Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Demonically scary movie has low gore, strong characters.
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The Possession
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 13 parent reviews
Based on 23 kid reviews
Kids say the movie features a mix of scares and creepy visuals, making it engaging for some but ultimately pretty forgettable for others due to its reliance on familiar tropes. While younger audiences may find it too intense and scary, older viewers appreciate the storyline and production quality, indicating it’s best suited for those above a certain age who can handle its themes.
- mixed reactions
- creepy visuals
- intense for youth
- relies on tropes
- engaging storyline
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Newly divorced dad Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) picks up his daughters -- the younger Em (Natasha Calis) and the older Hannah (Madison Davenport) -- to spend the weekend in his new house. They stop at a garage sale, and Em asks to buy a mysterious box. She finds a secret switch that opens it and discovers some odd things inside: a tooth, a dead moth, etc. Soon she starts acting strangely. As Em's behavior gets worse, it seems as though she's been taken over by something. The problem drives a deeper rift between Clyde and his ex-wife (Kyra Sedgwick), but Clyde isn't easily deterred: He'll do anything to help his daughter. He tracks down a rabbi, whose son (Matisyahu) volunteers to perform an exorcism. But is it too late to save Em?
Is It Any Good?
By now the demon possession movie is fairly familiar, and there aren't many variations on it, but THE POSSESSION is surprisingly above average for the genre. It's certainly much better than entries like The Devil Inside and The Rite. The Possession succeeds, firstly, with its strong characters; a good deal of time is spent establishing the emotional awkwardness and the reality of a divorce and how it affects the parents, the children, and even the mother's new boyfriend.
The movie also has a strong sense of style. Danish director Ole Bornedal, who previously directed a horror classic called Nightwatch (as well as its poorer American remake), uses sound to brilliant effect and also clamps down on gore, focusing instead on scary stuff. When the movie ramps up to its tense climax, the relationships between the characters count for as much, if not more, than the horrific elements. If the movie has a drawback, it's that it's not quite scary enough to satisfy hardcore horror hounds. But at least it's good.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Possession's violence. How much blood/gore is shown compared to other horror movies? Does that make the movie feel more or less intense?
Is the movie scary? What were the scariest parts? Why were they scary? Is The Possession scarier or less scary than other horror movies?
How does the movie handle/depict divorce? Does it seem realistic? How well or how badly is the family dealing with the situation?
Does the movie seem like a true story? What seems true, and what doesn't? How could you find out more about what really happened?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 31, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : January 15, 2013
- Cast : Jeffrey Dean Morgan , Kyra Sedgwick , Natasha Calis
- Director : Ole Bornedal
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 92 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : mature thematic material involving violence and disturbing sequences
- Last updated : November 30, 2025
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