Think Rosemary’s Baby reimagined as David Cronenberg bio-horror through the lens of European art cinema. In the 1981 Possession, Isabelle Adjani abruptly leaves her husband (Sam Neill), son, and lover to become both mother and mistress to a dark demon she spontaneously births in the midst of a nervous breakdown in a Berlin subway. Adjani is all twitchy, rabbit-like nervousness in her erratic spiral, while Neill obsesses over her mysterious behavior like a man possessed. Polish-born director Andrjez Zulawski claims he was inspired to make this film by the emotions that bubbled up during his divorce. It’s not hard to see: Both Adjani’s and Neill’s characters become so unlikable that only the sheer madness of their struggle keeps us watching. This story of demons and doppelgängers is an uncomfortable mix of heady psychodrama, raw emotion (via hysterical shouting matches and intense, bug-eyed performances), and exploitation weirdness, that latter courtesy of special-effects maestro Carlo Rambaldi’s nightmarish love child. The film was cut by 45 minutes for its initial American release, then restored for home video a few years ago. This is the first time the complete version has been seen in U.S. theaters. Call for showtimes. (R) SEAN AXMAKER

June 15-17, 2012