Each time, Maurice asks if he plans to go in, to which he always replies no. Phillip frequently approaches a closed room in the house. The book depicts Possum's origins and describes how it creeps upon unsuspecting, orphaned children, intent on devouring them in their beds. He recovers a picture book about Possum that he wrote and illustrated as a young boy. Throughout his time in Norfolk, he repeatedly attempts to dispose of the puppet, but it seemingly returns to him each time, hanging on his wall, or appearing next to him in bed. Philip is haunted by a horrific spider-like marionette in his possession, called "Possum", which he keeps in a leather duffel bag. His childhood home is in disrepair, having once suffered a house fire. Philip Connell, a disgraced children's puppeteer, is forced to return to his childhood home in Norfolk, which is shared by his slovenly, decrepit uncle, Maurice. Critical response for the film was mostly positive, with praise directed towards Harris' performance, as well as the film's atmosphere, soundtrack and unsettling imagery. It was later given a limited theatrical release in the United States, opening in five theatres on November 2, 2018. Possum premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on June 25, 2018, and later screened in the United States at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival on October 12, 2018. The film's score was composed by sound effects and experimental electronic music studio The Radiophonic Workshop, which marked their first soundtrack purposely constructed for a feature film. Filming began in Norfolk, with additional filming took place in Great Yarmouth, and Suffolk. Other inspirations include Dead of Night (1945), George Romero's Martin (1978), and German Expressionist films. Possum 's visual style was inspired by public information films Holness saw in his youth. As a fan of the horror genre, Holness stated he much preferred horror films that "linger with you" and force the audience to reflect on the experience afterward. Holness soon forgot about the idea of adapting the story until he had begun working on developing a possible horror film. Possum is an adaption of Holness' short story of the same name, published in the horror anthology The New Uncanny: Tales of Unease, and partially inspired by the theories on the uncanny by Sigmund Freud. It centres on a disgraced children's puppeteer who returns to his childhood home and is forced to confront the abuse and trauma he suffered there. Possum is a 2018 British psychological horror film written and directed by Matthew Holness in his feature film debut, starring Sean Harris and Alun Armstrong.