One must not tread into a viewing of “Possum” lightly, but it leaves an indelible mark on those willing to confront its nightmares.
Show host Carolyn Smith-Hillmer takes a deep dive into one of my favorite, underrated indie horror films in recent years, Possum. With an enigmatic story and technical mastery, it’s both nightmare-inducing and emotionally affecting — the kind of deeply unnerving and thought-provoking film that really gets under your skin and lingers long after it’s over. – Stephanie (Editor-in-Chief)
SHOW NOTES FROM HOST CAROLYN SMITH-HILLMER:
Have a fear of the uncanny? Puppets? Surrealism? POSSUM (2018) contains a combination of all of these elements to create the most upsetting psychological horror film I have seen in years. And I promise, there’s not as much Freudian discussion as you might think.
Possum is a 2018 British psychological horror film written and directed by Matthew Holness in his feature film debut. It centers on a disgraced children’s puppeteer who returns to his childhood home and is forced to confront the trauma he suffered there.
Possum is an adaption of Holness’ short story of the same name, published in the horror anthology The New Uncanny: Tales of Unease. It was partially inspired by the theories on the uncanny by Sigmund Freud. As a fan of the horror genre, Holness stated he much preferred horror films that resonate with the audience and force them to reflect on the experience afterward.
Possum‘s visual style was inspired by public information films Holness saw in his youth. Other inspirations include Dead of Night (1945), George Romero’s Martin (1978), and German Expressionist films. The film’s score was composed by sound effects and experimental electronic music studio The Radiophonic Workshop, which marked their first soundtrack purposely constructed for a feature film.
In addition to garnering multiple awards and nominations, Possum was generally praised by critics for its compelling lead performance and unsettling blend of atmosphere, score, and haunting imagery.
SOURCES/INFORMATION
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6081670/
Possum Film Information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Possum_(film)
Theory of the Uncanny: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny#Sigmund_Freud
Abjection: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abjection
Repetition Compulsion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repetition_compulsion
Destiny Neurosis: https://www.simplypsychology.org/repetition-compulsion.html#:~:text=Some%20examples%20of%20repetition%20compulsion,of%20violence%20later%20in%20life.
ABOUT THE SHOW:
The Final Girl on 6th Ave is a weekly show where host, Carolyn Smith-Hillmer, dissects an arthouse/elevated horror film. Each episode includes a detailed play-by-play of the film itself and a subsequent deep dive into the thematic elements and symbolism. Because elevated horror is sometimes viewed within the horror community as pretentious, Carolyn makes sure to use her down-to-earth tone and unique perspective to make these films less intimidating for the casual horror viewer and less ostentatious for the genre lover.
Listen to more episodes on the show’s website here.
The Final Girl on 6th Ave is a bi-weekly podcast where host Carolyn Smith-Hillmer reviews arthouse horror films in a non-pretentious way.
Climax (2018)
Experimental horror is not for everyone. I give many thanks to the universe it is my favorite cup of tea. Gaspar Noe’s Climax is a descent into the minds of a drug-addled dance troupe inside of an abandoned school in France. What could possibly go wrong?
SOURCES/INFORMATION
IMDB: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt8359848/
Climax: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climax_(2018_film)
Psychonaut Wiki LSD: https://psychonautwiki.org/wiki/LSD#Subjective_effects
Extreme Behavior and LSD: https://skywoodrecovery.com/lsd-abuse/extreme-behavior-related-to-lsd/
Cinemaholic: https://thecinemaholic.com/climax-review/
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Experimental horror is not for everyone. I give many thanks to the universe it is my favorite cup of tea. Gaspar Noe’s Climax is a [...]
April 18, 2024
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For reasons unknown to me, I had no one in my life interested enough in this film to go see it in theaters. Now that [...]
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Have a fear of the uncanny? Puppets? Surrealism? Possum (2018) contains a combination of all of these elements to create the most upsetting psychological horror [...]
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