Possession 2008

Jess Sarah Michelle Gellar is a sweet-natured but driven lawyer who puts her career ahead of her personal life and marriage to her artist husband Lee Pace. They are on the verge of their first wedding anniversary and, while they seem happy, tension stretches between them because of Ryan’s younger brother Roman—a moody, volatile presence who clashes with the couple. Jess first met Ryan through Roman, whom she had represented in court on an aggravated assault charge, a connection that shadows their relationship from the start.

A tense drive across the Golden Gate Bridge ends in disaster as the brothers collide, leaving both severely injured. Jess rushes to the hospital and learns that Roman and Ryan are in comas. Casey, Roman’s girlfriend, arrives with news that keeps Jess in a fog of worry, and she discovers one of Ryan’s weekly handwritten love letters waiting in the mailbox, a haunting reminder of the life they share.

When Roman suddenly awakens, he insists that he is Ryan and pleads with Jess to believe that the husband she loves has returned in his brother’s body. He hints at something supernatural that happened when their bodies revived side by side, but he cannot fully explain it. Jess remains doubtful at first, suspecting head injuries or confusion, and she brings in Casey’s help to test his memories. Roman continues to behave like Ryan, offering romantic gestures and recounting intimate memories that only the real Ryan could know.

After a year, a pivotal moment—a specific memory tied to a photograph—tips the scales: Jess becomes convinced that this is truly her husband, not an impostor. The couple tries to resume their life together, though some coworkers disapprove and Casey remains wary that the real Ryan is the one lying in the hospital. Jess’s anxiety about turning off the life-sustaining machines persists, even as she celebrates the news that she is pregnant and their family is beginning anew.

Casey goes missing, drawing police attention, and Ryan’s response is guarded, saying she was “troubled.” Suspicion creeps in as Jess notices inconsistencies around a necklace and other mementos, and she realizes that Roman studied the couple’s photos and letters to perfect the imitation of his brother. Confrontation follows, and Roman’s violence escalates as he insists they were meant to be together, even admitting to killing Casey because of Jess’s suspicions. Amid the chaos, Ryan experiences a seizure in the hospital, and the two brothers become linked by a psychic bond forged in the crash.

In the heat of the struggle, Jess manages to stab Roman with a pottery knife, and his death comes as doctors work to save Ryan. With Ryan’s condition stabilizing, Jess stays by his bedside, ready to begin their life anew once he returns. As she heads out of the hospital, a man behind her helps reattach the necklace she wears; she turns to thank him—only to find no one there—and she smiles, certain that Ryan has somehow found his way back to her.