Horror Fans Are Furious About the Possession Remake (& It Makes Sense)

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A rumor that Margaret Qualley might star in a remake of the 1981 horror film Possession has surprised many fans. The project is reportedly being directed by Parker Finn, who made Smile, and Callum Turner is also being considered for a role. While remakes, particularly in horror, often face criticism, the negative reaction to this potential remake feels especially strong, as the horror community is very passionate about the original film.

Andrzej Żuławski’s 1981 film, Possession, is widely considered a classic, earning high scores from critics (88% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.3 on IMDb) and maintaining a strong reputation for decades. The strong reactions from fans aren’t about wanting to keep the film exclusive, but rather a deep appreciation for its unique qualities and a fear that its particular impact can’t be duplicated. For devoted viewers, trying to remake Possession feels wrong because it’s a truly singular and unforgettable cinematic experience.

Isabelle Adjani’s Performance in Possession Is Irreplaceable

Fans are mainly upset about the challenge of anyone trying to follow Isabelle Adjani’s incredible performance. She didn’t just play the roles of Anna and Helen; it felt like a deeply physical and emotionally draining experience. Critics have often described her work as powerfully raw and intense, suggesting she truly delved into her own psyche to create the portrayal.

Adjani famously called the film “psychological pornography,” explaining that she needed years of therapy to process the experience of playing the role. When people praise the performance as perfect, they’re recognizing not just its quality, but also the real emotional toll it took on Adjani, who fully committed herself to the part.

The subway station scene is a powerful reason why a remake of this film shouldn’t be attempted. For three intense minutes, Isabelle Adjani delivers a harrowing performance, struggling on the grimy floor of a West Berlin subway station. While the scene is disturbing for many, simply calling it ‘difficult to watch’ doesn’t do it justice – it underestimates the raw power of Adjani’s acting. She transcends performance here, completely embodying the character and achieving something truly transformative.

As a movie lover, I was absolutely floored by this scene. It starts with her laughing, but that quickly descends into these raw, desperate screams. And visually, it’s incredibly disturbing – fluids are flowing, almost like milk, blood, and vomit, all coming from her. It wasn’t acting, though; it felt so real. It wasn’t about portraying a breakdown, it felt like watching a real person genuinely losing control, hyperventilating to the point where you could feel her struggling for air. Honestly, it was terrifying, and it felt less like a performance and more like witnessing a medical emergency – a truly unsettling, documentary-like depiction of a seizure.

When considering how to recreate scenes involving redirection and reaction, it’s important to acknowledge that modern safety regulations make it impossible to duplicate the original conditions. Reports suggest that director Żuławski pushed his actors into potentially dangerous, almost trance-like states to achieve those moments.

Although modern filmmaking prioritizes actor safety, the power of the film Possession comes from its unsettling, unpredictable energy. A carefully planned and rehearsed version of the subway scene would lose its impact, turning a genuinely disturbing moment into a simple display of acting.

Possession Was Born From a Specific Moment That Can’t Be Recreated

More than just a showcase of acting, Possession truly captures the unsettling atmosphere of West Berlin during a period of intense political division. The city isn’t just a setting – it feels like a character in itself. The film’s visuals and camerawork skillfully hint at the underlying political tension, adding another layer to the story.

The film uses the streets around the Berlin Wall, and the desolate area between the sides, to show the inner turmoil of the characters. The apartment building, facing the wall, powerfully conveys the real political fear of the time. The split between a husband and wife visually echoes the division of Germany itself, creating a chilling atmosphere that could never be convincingly faked on a movie set.

As a film buff, I’ve always been fascinated by the story behind this script. It’s incredible – and heartbreaking – to learn it basically poured out of Andrzej Żuławski during an incredibly dark time. He wrote the whole thing in just ten days, reeling from a divorce and battling severe depression. He himself called it a desperate cry from the inside, and honestly, you can feel that rawness in the film. What’s even more striking is that the story – the parental neglect, the self-sabotage – wasn’t just fiction; it was drawn directly from his own experiences. It’s a deeply personal film, born from real pain, and that’s what makes it so powerful.

As one insightful observer noted, ‘the most personal work is the most creative.’ That’s why Possession feels so unique – it’s a deeply personal story, giving the film a bold and unconventional energy. Although contemporary screenwriters can successfully update classic stories, Possession is best left untouched. Any attempt to change it risks losing the original’s powerful impact.

This new project started as a competitive battle between production companies. Shifting the focus from the director’s deeply personal struggles to adapting existing material fundamentally alters the story’s core. The original film felt raw and intensely personal, made with a sense of desperation. A studio remake, on the other hand, is usually driven by a specific goal – either honoring the original or capitalizing on its existing fanbase.

Fans Fear a Remake Will Soften What Made Possession Powerful

A key element of the film’s impact is the creature design by Carlo Rambaldi. In Possession, the creature isn’t meant to be realistic – it’s a messy, chaotic mass of tentacles and slime. Director Żuławski even jokingly compared it to a “huge pink condom” during its creation. However, this lack of realism is precisely what makes it so effective.

The creature’s deliberately sloppy, unfinished appearance makes it feel like an impossible, irrational being – a physical representation of Anna’s inner turmoil. A new version of the story faces a tricky problem: improved special effects could actually harm the film. If created with CGI, the creature risks becoming too polished and losing its mystery. The original 1981 creature’s power comes from its unsettling texture and the fact that it’s deliberately ambiguous and hard to define.

One of the most striking aspects of the film is how the camera creates a sense of unease and connection with the characters. Possession is well-known for its shaky, circling camera movements. In one particularly unsettling scene, Mark watches a video of Anna leading a ballet class, and the camera doesn’t just observe—it feels like it’s actively scrutinizing her. When Anna harshly corrects a student, she looks directly into the camera lens, her eyes conveying a deep, chilling fear that breaks the illusion of the film.

The film is instantly recognizable for its intense, unsettling close-ups. Director Żuławski’s camera gets uncomfortably close to Adjani, using distorted wide-angle shots to emphasize her emotional turmoil. Throughout the film, the shaky, handheld camera work is deliberately disorienting, even sickening. However, this unsettling feeling is actually crucial to fully experiencing the movie.

Fans have strong feelings about certain aspects of this movie. It’s known for being dark, pessimistic, and leaving viewers with no resolution. The criticism isn’t directed at the actors – Margaret Qualley, Callum Turner, and Parker Finn are all highly talented, with Qualley receiving particular praise for her work.

The core idea is that Possession holds a special, almost sacred place in film history. Films like this aren’t just made anytime – they require a rare combination of skilled people, intense experiences, and a particular moment in time. Sam Neill has even said the film nearly broke him, and he’s never been able to watch the whole thing because it was so disturbing. That lasting impact – the emotional toll it took on those involved – is what elevates it from a simple movie to a beloved cult classic.

The film deeply resonates with anyone who has gone through a difficult personal experience. At its core, Possession is a story about a painful breakup, showing how relationships can become suffocating and terrifyingly inescapable. It’s a film that feels intensely vulnerable, and perhaps some stories are best told only once—the hesitation surrounding this project seems to be a way of protecting its raw power. Possession is a truly personal work for Andrzej Żuławski, and it’s a film that should remain uniquely his.

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2026-02-08 07:40