The Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver on AllMovie

A perfectly coherent Richard Matheson script is muddied by Gordon Hessler's kaleidoscopic direction in the made-for-TV The Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver. Karen Black plays the title role, a dowdy, downtrodden housewife plagued by recurring nightmares. Seeking an escape from her stifling lifestyle, Black dons a blonde wig, garish makeup, and a new identity. But it turns out that the woman Black pretends to be may actually exist--and may have more than a passing knowledge of the Occult. Karen Black's fingernails-on-the-blackboard performance is but one of many detriments to the full enjoyment of Strang Possession of Mrs. Oliver.