The Malaysian film “Possessed,” or as it is also known, “Rasuk,” is similar to most zombie horror films. However, the film is a mix of horror films like “Exorcism,” series like “All of Us Are Dead,” and survival games like “Resident Evil.” The movie is directed by James Lee and written by Adib Zaini. It involves a representation of black magic, and the creatures they turn into represent djinn. Djinns are creatures described as leading humans astray by possessing them and are part of the mythology of Islam. The movie portrays the connotations of black magic and sets up the plot to transition slowly into possessions. The movie mostly had jump scares here and there, and although the story tried to build up an emotional background, it was not able to. Good for a one-time watch and more of a thriller than horror per se, the movie is entertaining.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Possessed’ Plotline: What Is The Film About?
“Possessed” follows a group of students who have sneaked out of their hostel to spend their vacation in a forest near a water body. They have a picnic, and one of them, Wari, wanders off to capture the sights better with his camera. He comes across a suspicious container that leaks a type of gas when he tries to unscrew the cap. He drops it accidentally and finds out that it contains weird substances, which he takes a picture of. He begins to hear voices after coming into contact with this container and is called back by his friends. The group then sneaks back into their hostel; however, they get busted by the teacher, Nazmi. They are assigned toilet-cleaning duties as punishment. Due to a lightning strike, there is a blackout, and Wari falls ill. He then changes completely as he pushes his friends aside and escapes to fully transform into a zombie-like creature. Slowly, all of the students are turned into zombies, and when Adli is able to call his sister and his cousin back to help them, it is already too late. The teacher and the security guard helped the remaining students to the best of their abilities; however, only three of the students could escape the unimaginable manhunt, while others perished after being possessed.
What Had Triggered The Possession?
Wari had gone on his merry way, as a photographer, to explore flora and fauna around their picnic spot, which is where he came across a suspicious container. The container, shaped like a bottle, had some red letters written on it, and it secreted a suspicious gas when Wari unscrewed the cap. He then dropped the bottle by accident as he heard somebody call out to him. He took pictures of the contents of the container, which had now been laid bare after the bottle broke. Wari then started to examine the pieces, but his musings were cut short as he was called back by his friends.
As the evening turned to night, Wari started feeling uncomfortable and had this uncanny feeling that somebody had been calling his name. He went on to investigate the voice he seemed to have heard from a nearby shack on the college grounds; however, he came up with nothing and joined his group again. They were then discovered by a teacher named Nazmi, who caught them sneaking into the dorms. Nazmi also found cigarettes and a lighter that the group had kept in the dorm. They were punished with cleaning duty, which the group performed without complaint. Till now, everything had been fine, as the group simply had fun while also finishing their punishment.
The moment the darkness increased, lightning struck the electric pylon and caused a blackout. This changed Wari, who immediately started projectile vomiting and got a high fever, triggering his possession. The rest of the boys, who were later converted to the creatures, were transformed by Wari biting them and then injuring them to make possession easier. To make it stronger, the djinn unlocked a memory where he could make what seemed like a magic circle used in black magic to make themselves stronger. He also whispered prayers, which made the conversion rate faster. The only tangible thing that could scare them and also harm them was light.
How Many Students Were Able To Escape The Manhunt?
Out of all the students left in the hostel, the security guard, and the teacher, only three made it out alive. Adli, before being bitten by Wari, had managed to call Alia and Fiza, who had left after dropping off the boys, for their help. However, after the call, his phone was broken while he was trying to fend off Wari, and Adli got bit. Fiza and Alia quickly made their way back, and Adli tried fighting off the conversion as long as he could before jumping off the balcony when he regained consciousness long enough to not harm Alia, his sister, and to tell her to take care of their family. The security guard was eventually surrounded and defeated, although he had tried his best to help Kechik join Fiza and help her repair the generator so that they could have the lights up and running again.
Meanwhile, Nazmi and Alia had been on their way to find a place that had network coverage to call for help. Nazmi had earlier lost his entire family to a car accident and had been going through depression ever since. He fought the creatures to get to a hallway, where Wari accessed his mind and could convert him by making him dream about his dead wife. Nazmi then pushed Alia to get away as he could feel the conversion setting in. He then fought it till he had his trap ready; he used the lighter and found gas in the room. He triggered an explosive fire after Alia was safely out of their clutches, and the creatures had gathered around to welcome Nazmi. He killed all of the ones surrounding him, while Kechik and Fiza managed to kill the rest by switching on the lights.
Nik had hit his head in the beginning and had been in the teacher’s room recovering from the shock while he had lost consciousness. That room had been the only room safe enough, where the creatures had yet to reach. Adli, Kechik, and Nazmi had earlier gone out to look out for survivors and also to get network coverage to call for help while Sam had stayed with Nik. Kechik returned as Adli had been bitten and had ordered Kechik to return without him while Adli tried to contact others for help. Alia and Fiza had arrived during this time, and Nazmi returned, too, with the security guard in tow.
Nazmi and Alia went to check if there was any chance of getting access to a mobile network while the security guard led Fiza toward the old generator because she was the only one who knew how to make it work. Sam and Kechik then went out to gather light supplies and weapons, and Sam abandoned Kechik in the warehouse as soon as he spotted the horde of djinns coming toward them. Sam had made his way back to Nik and had convinced him to desert the rest and go to Alia and Fiza’s car and leave. However, they did not have the key, and Sam pushed Nik to go first so that the horde would go after him while Sam could make a clean escape, but it was not so as both Nik and Sam were converted by the horde.
‘Possessed’ Ending Explained: Was Wari Alive? Why Was Wari So Different From The Other Possessed Boys?
Wari had been the first to be possessed and turned into a creature. As time passed, the boys he turned into creatures became his subordinates, and he gained consciousness, which made it easier for him to turn his friends through words. He developed a keen consciousness and even used his voice to lure out his friends, recite prayers and chants, and also draw letters and circles related to black magic to make his power stronger. The only weakness he had was light, which had helped his friends escape for the longest. Wari had used his powers to read Nazmi and had been able to use his tragedy to convert him without biting while also using his voice to coax Adli into giving in to the possession. Even after Adli had stabbed him, he still regained his life and went on to wreak havoc. His subordinates did not seem powerful enough to resuscitate themselves; however, for Wari, it was possible. This served as the reason why Wari had not lost his life in the fire as well as in the light. He had gained enough power to not fear light anymore and had become a monster who could not die, which is why, at the end of the movie, while in the hospital, Wari survived while all of his other subordinates died, and only Kechik, Alia, and Fiza escaped because they had not been harmed.
“Possessed” or “Rasuk” is a 2022 Drama Thriller film directed by James Lee.
