Possession
“Inhuman ecstasy fulfilled.”
Synopsis
A young woman left her family for an unspecified reason. The husband determines to find out the truth and starts following his wife. At first, he suspects that a man is involved. But gradually, he finds out more and more strange behaviors and bizarre incidents that indicate something more than a possessed love affair.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2023-01-03
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Isabelle Adjani
Anna / Helen
Sam Neill
Mark
Margit Carstensen
Margit Gluckmeister
Heinz Bennent
Heinrich
Johanna Hofer
Heinrich's Mother
Carl Duering
Private Detective
Shaun Lawton
Zimmermann
Michael Hogben
Bob
Maximilian Rüthlein
Man with Pink Socks
Thomas Frey
Pink Sock's Acolyte
Leslie Malton
Sara
Gerd Neubert
Subway Drunk
Ilse Bahrs
Karin Mumm
Herbert Chwoika
Barbara Stanek
Ilse Trautschold
Harry Riebauer
Man at the Conference
Release History & Theatrical Window
Beijing International Film Festival （4K）
Festival / Special Debut
October 13, 1983
Wide Cinema Exhibition
January 5, 2023
VOD & Digital Platforms
October 25, 2010
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$2.4M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$1.2M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.5x
-$1.2M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Andrzej Żuławski
- Screenplay & Story
- Andrzej Żuławski
- Original Score
- Andrzej Korzyński
- Original Title
- Possession
- Country of Origin
- France, Germany
- Spoken Languages
- English, French, German
- Runtime
- 2h 4m
- Production Budget
- $2.4M
- Worldwide Gross
- $1.2M
- Production Studios
- Gaumont, Oliane Productions, Marianne Productions, Soma Film Produktion
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Andrzej Żuławski
Andrzej Żuławski, Frederic Tuten
Andrzej Korzyński
Bruno Nuytten
Suzanne Lang-Willar, Marie-Sophie Dubus
Marie-Laure Reyre
Department Leadership Roster
Ingrid Zoré
Costume Design
Bruno Nuytten
Director of Photography
Suzanne Lang-Willar
Editor
Marie-Laure Reyre
Producer
Andrzej Korzyński
Original Music Composer
Marie-Sophie Dubus
Editor
Andrzej Żuławski
Director
Andrzej Żuławski
Screenplay
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
Restricted — Restricted to adults 18 and older.
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Interdit aux moins de 16 ans — 16+ only.
Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Possession.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Possession.
Horror
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Monsters & Animals
S&S Critics - Greatest Films
Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time 2022 (Critics' Poll). Every decade the Sight and Sound team asks critics to name the greatest films of all time. Here are the results of the 2022 poll – the largest ever, with 1,639 critics, programmers, curators, archivists and academics each submitting their top ten ballot - and now updated with the complete list. 《视与听》2022年影评人评选影史百大电影（含并列完整版）： 由 1639 位影评人、策展人及学者共同票选的影史最伟大电影。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#152] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#171] Out 1 (1971) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:36:35 UTC+8)*
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:33:14 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Possession
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Possession about?
A young woman left her family for an unspecified reason. The husband determines to find out the truth and starts following his wife. At first, he suspects that a man is involved. But gradually, he finds out more and more strange behaviors and bizarre incidents that indicate something more than a possessed love affair.
Who directed Possession?
Possession was directed by Andrzej Żuławski.
Who stars in Possession?
The principal cast of Possession includes Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill, Margit Carstensen, Heinz Bennent, Johanna Hofer.
When was Possession released and how long is it?
Possession was released in 1981 with a total runtime of 2h 4m.
What was the box office and production budget of Possession?
Possession had a reported production budget of $2.4M and grossed $1.2M at the worldwide box office (0.5 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for Possession?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Possession was composed by Andrzej Korzyński.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Possession?
Possession holds official age classifications: AU: R18+ (Restricted — Restricted to adults 18 and older.); DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: 16 (Interdit aux moins de 16 ans — 16+ only.); GB: 18 (Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).