Gugu Mbatha-Raw stars as Claudia, a lawyer sent to Jamaica to investigate a mysterious inheritance, in this dual-timeline drama that blends colonial horrors with a divisive paranormal twist.
A puzzling inheritance
When a wealthy client worth £50m dies and leaves his entire estate to an unknown 'African national' named Cudjoe East, cutting out his only child, Claudia is dispatched to Kingston to find and discredit the heir. 'Sounds like a job for a partner, really,' she quips, securing a promotion before heading to her mother's homeland.
The planter's house has been appearing in Claudia's nightmares, filled with fires, terrified figures, and strange symbols. Despite the warnings, she sets aside superstition and searches for evidence to invalidate the will, questioning locals about Cudjoe's whereabouts. The late client's driver, Angelo (Jeff Crossley), reveals he introduced the pair six months ago when his boss wanted to learn about local history, and assures Claudia she won't persuade Cudjoe to give up his legacy.
A tale of two timelines
Soon, the disinherited son, Oliver (Jonny Lee Miller), joins Claudia, and they build tension together as they investigate. The story unfolds across two timelines: the present and 300 years ago, when the estate was staffed by enslaved people and faced the rebellions of Tacky's War, with a supernatural inflection that meshes the two.
Claudia's nightmares intensify, populated by spectral figures. Objects from her dreams appear in the house, along with documents that make colonial horrors concrete. The spirits that locals believe infuse the house grow restless, and it becomes harder to deny their existence once Oliver is levitated and bounced off the ceiling.
The enigmatic Cudjoe
When Claudia meets Cudjoe (Sheldon Shepherd), he claims to be nearly 300 years old – the surviving incarnation of Matthew, the illegitimate son of a former landowner, conceived by the rape of an enslaved woman. Matthew was promised freedom and the estate but was denied by Charlotte (Bel Powley), the legitimate daughter, who may have hastened her father's death from tongue cancer – strangely contracted after he cut out Matthew's grandmother's tongue.
The past's injustices shape the present, and Possession, the first full-length work from Karla Crome, is a potent conjuring of colonialism's enduring evils. It explores how unadmitted sins manifest, whether justice for such crimes can ever be done, and questions reparations, responsibility, and ancestral vengeance.
Divisive twist
For some, the paranormal element adds to the dread; for others, it obscures the story's truth. Where you land may depend on whether you believe ghosts can deliver worse experiences than man inflicts on his fellow man. The reviewer admits a 'cop-out' feeling but acknowledges a failure of imagination.
Either way, Possession is a well-textured, evocative tale touching on important questions, if never quite digging deep enough to be truly satisfying. It aired on Sky Atlantic and is available on Now in the UK and on Binge in Australia from 27 August.
