Traditional Jewish folklore describes the dybbuk as a lost, tormented soul that attaches to a living person to achieve a goal (e.g., vengeance or completion). In The Possession , the dybbuk has no coherent backstory—its goal is simply to destroy the host’s family. Significantly, the entity first manifests violently when Clyde attempts to enforce a custody schedule (taking Emily for the weekend). The spirit’s attacks peak whenever the parents argue or when Emily is forced to choose between them.
This paper posits that the dybbuk is not merely a monster but a narrative device that externalizes the family’s internal dysfunction. The film’s central innovation is to replace the traditional demonic goal (destruction of innocence) with a psychological one: the dybbuk feeds on the chaos of a broken home, specifically exploiting the space between mother (Stephanie, played by Kyra Sedgwick) and father. The Possession -2012-2012
Cinematographically, Bornedal emphasizes closed spaces: the box’s interior, the glass case at the antique store, the pantry where Emily first convulses, and finally the sealed motel room where the exorcism occurs. This visual motif of containment mirrors the family’s refusal to openly discuss the divorce. The dybbuk is “trapped” until Emily opens it—just as the family’s anger is trapped until it erupts through her. The entity’s signature act (forcing Emily to eat raw meat, moths, and a glass shard) represents the internalization of poison; she literally consumes the family’s unresolved bitterness. Traditional Jewish folklore describes the dybbuk as a