Disgraced children’s puppeteer Philip returns to his childhood home in Norfolk carrying a leather bag containing Possum, a grotesque spider-like puppet with a human face.
Philip wants to destroy it.
That proves more difficult than expected.
Back home, he is reunited with his uncle Maurice, a disturbing figure from Philip’s past. Their relationship is tense and hostile, while Philip becomes increasingly consumed by memories, guilt, and the puppet that somehow keeps returning no matter what he does with it.
Sean Harris stars as Philip, with Alun Armstrong as Maurice. Written and directed by Matthew Holness, Possum is a psychological horror film that relies heavily on atmosphere, imagery, and uncertainty rather than conventional scares.
The film moves through abandoned buildings, bleak countryside, empty rooms, and fragmented memories as Philip’s past gradually becomes clearer. Possum itself becomes part monster and part manifestation of something Philip has spent much of his life trying to bury.
Childhood trauma sits at the centre of the story, with the film gradually revealing why Philip returned home, what Maurice represents to him, and why destroying Possum means far more than getting rid of a disturbing puppet.
Why Possum Is on Love of Gothic
Possum draws heavily from psychological and gothic horror. Its isolated locations, decaying interiors, troubled family history, repressed memories, and grotesque puppet create a world shaped by dread and the lingering effects of the past.
The film also explores childhood trauma, abuse, guilt, isolation, and memories that refuse to remain buried. Possum gives those experiences a physical presence through a creature that repeatedly returns despite Philip’s attempts to destroy it.
Its bleak visual style, disturbing imagery, and focus on a character haunted by his own history place Possum firmly within the darker cinema represented on Love of Gothic.