If you’re contemplating diving into the cinematic enigma that is “Possession,” I urge you to experience it without any preconceptions. Avoid trailers, and perhaps even set aside this article for now. You can stream it on platforms like Shudder, Criterion, or Metrograph, and library services such as Kanopy or Hoopla might offer access as well. Once you’ve immersed yourself in its depths, we can engage in a spirited discussion, though proceed with caution if you’re faint-hearted.

“Possession” is a film that defies easy comprehension, even when armed with spoilers. After two viewings, several podcast analyses, and numerous articles, I still find parts of it mystifying. Yet, its allure is undeniable, and I am captivated by its complexity.

Set against the poignant backdrop of the Berlin Wall, the narrative plunges us into the disintegration of a marriage. This symbolic setting mirrors the chasm dividing the protagonists — a strikingly youthful Sam Neill as Mark, and Isabelle Adjani as Anna, whose performance is both haunting and extraordinary. Adjani’s portrayal is a whirlwind of emotional extremes, oscillating between chilling composure and feverish hysteria, a feat so demanding that it reportedly left her with PTSD. It is a testament to her powerful artistry.

Adding to the film’s dramatic intensity is Heinz Bennent as Heinrich, the man Mark suspects is the cause of Anna’s departure. Bennent’s portrayal is a fascinating blend of chaotic elegance, his movements akin to a tipsy dancer, marked by a unique delivery reminiscent of Tommy Wiseau. His character’s erratic behavior might seem ludicrous in a more conventional film, but within the surreal universe of “Possession,” it feels disturbingly appropriate.

Under the direction of Andrzej Żuławski, the film transforms into a series of vivid, live-action tableaux. One memorable scene depicts Mark and Anna seated in a café, physically and emotionally distant, negotiating their separation. This tension escalates into a visceral outburst as Mark overturns furniture in a fit of rage. Żuławski’s ability to capture such raw emotion and visual beauty is remarkable, rendering the film visually stunning.

However, this visual grandeur is fleeting, for the world of “Possession” is one of constant upheaval and unsettling shifts.

What begins as a bad acid trip about a failing marriage turns into a nausea-inducing body horror in its back half. It’s revealed that Anna isn’t leaving Mark for Heinrich. In fact, Heinrich is just as desperate to get Anna back, to find her and make her his. Instead, she is shacked up with what Anna Bogutskaya (host of The Final Girls podcast and author of Feeding the Monster) calls a “Lovecraftian fuck monster.”

It’s a grotesquerie of tentacles, oozing orifices, and uncanny humanoid features, created by Carlo Rambaldi, who won Academy Awards for special effects on Alien and ET. It feeds on people. Their bodies, but also their souls. Anna seems to think it’s some sort of deity, something holy. She uses it to explore parts of herself she has repressed or lost in her relationship with Mark.

The other men in her life can’t satisfy her, so she creates an ideal lover. What starts as a slimy creature, not unlike the baby from Eraserhead, eventually becomes a doppleganger of Mark.

And then there’s the subway scene. If you’ve ever heard of Possession before, it’s probably because of this scene. Adjani hurls herself around a deserted tunnel, grunting, screaming, convulsing, before oozing blood and god knows all over the wet concrete floor. As a viewer, I feel drained after watching it. It’s three of the most intense minutes ever committed to celluloid, and even if the rest of the film was terrible, Possession would be worth watching just for this scene.

There are so many different readings of this film. I’m still not entirely sure what happens at the end. Did their son Bob drown himself? Is Mark’s doppleganger the antichrist? Is Helen also a doppleganger? (I think so.) What is the deal with Heinrich’s mother? Is Anna possessed? Or is the titular possession about the men in her life trying to exert ownership of her?

In the month since I first watched this movie, I’ve told everyone I know about it. I can’t stop thinking about it or talking about it.