Possession comes to the big screen in Liverpool for a special Halloween weekend screening at 81 Renshaw on Friday 30 October, closing Scalarama Liverpool 2026.
Obscure Film and Fringe Flicks are joining forces to present Andrzej Żuławski’s extraordinary 1981 cult classic, starring Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill.
Set against the divided landscape of Cold War Berlin, Possession begins with the breakdown of Mark and Anna’s marriage. What initially appears to be an intense relationship drama soon spirals into jealousy, paranoia, obsession, body horror and increasingly surreal territory.
Feverish, unsettling and notoriously difficult to categorise, Possession has developed a devoted cult following since its original release. Isabelle Adjani’s extraordinary performance won Best Actress at Cannes, while the film itself has continued to find new audiences through its combination of psychological drama, horror, dark humour and genuinely strange imagery.
For anyone looking for something a little different to do in Liverpool over Halloween weekend, this is a chance to experience Possession communally on the big screen rather than at home.
The screening is also the closing event of Scalarama Liverpool 2026, a month-long celebration of independent and DIY cinema taking place across the city throughout October.
And this won’t be quite a standard cinema screening.
After the film, anyone feeling particularly brave can choose to take part in a Possession scene-recreation challenge, inspired by one of the film’s most infamous sequences, with prizes to be won. Participation is completely optional, and watching other people make questionable performance decisions is equally welcome.
Obscure Film are also creating a specially commissioned alternative Possession poster for the event. The artwork will be screen printed at Liverpool Community Print Station and available on the night.
The event is presented collaboratively by Obscure Film and Fringe Flicks, the underground community film night run by Liverpool-based artist-led organisation People Versus TV.
Tickets are Pay What You Can, helping keep the screening accessible to people on different incomes.
Friday 30 October 2026
81 Renshaw, 81 Renshaw Street, Liverpool L1 2SJ
Doors open 6.30pm
Film begins approximately 7pm
18+
Pay What You Can
