Reviews & Ratings for
Possum (2018)

Possum is a 2018 British psychological horror film written and directed by Matthew Holness in his feature film debut, starring Sean Harris and Alun Armstrong. It centres on a disgraced children's puppeteer who returns to his childhood home and is forced to confront the abuse and trauma he suffered.

Holness worked on the television series Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, which he wrote, directed, and starred in as the title character; he also published several short stories. The film is an adaption of Holness' short story "Possum", which was published in the horror anthology The New Uncanny: Tales of Unease.

As a fan of the horror genre, Holness stated he much preferred horror films that "linger with you" and force the audience 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.

Possum premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on 25 June 2018. It received mostly positive reviews, praising Harris' performance, atmosphere, soundtrack and unsettling imagery.