Rotten Tomatoes being the most 'casual' and entertainment based. I prefer the IMDB ratings personally as it's a happy medium between the two.

With regards to Horror, Letterboxd leans heavily into the A24 brand of 'elevated horror'. The Witch, Midsommar...stuff like that. IMDB is more favorable to films like Doctor Sleep, IT & The Conjuring.

It's good to have an understanding of the user bases on the sites. A look at Letterboxd's top 250 films versus IMDBs showcases the differences of taste respective to the sites. LBs top 250 features more foreign films and less blockbusters than IMDBs. It's definitely something you have to keep in mind when judging the ratings of films.

Letterboxd actually has more ratings for most recent films than IMDB, it's taking over in a sense. So if you're interested in total rating counts it's definitely worth checking out the Letterboxd totals as it's got a larger currently active user base. Here are some rating totals to showcase what I mean;

The Batman (2022); LB - 608k ratings, IMDB - 299k ratings
X (2022); LB - 61k ratings, IMDB - 9k ratings
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021); LB - 695k ratings, IMDB - 564k ratings
Dune (2021); LB - 654k ratings, IMDB - 530k ratings
The Lighthouse (2019); LB - 480k ratings, IMDB - 194k ratings
Midsommar (2019); LB - 794k ratings , IMDB - 281k ratings

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

i loved it, have watched it twice & have rated it a 5/5 on letterboxd.

i said in my review that i thought of the film as almost a gift in that it made me feel really excited and i'm old and tired and boring, & i never feel excited by anything anymore.

i thought it had some absolutely incredible visual moments.

i've forgotten most of the plot. i don't really care about plot details, who did what, etc. i think it's fine if movies don't make sense or if i don't understand them, as long as i'm interested in what's happening.