‘Possession’ review: A chilling, powerful horror series with a lot to say

From the very first scene of Possession, there’s an undeniable sense that the past cannot stay buried, no matter how secure the seal.

Created and written by Karla Crome (Something Very Bad is Going to Happen) and directed by Storm Saulter (Better Mus’ Come, Sprinter), the Jamaica-set series makes clear that the legacy of British colonisation remains haunting the present, as the horrors of slavery endure across place and time.

In just five powerful, compelling episodes with a phenomenal cast led by Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Sheldon Shepherd, Possession considers many forms of its title, from enslaved people made the “property” of colonial overseers, to the supernatural inhabitation of another. The very act of bending another to your will, restricting their freedom, becomes both a familiar tool of modern horror and a dark historical reality in this genre-bending show.