Why Margaret Qualley’s Possession Remake is Almost Impossible to Get Right

Margaret Qualley is set to star in a remake of the 1980s cult classic horror film Possession, but we wonder, is it really necessary to remake the film now? The original was directed by Andrzej Żuławski and starred Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill as a couple going through a breakup, leading to major psychological breakdowns for both.

While Qualley has established herself as a modern-day scream queen with The Substance, touching this classic is not child’s play. Adjani won the Best Actress award at the 34th Cannes Film Festival and at the César Awards for her performance. 

Apart from being a tough act to match, the film’s edginess is hard to recreate as it was made under specific circumstances. Read on to know why it is almost impossible to remake Possession the right way.

The Original Possession’s Edgy Tone Came From The Director’s Own Trauma

The upcoming remake of Possession is reportedly being helmed by Parker Finn, known for the horror film Smile. While Finn will no doubt bring his expertise in the genre to the film, the original’s edge and metaphorical body horror come from its legendary director, Andrzej Żuławski. 

Żuławski has dabbled in the genre throughout his filmography. Still, unlike most horror filmmakers, he is known for carrying the audience into a hypnotic dream state while setting them in extremely real, grounded atmospheres. Possession begins as a breakup drama between a couple in West Germany, but slowly becomes a psychological horror flick.

Much of the film was reportedly inspired by Żuławski’s messy divorce from actress Małgorzata Braunek (via The Quietus). The scene in Possession, where Sam Neill comes home to find his son left alone by Isabelle Adjani, was directly inspired by Żuławski’s own life. This gives a certain personality to the film, which frankly, a remake could never replicate.

The remake of Possession can recreate Andrzej Żuławski’s style and story at best. But the filmmaker brought dark parts of himself to the project in a way that anyone who attempts to remake would fall short. While Parker Finn’s horror skills are great, no doubt, we still do not think the magic of the original will be captured again.

Margaret Qualley’s Possession Remake Has to Get the Setting Right To Work

Margaret Qualley is no stranger to starring in allegorical horror flicks. Her most popular film to date is The Substance, which explored unrealistic beauty standards in the entertainment industry. That was a film that got the setting and milieu right. It explored a theme that is, unfortunately, universal and can be set in any time period.

Possession, on the other hand, has specific reasons to be set during the Cold War and in West Germany. Sam Neill’s Mark is a spy who has worked on the other side of the Berlin Wall and has returned to find his wife, Anna, in love with someone else. As their marriage crumbles, the proximity of the Berlin Wall adds to the paranoia of the characters.

It will be extremely difficult for a modern-day remake to capture the same kind of paranoia and panic that people felt back in the ‘80s. Sure, the current day has many threats to peace, but how can Parker Finn figure out a setting that feels different from a satire of current affairs? There is a lot of work left for the filmmaker if he wants to do this right.

Cast and Crew of Possession (1981)	Cast and Crew of the Possession Remake	Role in the film
Andrzej Żuławski	Parker Finn	Director
Isabelle Adjani	Margaret Qualley	Anna
Sam Neill	Callum Turner	Mark

Do you think Margaret Qualley will be able to deliver a generational performance like Adjani’s in Possession? Comment below.