A music student is attacked by a mysterious assailant and hurled out of a second story window. Her neighbor and fellow classmate begins an investigation to uncover the identity of the attacker. But as she gets closer and closer to uncovering the truth, more people are being executed. Finally she comes face to face with the masked killer in a tense climactic encounter.
Deadly Possession (AKA Symphony of Terror or Coda) sports some pretty good direction and cinematography. A lot of that is due to the fact that several shots are borrowed directly from Hitchcock or John Carpenter's Halloween. That's not unusual in the slasher genre. But rarely is it as obvious as it is here. Still, its exquisitely shot and the chase and murder sequences work because of the influence.
The plot is a pretty basic whodunit without enough red herrings to keep you from guessing the killer's actual identity. That probably wouldn't be too terrible if the pacing wasn't such a drag. The film plods along like a snail as the female lead goes from location to location trying to solve a mystery the viewer has likely solved already. In another obvious nod to Hitchcock, the ending is a direct rip off of Psycho.
While it's not the most exciting or original slasher film you'll find, Deadly Possession still has it's moments. One particular katana murder scene is wonderfully executed. This scene kicks off the much stronger final quarter of the film. We're also treated to a surprisingly tense final chase scene that is sure to please any slasher enthusiast. Had the director opted to add some more slashing and less investigating, we could be looking at a much stronger film. Instead we're left with a very mediocre entry with some very high points.
Body Count:4
Side Note: I can't state enough how much shots are taken directly from Halloween and Hitchcock films. It kind of needs to be seen to be believed.
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