The Possession of Hannah Grace is a 2018 American supernatural horror-thriller film directed by Diederik van Rooijen. The movie revolves around Megan Reed (played by Shay Mitchell), a former police officer and recovering addict who takes a job as the overnight intake assistant at a Boston hospital morgue. Her hope for a fresh start is shattered when the disfigured corpse of Hannah Grace (played by Kirby Johnson), a young woman who died during a failed exorcism, is delivered. Locked alone in the eerie basement corridors of the morgue, Megan begins to experience terrifying visions and unsettling events connected to Hannah's body. As strange occurrences escalate, Megan suspects that the cadaver is possessed by a malevolent demonic force that is not yet ready to rest.
The film follows Megan's increasingly desperate attempts to uncover the truth and survive the night as the demonic presence grows stronger and more violent, turning her graveyard shift into a horrifying fight for her life. The cast includes Shay Mitchell as Megan Reed, Grey Damon as Andrew Kurtz, Kirby Johnson as Hannah Grace, Nick Thune as Randy, and Louis Herthum as Grainger, Hannah's father.
đ§ Production & Technical Details
Budget: approx. US$6â7.7 million.
Box Office Gross: around US$43 million worldwide (â US$14.8 million domestic + approx. US$28 million overseas).
Filming Locations: Boston, Massachusetts (Boston City Hall used for exteriors), New England Studios in Devens, MA.
Cinematography: Lennert Hillege. Editing by Stanley Kolk & Jake York. Music by John Frizzell.
Notable Technical Fact: The film was shot with a Sony α7S II, a mirrorless full-frame digital camera. This was notable because fullâfeature films, especially in horror, seldom use this camera model.
đ Release & Distribution
US Release Date: November 30, 2018.
Some international markets had NovâŻ29, 2018.
Released by: Sony Pictures Releasing under the Screen Gems label.
Rating: R (in US) for horror violence, etc.
đŁïž Reviews & Critics
Critical Response: Largely negative. Common criticisms include:
Overuse of horror clichés.
Underdeveloped characters, especially Megan and Hannah.
Problems with clarity (lighting, camera work in the dark) â many scenes are hard to see.
Abrupt ending, lack of emotional depth.
Rotten Tomatoes: ~22% approval rating; critics consensus: it hints at being a scary movie but fails to deliver to full potential.
Metacritic: Score ~37/100 (generally unfavorable reviews).
Audience Reaction: Mixed. CinemaScore gave âCââ. PostTrakâs âdefinite recommendâ was low.
Box Office: Given its modest budget, the film was a mild financial success. The opening weekend domestic was about US$6.4 million. It had a drop in subsequent weeks (typical for horror) but still grossed over 7Ă its production budget worldwide.
Isabella Rossellini
2025-05-16 18:37:11
This film should have been garbage, it is a new take on an old concept but the trailers weren't spectacular and seemed like a film that belongs in the horror wasteland of January. However, to be entirely honest it really isn't that bad and it's fair to say that for the most part it exceeded my low expectations. The central performance was quite good and most of the first and second act was pretty tense. The setting is solid and the director clearly was genuinely trying. That being said, the film does become extremely predictable, and not all the scares land. The third act explodes into cliche, and there are perhaps too many plot holes for me to just ignore. Overall, The Possession of Hannah Grace is better than the trailers suggest, it's a well acted enjoyable ride and does have some good scares, but the frequent jump scares, predictable flow of events and plot holes prevent this film from being anything memorable.