The Horror Show
Possum
by Matthew Holness
Slow burn horror isn't for everyone. Some people say it's boring, but I am a huge fan of a slow paced, atmospheric, surreal horror movie. Possum ticks off all those boxes and then some!
Possum is the first feature length film by actor/writer/director Matthew Holness. I have been a huge fan of Matthew Holness for years. I knew him best as Garth Marenghi as Dr. Rick Dagless M.D. in Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, one of my favorite British series ever. He's super funny, so I wasn't expecting what he delivered in Possum. There were no laughs here.
The story is all about Phillip. Phillip was a puppeteer and Phillip did something bad. So, Phillip comes home with only one of his puppets in tow, a puppet known as Possum. Possum has spider legs and a human head. Possum lives in a leather bag and torments Phillip. Possum can't be destroyed. Living in Phillip's family home is Maurice. Maurice is listed as Phillip's stepdad, but he may be his uncle. Maurice is not a nice man. Maurice is disturbing.
I'd love to tell you more, but this is quite the “you need to see this shit for yourself” type of film. It's shot so beautifully. The silence is so prevalent that I fell asleep. Not because it was boring, but the natural sounds of the English countryside lulled me into a nice comfy, ASMR-esq state. I loved how serene it was one minute and super tense the next. There's not much dialogue, but it's not needed. Everything is told through some amazing visuals. When there was voice over it was usually just about Possum.
Possum is a thinking film. It's super art house-ish. This is not a horror film for everyone. Like I said, it is slow and very weird, but it's an amazing ride. It's available on Prime. Don't miss this one if you're into the bizarre.
”Can you spy him, deep within? Little Possum, black as sin.”
Robin Thompson, HMS
The Horror Show Menu.