The Possession (2012): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch
The Possession is a 2012 horror thriller directed by Ole Bornedal, starring Natasha Calis, Kyra Sedgwick and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. It runs 1 hour 32 minutes and earned $85.4 million worldwide on a $14 million budget. Critics gave it 22% on Rotten Tomatoes, and IMDb users rate it 5.9/10. Stream it on Cinemax and The CW, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 32m (92 min)
- Director
- Ole Bornedal
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Lionsgate
- Budget
- $14M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Possession About?
The premise of The Possession without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
A family's life takes a disturbing turn when their daughter becomes fascinated by an antique box acquired at a yard sale. Her behavior increasingly erratic, her parents discover the box contains a dibbuk, a malevolent spirit. They must then confront the terrifying reality that the vengeful spirit is possessing their child and will do anything to claim her completely.
The Possession Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- possessed girl
- swarm of moths
- sister sister relationship
- dybbuk box
- father daughter relationship
- demonic possession
- allergy
- food allergy
- vegetarianism
- vegetarian food
- hair loss
- bleeding
+38 more Show fewer
- bleeding from eyes
- hallucination
- auditory hallucination
- voice
- morgue
- hospital
- supernatural horror
- supernatural power
- psychotronic film
- grindhouse film
- cursed artifact
- child in jeopardy
- girl
- father
- young
- jewish mythology
- judaism
- orthodox jew
- basketball coach
- house under contruction
- car truck crash
- hebrew text
- obsession
- infestation
- father stabbed by daughter
- basketball practice
- college professor
- basketball court
- custody fight
- divorced parents
- mother daughter relationship
- vehicular accident
- magnetic resonance imaging
- psychiatrist
- seizure
- holy water
- eating raw meat
- exorcism
Where to Watch The Possession
Stream it on Cinemax and The CW, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.
Cinemax Amazon Channel 
Cinemax Apple TV channel 
The CW 
YouTube Free 
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The Possession Cast
Natasha Calis leads the cast, with Kyra Sedgwick and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Directed by Ole Bornedal.
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Director Ole Bornedal
The Possession Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The Possession 22% on Rotten Tomatoes, and IMDb users rate it 5.9/10.
-
IMDb 5.9 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 22% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 28%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
TMDB 60% User score
See on TMDB -
Letterboxd 2.6 /5
31 ratings
See on Letterboxd -
Movie Insider 3.5 /5
See on Movie Insider
The Possession Plot Summary
What happens in The Possession from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The story opens with an elderly woman trying to unlock a mysterious box. As she plays some vintage music, she gathers holy water and a hammer, preparing to destroy it. However, before she can act, she is forcefully thrown around her room by an invisible entity. When her son arrives, he finds her unconscious on the floor.
We then meet a recently divorced couple, Clyde and Stephanie Brenek, who are navigating life with their two daughters, Em (Natasha Calis) and Hannah (Madison Davenport). Clyde takes his children to a yard sale where Em becomes fascinated by an ancient box inscribed with Hebrew characters. He reluctantly agrees to buy it for her.
Full summary
The whole story of The Possession, scene by scene
The Possession Box Office & Budget
The Possession grossed $85.4 million worldwide on a $14 million budget, 6.1 times what it cost. $49.1 million came from the US and Canada and $36.3 million (43%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$85.4M
6.1× its budget
- US & Canada
- $49.1M
- International
- $36.3M
- Budget
- $14M
The Possession Trailers & Videos
The trailer of The Possession.
How Well Do You Know The Possession?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What mysterious object does Em become obsessed with?
Cars in The Possession
16 cars on screen, including the 1998 BMW 540i E39 and the 2008 Toyota Prius II.
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1998 BMW 540i E39 Main role -
2008 Toyota Prius II Important role -
1985 Chevrolet Astro Minor role -
1976 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Minor role
The Possession Also Known As
34 alternative titles, including “Possessão” and “Posesión Satánica”.
- Also known as
-
- Possessão
- Posesión Satánica
- Posesion Satanica
- La Posesión Satánica
- Shkatulka.Proklytija
- The Possession - Il Male vive dentro di lei
- The Possession (El origen del mal)
- Шкатулка проклятия
- The Possession: Possuída
- 死魂盒
- Possédée
- הדיבוק
+22 more Show fewer
- Possession - Das Dunkle in Dir
- Şeytan Tohumu
- Kronika Opętania
- Démoni doboz
- Kletba z temnot
- Kliatba z temnot
- มันอยู่ในร่างคน
- Kurjast vaevatud
- Δαιμονισμένη
- La possession
- Обсебване
- 聚魔櫃
- 포제션: 악령의 상자
- Ļaunuma lāde
- 陰魂轉讓
- Đánh Cắp Linh Hồn
- ポゼッション
- Cutia blestemată
- आत्मा का साया
- The possession (L’origen del mal)
- Шкатулка одержимості
- Demonas viduje
Seen The Possession?
Movies Like The Possession
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Possession, The Possession of Hannah Grace and Dybbuk.
The Possession FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of The Possession, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Possession?
The Possession runs 1 hour 32 minutes (92 minutes).
When was The Possession released?
The Possession was released on August 31, 2012.
Who directed The Possession?
The Possession was directed by Ole Bornedal.
More films by Ole Bornedal Who is in the cast of The Possession?
The Possession stars Natasha Calis, Kyra Sedgwick and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
Where can I watch The Possession?
In the US, The Possession is streaming on Cinemax, The CW and YouTube Free and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).
How much did The Possession make at the box office?
The Possession grossed $85.4 million worldwide ($49.1 million domestic, $36.3 million international) on a budget of $14 million.
How is The Possession rated?
The Possession has 5.9/10 on IMDb, 22% on Rotten Tomatoes, 60% on TMDB and 2.6/5 on Letterboxd.
Does The Possession have a post-credit scene?
No. The Possession has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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