Death in Paradise star's 'excellent' new 5-part thriller has viewers completely 'hooked'


The five-part thriller, Possession, follows a young bi-racial lawyer who travels to a Jamaica to fight an inheritance claim – and discovers the house that has been haunting her dreams


Nicky Morris
Nicky MorrisActing TV and Film Editor
1 hour ago
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Sky's new supernatural thriller, Possession, is keeping viewers glued to their sofas this week. The five-part series, which premiered on 6 August, follows a young bi-racial lawyer who travels from the UK to Jamaica to fight an inheritance claim. But she soon discovers that there's more to the case than she first thought. 

The series boasts a star-studded cast, led by Gugu Mbatha-Raw and featuring Death in Paradise favourite Shantol Jackson. Promising plenty of twists, horror and a chilling mystery, it's no wonder viewers are glued to the show. 

Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Claudia in Sky Original Posession© Des Willie
Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Claudia in Possession

Keep reading to find out more. 

What is Sky's Possession about? 

Created by Karla Crome, the story follows high-flying lawyer Claudia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), who finds herself on a trip to Jamaica to challenge an inheritance claim filed by local resident Cudjoe East against wealthy white aristocrat Oliver Connaught.

But things take an unexpected turn when she learns that the estate is the Connaught family's Jamaican former plantation, Hope Hill – the same house that has been haunting her nightmares.

Jonny Lee Miller stands on a hill, holding a smartphone, wearing a gray blazer and blue jeans.© Des Willie/Sky
Jonny Lee Miller also stars in Possession

The synopsis continues: "As Claudia and Oliver begin to investigate, they soon uncover a chilling connection between historical horrors and present-day injustices.

"Possession is an ambitious genre-bending series that boldly confronts the enduring legacy of colonialism, marrying shadowy intrigue with the pulsating energy of the Caribbean."

What have viewers and critics said about Possession?

The series has received high praise from viewers. Taking to social media, one person wrote: "I watched this last night, and I absolutely loved it. A great miniseries," while another hailed it as "excellent". 

A third person wrote: "I loved this! we need more stories like this," while another added: "Started it last night. It's got me hooked."

Meanwhile, The Guardian handed out three stars to the "nightmarish" drama, which it described as a "well-textured, evocative tale touching on many important questions, if never quite digging down far enough into any of them to be truly satisfying." The Times and Telegraph also awarded three stars. 

Bel Powley in a pink ruffled dress, looking off-camera with a thoughtful expression.© Des Willie/Sky
Bel Powley plays Charlotte Desfriene

Who stars in Sky's Possession? 

Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Surface) stars as Claudia, alongside Jonny Lee Miller (Elementary) as Oliver Connaught, Sheldon Shepherd (Bob Marley: One Love) as Cudjoe East and Shantol Jackson as Sarah. 

Bel Powley (A Small Light, The Morning Show) also appears as Charlotte, alongside Nadean Rawlins (Bob Marley: One Love, Sprinter) as Mercy, Sean Gilder (Mary & George, Slow Horses) as Tom McKenzie, Olunike Adeliyi (The Fire Inside, Mike) as Patsy Dawkins and Richard Dillane (Wolf Hall, The Crown) as Eugene Desfrienes.

Man with short hair, beard, and blood on his face stands in front of green shutters.© Des Willie/Sky
Jeff Crossley as Angelo

They're joined by Diveen Henry (The Day of the Jackal, Manhunt) as Flora, Jack Bandeira (Happy Valley, Black Mirror) as Kenneth Connaught, Jeff Crossley (Bob Marley: One Love, Sprinter) as Angelo and Safina Simpson as Betina.

Possession is available to watch on Sky and NOW.

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