The Possession review (Exclusive Series) (Hulu/Amazon Prime)

*** This is a review of 'The Possession' that I wrote for the Examiner during the summer of 2012 ***

In the Lions Gate supernatural thriller "The Possession," Clyde and Stephanie Brenak are in the process of getting a divorce. After Clyde moves into his new home, he takes his daughters to a yard sale to find more dishes and other items. His youngest, Em, becomes intrigued with a particular wooden box that features inscriptions on it. As soon as Em brings the box home, strange occurrences begin to happen. Now. Clyde has to try to figure out what the strange happenings are. But, most importantly, what is going with his daughter.

"The Possession," is by far, one of the most creepiest horror films that I have seen in recent years. There are quite a few jump scenes that are completely unexpected. As soon as the young daughter becomes possessed by the evil spirit that is inside the box, the scares really begin to get really intense. Natasha Calis, who portrays Em, does an incredible job giving the possession scenes a really creepy feel. If you enjoy supernatural thrillers and also love horror films that involve possession, then I highly recommend "The Possession."

Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays Clyde, the father of the possessed girl. Morgan has appeared in numerous films, including "The Losers," "Taking Woodstock" and "Watchmen." This fall, he can be seen in the upcoming remake of "Red Dawn." Kyra Sedgwick plays Stephanie, the mother who believes that nothing is going on and the daughter is just acting out. Sedgwick has appeared in this year's "Man on a Ledge" and recently finished her TV series "The Closer."

Other cast members include: Madison Davenport (Kit Kittridge: An American Girl) as Hannah, Grant Show (Burn Notice) as Brett, Jay Brazeau (Watchmen) as Professor McMannis and Matisyahu as Tzadok. "The Possession" is directed by Ole Bornedal, making his directing debut in America.

The director used many films, including the classic horror film "The Exorcist," to help create and inspire the film. "The Possession" was originally rated R before it had to get another edit before its initial release. There may be a chance that there could be an unrated version available when its released on DVD. The story is based on the allegedly haunted Dibbuk Box, which anyone can find the story of online.

"The Possession" has received mixed reviews from critics. During Labor Day weekend, the horror film has managed to gross $21.3 million, which is good for a horror film. The production budget is $14 million, so the film is already going to be a financial hit for the Lions Gate movie company.

"The Possession" is rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including violence and disturbing sequences and has a running time of 92 minutes.