4K UHD Review – The Possession of Joel Delaney

1972’s “The Possession of Joel Delaney” is an adaptation of a 1970 novel by Ramona Stewart, examining the panic of a woman trying to make sense of her little brother’s sudden violent decline, approaching the unreal to acquire answers. Screenwriters Irene Kamp and Matt Robinson are challenged to find some sense of reality for the genre picture, while director Waris Hussein is left to sell the literary ride, making detailed, internalized despair into a cinematic offering capable of frightening viewers. “The Possession of Joel Delaney” has a certain cinematic presence during its first half, and the story’s investigation into class and cultural divide is potentially interesting. Sadly, good work to build up this world of fear is basically destroyed in the final act, which gives in to needless cruelty and absurdity, on the hunt for a level of shock value the rest of the feature does just fine without. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com