The Possession

By objectifying Jews as exotic others rather than presenting them as subjects, the Raimi production eliminates the precise element that would have been most powerful for a Jewish audience.

This effective little creeper is the only Judaic pastiche of The Exorcist you're likely to see this year. That alone gives it a jump on the umpteen other evil/possessed-child films that have become a seemingly monthly genre staple of late.

Director Ole Bornedal doesn't add a single idea of his own.

There may be need for an exorcist, but the power of Christ isn't going to compel the Jewish demon wreaking havoc in this competent but shopworn horror film.

The first half of The Possession is suitably atmospheric and reasonably creepy.

The film is basically a compendium of possessed-child clichs reaching back to The Exorcist.

Just barely manages to set itself apart from the generic possession subgenre, though only barely.

Despite the film's technical precision and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, The Possession doesn't offer anything novel or particularly entertaining. [Full review in Spanish]

A PG-13-rated chiller that starts out spooky enough but gradually turns toward the cliché and silly.

The film emphasizes mood and atmosphere over actual chills and thrills.