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Plot Summary

The Possession (2012) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2012 · 92 min · English
JustWatch #34,383 3
Directed by
Ole Bornedal
Starring
Kyra Sedgwick, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Natasha Calis
Budget
$14M

A family's life takes a disturbing turn when their daughter becomes fascinated by an antique box acquired at a yard sale. Her behavior increasingly erratic, her parents discover the box contains a dibbuk, a malevolent spirit. They must then confront the terrifying reality that the vengeful spirit is possessing their child and will do anything to claim her completely.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like The Possession
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Possession (2012)

Where can you watch The Possession? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on The CW, YouTube Free and Amazon Video: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in The Possession: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of The Possession (2012) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

The story opens with an elderly woman trying to unlock a mysterious box. As she plays some vintage music, she gathers holy water and a hammer, preparing to destroy it. However, before she can act, she is forcefully thrown around her room by an invisible entity. When her son arrives, he finds her unconscious on the floor.

We then meet a recently divorced couple, [Clyde](\/actor/jeffrey-dean-morgan) and [Stephanie Brenek](\/actor/kyra-sedgwick), who are navigating life with their two daughters, Em (Natasha Calis) and Hannah (Madison Davenport). Clyde takes his children to a yard sale where Em becomes fascinated by an ancient box inscribed with Hebrew characters. He reluctantly agrees to buy it for her.

As Em carries the box around the yard, she encounters the old woman, now lying in bed shrouded in bandages. Startled by the box, the woman violently slams her hand against the window, screaming until her nurse draws the blinds. Later, Em insists that Clyde open the box, but he realizes it may not be meant to be opened. Ignoring his concerns, Em brings it to her bedroom, where strange whispers soon start to emanate from it.

Curiosity gets the better of her, leading Em to pry it open that night. Inside, she finds a tooth, a moth's corpse, and a ring which she begins to wear with sinister implications. As days pass, Em's demeanor shifts dramatically; she becomes withdrawn, even attacking Clyde with a fork. Her room becomes infested with moths, and one night she has a disturbingly bizarre gagging episode in the bathroom, culminating in a horrifying moment when a hand seems to crawl from deep within her mouth.

At school, a classmate provokes her about the box, prompting an explosive reaction where she violently strikes him. This alarming behavior leads to a meeting with the principal and teacher, who express concern over Em's growing aggression and isolation. The teacher suggests that they keep the box away from Em. However, that night, curiosity proves fatal when the teacher attempts to open the box and is thrown out of a window by the malevolent force contained within.

Em reveals to Clyde that there is an invisible woman inhabiting the box and claims, "I’m special." Disturbed by her revelations, Clyde tries to dispose of the box, but when Em hears of it, she pleads with him, only to be hit by an unseen force, making it appear as though Clyde is being abusive. She finds the box and starts conversing with the dybbuk. In a shocking twist, moths fly out and into her mouth, causing her to faint. Clyde rushes her to the house, where police take her away from him, leaving him to retrieve the box.

Desperate for answers, Clyde visits a university professor who identifies the box as a dybbuk box, dating back to the 1920s, designed to imprison a dislocated spirit—a Jewish demon. He sneaks into Stephanie’s home, trying to perform a ritual to protect Em but is thwarted when she returns.

Clyde then consults a Hasidic Jew, [Tzadok](\/actor/matisyahu), who informs him about the three stages of possession, with the third stage being the dybbuk merging with its host. They discover the demon's name is Abyzou, known as the "taker of children."

Later, in a chilling moment, Em violently assaults Stephanie after gorging herself out of the fridge. It’s suggested that Em should see a psychologist. However, when the boyfriend Brett makes an attempt to transport her, Em stares at him menacingly, causing his mouth to bleed profusely and triggering a frantic escape. Em’s condition worsens, culminating in a seizure on the lawn, leading to an MRI where Stephanie discovers the terrifying visage of the dybbuk beside Em’s heart.

Realizing Em is possessed, Clyde, Tzadok, and the family gather at the hospital to conduct an exorcism. After a harrowing confrontation, Em escapes to the morgue with Clyde pursuing her. In the climax, the dybbuk is expelled from Clyde during Tzadok's exorcism, returning to the box.

In the aftermath, the family finds healing as Clyde and Stephanie rekindle their love. Tzadok drives away with the box in Clyde's vehicle, but disaster strikes when a truck collides with him, suggesting that the horrors may not be over. The box is seen eerily resting a short distance from the wreck, hinting at the lingering evil within.

Last updated: October 27, 2024 at 17:24

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Plot questions answered

The Possession Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about The Possession (2012): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why was the old woman trying to destroy the box at the beginning?

The elderly woman at the start was the previous owner of the dybbuk box. She was aware of the evil trapped inside and attempted to destroy it using holy water and a hammer before the demon could escape and possess her. However, the dybbuk overpowered her before she could complete the ritual, leaving her unconscious and allowing the cycle of possession to continue with the next victim.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show the woman's frantic preparation with religious items, hinting at her knowledge of the box's dark nature.

  • dybbuk box
  • elderly woman
  • possession
  • hebrew box
  • yard sale origin
Q2

What are the three stages of dybbuk possession?

Tzadok explains that there are three distinct stages of dybbuk possession. The first stage involves the spirit influencing the host's mind and emotions, causing behavioral changes. The second stage sees the demon gaining physical control, leading to violent outbursts and supernatural events. The third and final stage is the complete merging of the dybbuk with its host, where the spirit fully inhabits the person's body with no hope of separation.

Foreshadowing: Em's progression from mood swings to physical aggression to the horrifying mouth appearance mirrors these stages.

  • three stages possession
  • tzadok
  • dybbuk
  • exorcism
  • spirit possession
Q3

Why did the teacher die when trying to open the box?

The teacher ignored warnings and attempted to open the dybbuk box despite knowing it was dangerous. The malevolent spirit Abyzou, trapped inside for decades, violently defended itself by throwing the teacher out of a window. This demonstrates that the box's contents will kill anyone who tries to open it without proper knowledge or protection.

Foreshadowing: The earlier scene where Em's father warns against opening the box establishes its deadly nature.

  • teacher death
  • box opening
  • dybbuk box
  • school incident
  • violent death
Q4

How did Clyde end up being possessed during the exorcism?

During the hospital exorcism, Tzadok performs a ritual to force the dybbuk out of Em. However, when Em escapes and runs to the morgue, Clyde pursues her. The ritual's power redirects toward Clyde as the next available host, allowing the dybbuk to leap from Em into Clyde's body. This unexpected transfer traps the demon inside an adult male rather than remaining in the child.

Foreshadowing: Tzadok warns that the ritual is dangerous and unpredictable, foreshadowing complications.

  • clyde possessed
  • exorcism
  • hospital scene
  • dybbuk transfer
  • tzadok ritual
Q5

What happens to the box after Tzadok's car crash?

After the exorcism successfully returns the dybbuk to the box, Tzadok drives away with it in Clyde's vehicle. However, a truck collides with his car, causing a crash. The final shot shows the box resting eerily a short distance from the wreckage, suggesting the evil has not been destroyed but merely continues its cycle of seeking new victims.

Foreshadowing: The recurring motif of the box throughout the film emphasizes it is the true vessel of evil.

  • box car crash
  • ending
  • tzadok crash
  • dybbuk escaped
  • sequel hint
Q6

Why did Em's behavior change so drastically after opening the box?

When Em pried open the box, she released the imprisoned dybbuk spirit Abyzou, who began possessing her. The presence of the ring she wore, combined with the act of opening the container, allowed the demon to attach itself to her. As the spirit gradually took control, Em experienced extreme mood swings, violent outbursts, and eventually full possession.

Foreshadowing: The box whispers to Em before she opens it, indicating the demon was already reaching out.

  • em behavior change
  • possession symptoms
  • ring wearing
  • dybbuk attachment
  • child possessed
Q7

What is Abyzou and why does it want children?

Abyzou is a Jewish demon known as 'the taker of children.' According to Tzadok's explanation, this particular dybbuk specifically targets young victims because they are more vulnerable to possession. The demon feeds on innocence and uses children as vessels to continue its existence. The box was created in the 1920s specifically to trap this dislocated spirit.

Foreshadowing: The elderly woman's desperate attempt to destroy the box suggests its long history of causing harm.

  • abyzou demon
  • taker of children
  • jewish demon
  • dybbuk name
  • possession target
Q8

Why did the boyfriend's mouth bleed when Em looked at him?

When Brett attempted to transport Em, she stared at him menacingly and his mouth began bleeding profusely. This was a display of the dybbuk's growing supernatural power - the demon could cause physical harm to others through pure intent. It was a warning to stay away and demonstrated that Em (or rather, the entity inside her) had acquired terrifying abilities beyond psychological manipulation.

Foreshadowing: Earlier supernatural events like moths and whispers established the dybbuk's increasing power.

  • brett bleeding
  • em stare
  • supernatural attack
  • boyfriend injury
  • possession powers
Q9

How did the antique box end up at the yard sale?

The dybbuk box had been passed through multiple owners over decades since the 1920s. The elderly woman at the film's beginning was the latest owner who acquired it and tried to destroy it. After her son found her unconscious, the box likely ended up at the yard sale, where it was purchased by Clyde for Em - continuing the cycle of the demon seeking new victims.

Foreshadowing: The woman mentions the box has been around for a long time, indicating its extensive history.

  • yard sale box
  • antique box
  • previous owners
  • box history
  • clyde purchase
Q10

What was the invisible woman Em saw in the box?

The invisible woman Em described seeing in the box was the physical manifestation of the dybbuk Abyzou. Unlike typical ghost appearances, the dybbuk appeared specifically to Em because she was the chosen vessel for possession. This vision occurred during the second stage of possession when the demon was attempting to communicate with and ultimately merge with its host.

Foreshadowing: Em telling Clyde 'I'm special' indicates the dybbuk selected her for a specific purpose.

  • invisible woman
  • em visions
  • dybbuk appearance
  • spirit communication
  • chosen child
Q11

Why did Clyde and Stephanie reconcile after the traumatic events?

Facing the existential threat of losing their daughter united Clyde and Stephanie in a way their divorce had prevented. During the hospital confrontation with the supernatural evil, they had to work together and rely on each other for survival. This shared traumatic experience reminded them of their bond as parents and as partners, leading them to rekindle their relationship despite their separation.

Foreshadowing: Their initial conflict throughout the film centered on parenting disagreements about the box.

  • clyde stephanie reconciliation
  • family healing
  • divorce
  • reunited couple
  • aftermath

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Possession, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Possession tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Supernatural Family Horror Movies like The Possession

Stories where families must confront an otherworldly evil threatening their children. If you liked The Possession, explore movies where a family's bond is tested by a demonic force or cursed object. These similar horror stories feature parents battling supernatural threats to save their children, creating tense and emotionally heavy viewing experiences centered on family in peril.

  • unsettling
  • desperate
  • sinister
  • oppressive
  • family drama
  • supernatural threat
  • Tone: tense, dark, desperate
  • Pacing: steady, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern typically begins with the introduction of a cursed object or entity into a fragile family dynamic. The story escalates steadily as the supernatural threat grows, focusing on the parents' investigation and desperate attempts to find a solution, often culminating in a ritual or confrontation to banish the evil.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here because they share a core theme of familial protection against supernatural horror. They combine high-intensity scares with the heavy emotional weight of child endangerment, creating a uniquely unsettling and tense atmosphere rooted in a universal fear.

Cursed Object Horror Films like The Possession

Tales where an innocuous found object unleashes a slow-building, inescapable evil. Fans of The Possession and its dybbuk box will enjoy these movies about haunted or cursed artifacts. Discover similar thrillers where a discovered object brings a sinister presence, leading to a steady build of psychological terror and a fight for survival against an ancient evil.

  • sinister
  • unsettling
  • claustrophobic
  • cursed
  • artefact horror
  • slow burn
  • Tone: sinister, dark, oppressive
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The plot follows a clear cause-and-effect structure: an object is discovered, its evil nature is gradually revealed through unsettling events, and the characters must uncover its history to find a way to stop the curse before it consumes them completely. The horror is often psychological and physical.

Why they belong together: These movies are connected by their use of a cursed artifact as the central antagonist. They share a steady pacing that builds oppressive tension, a straightforward narrative of discovery and confrontation, and a dark, sinister mood that makes the ordinary feel threatening.

If you liked this

Movies Like The Possession

Similar movies to The Possession: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries

Every angle

The Possession (2012) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Possession in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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