A dybbuk at the movies

The trailer for the upcoming Jewish-themed horror movie “The Possession” was released to the internet several days ago, and it looks to be a genuinely freaky spin on the classic little-kid-gets-taken-over-by-an-other-worldly-entity story.

Based loosely on the Jewish legend of the dybbuk, a spirit who is denied entry into the afterlife and therefore seeks to inhabit an earthly body, the movie was inspired by a 2004 LA Times article about a mysterious box on sale on EBay.  

“The Possession” stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick, is directed by Ole Bornedal and produced by Hollywood horror-master Sam Raimi, who created the classic “Evil Dead” movies before going on to direct the three blockbuster Spider-Man movies.

“The Possession,” to be released in the US on August 31, also features the acting debut of Matisyahu (looking pre-post-Hassidic) as a rabbinic exorcist.