people you might expect to write/direct such a bleak horror since his contributions to the
industry has, for the most part, been in comedy television. He boasts directing credits from
much-loved British comedy series’ such as ‘The Office’ and ‘Toast of London’, but ‘Possum’
shows the dark side of his imagination in a psychological horror about a puppeteer who
returns to his childhood home and can’t seem get rid of the half-man, half-spider
marionette known as Possum. Meanwhile, it becomes apparent that in the past boys had
disappeared from the area and it’s happening again – but is it the traumatised Philip (Sean
Harris), his abusive uncle Maurice (Alun Armstrong), or the disturbing puppet who is
responsible?
The plot of the film is very simple and minimalistic, with more focus on the imagery to
create a disturbing atmosphere. The aesthetic style takes inspiration from the 70s as well as
from the German expressionist era, especially the image of Possum itself which is a haunting
mask of a face (very similar to the shape of adult Philip, which can’t be a coincidence and
provides a great deal of symbolism as he tries to get rid of it) attached to horribly long
spider legs. This imagery adds to the sense that Philip is living in a nightmare, and the
surreal viewpoint is enough to make the audience question his sanity. Furthermore,
although there isn’t much dialogue, Harris plays Philip with a submissiveness and timidity
that primarily shows through his body language and soon has you feeling sympathetic
towards him – particularly when he’s around Maurice, a malicious presence who takes great
pleasure from Philip’s pain.
The ending is abrupt and took me by surprise in the best way. The rest of the film is so
focused on the cycle of Philip’s trauma and creating an atmosphere through visuals that the
climax feels earned and can make you view the film in a new way. It’s a satisfying end to
something that easily could have taken the artsy route and left everything hanging as an
utter mystery to the audience – maybe some people would prefer it that way, but having
some of the answers isn’t always a bad thing in my opinion. In a narrative that was full of
uncertainty and an unreliable perspective, a small dose of reality is what was needed and
rounded the story off well.
Despite being a little bit repetitive at times and possibly being better suited to a short film
format, I would definitely recommend ‘Possum’ to horror fans. Holness shows a good
understanding of visual storytelling in his debut feature, and his years of directing
experience shine through in the wonderful performances from the cast; with his minimalist
approach to the narrative, this would have been make or break for the film, but luckily he
pulls through.