In Possession, a young girl, Emily, becomes possessed by a ancient spirit. Her father and mother try to find a way to end the curse. (Courtesy of Lionsgate)

The Possession starts as any other horror film would, showcasing a small, sullen girl who begins to exhibit strange behavior.

Of course, no possession is ever made obvious to the other characters, and like always, they found something else to blame Emily’s troubles on – her parents’ divorce.

Because any child whose parents separate will end up hearing voices, vomiting flying insects and stabbing her father’s hand over Sunday morning pancakes. Perfectly normal.

The real cause of Emily’s demons is a large wooden box, which she takes a strange likening to at a yard sale, brings home and places on her desk.

Like any self-respecting girl with curiosity, she pries it open as soon as she can, discovering nothing too strange aside from a giant human molar.

Thinking nothing of this, Emily grows obsessed to the point that she speaks only about the box and resists violently to being separated from it.

One has to wonder why her parents don’t catch on to what it is that is making their little girl eat massive amounts, punch other students and have eyes that roll back into her head.

The correlation seems all too obvious, but no parent would say, “I’ve got it! An ancient spirit has emerged from the box to live in my daughter’s stomach and crawl its way out!”

By the time Emily’s parents finally grasp that their daughter is possessed, it seems almost too late.

Natasha Calis, the actress playing Emily, does a wildly impressive job of being both a shriek-inducing creep and a sympathetic heroine.

Calis’ faces, ranging from petrified innocence to seething glares reflecting nothing but evil, are what truly made the movie frightening.

The Possession relies more on the actors for frightening scenes rather than special effects.

Calis more than held her own as the star of the show, far surpassing any digitized scares in the movie.

The film was shot with an emphasis in black, white and dramatic lighting, making it almost film noir.

The Possession manages to keep you on the edge of your seat the entire movie. The movie will be in theaters nationwide Aug. 31.