The two directors subtly increase the tension between Jim’s home life and his work driving. All of this is compelling, fantastic stuff. And if Repossession had just been this, it would a perfect film. But, there are horror asides that distract and slow down the momentum. It would be one thing if Goh and Hillyard at least scarily staged these moments. But they don’t. Wei Yong Teo’s impressive score is doing the heavy lifting in the horror scenes, but it cannot sustain the necessary tension to make these moments frighten the audience.
It’s not as if the horror does not add anything. The dual nature of humans, restraint versus going berserk, and mental health are all dealt with to varying degrees within the possessions’ context. Again, the filmmakers never firmly establish that these creepy scenarios are or aren’t real. That angle is compelling, but watching Jim’s slow deterioration, as the guilt of his lies piles on and disintegrates his family, on the dramatic side of the story is already doing similar things, much, much better. A scene where his best friend forcefully admonishes Jim for not telling his wife yet, and Jim just looking plaintive hints at all those elements the horror brings forth. However, because scares aren’t generated and because it stops the momentum, the possessions never work.
Plus, there’s a throughline story Jim is told that is all about chaos. A monster comes into a village and eats a villager. The next day, the same thing. Eventually, one of the villagers tries to stop the attacks, and the monster says that if he can answer a riddle, it’ll leave. The man answers correctly, but the monster continues the attacks because it changed its mind.
“…there’s no denying how great all the non-horror stuff is.”
This parallels the random ways the demon is torturing Jim (if you read them as real). But it’s not random. See, there are flashbacks to a young Jim with his sister. She becomes possessed, and Jim attacks her to get rid of the demon. It does not end well. Then, when he’s a teenager, the demon takes over a fellow ROTC student and has that person commit suicide in front of Jim. And of course, the possessions now. This isn’t random chaos, as this demon has selected Jim to mentally torture throughout the years.
If it had just been his sister and now, returning under high pressure, sure, I could buy it. But, the only explanation is that “the village was there, and I am a f**king monster.” This idea is much more shallow and quite frankly, stupid than the themes of status, pride, and what it means to age out of society before you’re ready that Repossession so brilliantly explores for two-thirds of its runtime.
A remake of Repossession that eschews the horror to strictly be a drama is something I eagerly await, as that film would be perfect. As it stands, the movie boasts a brilliant cast giving it their all and an involving tale of a man searching for himself as his world crumbles. It’s just too bad that a demon keeps interrupting everything. Overall, the movie is uneven, but when it works, it really works.
Repossession screened at the 2020 Dances With Films.
"…a remake of Repossession that eschews the horror to strictly be a drama is something I eagerly await..."
