Possession
“Inhuman ecstasy fulfilled.”
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.
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Cast
19 people
Isabelle Adjani
Anna / Helen
Known for
The Tenant
The Perfect Couple
Sam Neill
Mark
Known for
Jurassic Park
Peaky Blinders
Margit Carstensen
Margit Gluckmeister
Known for
The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
World on a Wire
Heinz Bennent
Heinrich
Known for
The Last Metro
The Serpent's Egg
Johanna Hofer
Heinrich's Mother
Known for
Veronika Voss
A Farewell to Arms
Carl Duering
Private Detective
Known for
A Clockwork Orange
Arabesque
Shaun Lawton
Zimmermann
Known for
John Rabe
Michael Hogben
Bob
Maximilian Rüthlein
Man with Pink Socks
Also in
Masks
Kein Land
Thomas Frey
Pink Sock's Acolyte
Also in
Ruby Cairo
Gott schützt die Liebenden
Leslie Malton
Sara
Known for
Weekend Rebels
Quality Time
Gerd Neubert
Subway Drunk
No other roles listed
Andrzej Żuławski Director · Andrzej Korzyński Composer Bruno Nuytten Cinematographer
Worldwide gross $1.2M · Budget $2.4M · United States release October 13, 1983
Box office
Budget
$2,400,000
Worldwide gross
$1,200,000
Gross vs. budget
0.5×
Production
Gaumont
Production · Studio
Oliane Productions
Production
Marianne Productions
Production
Soma Film Produktion
Production
France · Germany
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English · French · German
Release dates
France · May 25, 1981
Premiere · Cannes Film Festival
France · May 27, 1981
Theatrical · Visa n°52822
United States · October 13, 1983
Limited theatrical · New York City
United States · January 5, 2023
Digital · Shudder
United States
September 2, 1983 · Premiere · Victoria, Texas
October 28, 1983 · Theatrical
September 23, 2021 · Premiere · Fantastic Fest
October 1, 2021 · Limited theatrical · 4K Restoration (Metrograph in New York)
October 15, 2021 · Theatrical · 4K Restoration
Argentina
November 17, 1983 · Theatrical
Australia
June 15, 2014 · Physical · DVD
October 4, 2021 · Physical
Brazil
December 25, 1981 · Theatrical
China
April 20, 2024 · Premiere · Beijing International Film Festival （4K）
France
May 6, 2009 · Physical · DVD
January 27, 2021 · Physical · Blu-ray & Blu-ray 4K
February 20, 2021 · Physical · Blu-ray
July 14, 2021 · Theatrical · Rerelease
August 7, 2022 · Physical · Blu-ray 4K
February 22, 2026 · Digital · Arte•tv
February 23, 2026 · TV · Arte
Germany
November 6, 2009 · Physical · DVD
March 13, 2025 · Theatrical · Re-release
Greece
February 20, 2004 · Theatrical
Hungary
December 3, 1997 · Physical · VHS
Italy
April 16, 1982 · Premiere · Festival Internazionale del film di fantascienza
Japan
September 17, 1988 · Theatrical
Mexico
November 28, 1981 · Theatrical
Netherlands
September 10, 1981 · Theatrical
February 8, 2012 · Physical · DVD / Blu-ray
April 11, 2013 · Premiere · Imagine Film Festival
Philippines
November 13, 2026 · Premiere · QCinema International Film Festival
Poland
September 21, 2016 · Premiere · Gdynia Polish Film Festival
November 17, 2023 · Limited theatrical
Portugal
February 28, 1983 · Premiere · Fantasporto Film Festival
South Korea
April 21, 2020 · Digital
October 8, 2025 · Theatrical
Spain
September 19, 1981 · Premiere · Madrid
Sweden
January 29, 1982 · Premiere · Göteborg Film Festival
April 15, 1997 · Physical · VHS
United Arab Emirates
October 25, 2010 · Physical · DVD
United Kingdom
June 24, 1982 · Theatrical
July 29, 2013 · Physical · Second Sight Blu-ray / DVD
December 15, 2025 · Physical · Second Sight 4k Ultra HD Blu-ray
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Some details come from TheTVDB.