Session 9

Everything about this movie impressed me. The script was lean and inventive, the direction stylish without being overblown, the acting top notch. Even the shot-on-video cinematography looked great (with the exception of one or two exterior shots that had a hint of video look to it, most everything else was "filmic" and artistic).

I also appreciate any horror movie that can generate real tension and suspense from imagination and suggestion rather than relying on lame and lazy tricks that populate most horror movies (if something as limp as Urban Legends can be called a horror movie).

First rate film and I recommend to anyone who appreciates a thinking-man's horror film.

A little seen but well-appreciated low budget horror offering, Session 9 remains one of director Brad Anderson's most accessible films, one that manages to create sufficient unease and tension from a familiar set-up that plays out in memorable moments.

A frustrating director whose well known for helming some of the best episodes of iconic TV series such as The Wire and Breaking Bad, Anderson has had a turbulent career as a feature director with the likes of this and Christian Bale classic The Machinist showcasing an undeniable talent but efforts like Fractured, The Call and Vanishing on 7th Street efforts that suggest quality control isn't always one of Anderson's strong suits.

Filmed with minimal funds at the perfect surrounds of the Danvers Mental Hospital (a more creepy setting you'd be hard pressed to find), Session 9 follows a group of Asbesto's removal workers who against the tight turnaround on the job at the hospital and their surrounds begin to loose grip on reality that seems to be infected by the darkness that lives within the walls of the long abandoned facility.

Staying clear of jump scares and generic frights, Anderson does a great job at allowing his characters room to breath and Session 9 never appears to be in any great rush to ramp up its proceedings but it never ceases to engage as we discover more about the history of the hospital, the men who find themselves working within its walls and the patients that once inhabited the premises due to various troubles and torments.

It's not just the hospital or its long gone patients that face torment in Anderson's tale though as business partners and long time friends Gordon and Phil appear to be battling their own personal demons as they go about their work and C.S.I heavyweight David Caruso and renowned character actor Peter Mullan are great in their respective roles that keep you guessing throughout when questions of sanity and mental state begin to be asked.

It's all very small-scale, the film remains confined for the most part to tiny rooms and foreboding hallways and its happy to focus on dialogue or empty corridors to create its uneasy vibe but it all goes hand in hand to eventually combine to establish one of the better low budget horror offerings of the early 2000's and a sufficiently spooky genre entry in general.

Final Say -

One of Brad Anderson's best feature film efforts, Session 9 is a small film with some big tension and a horror film genre fans would do well to seek out.

4 boxes of Oreo's out of 5

With a brilliant premise, "Session 9" is a slow build of genuine atmospheric creepiness. More akin to Nicolas Roeg's classic "Don't Look Now" than more recent horror fare with high body counts, director Brad Anderson effectively builds tension in layers of voiceovers and (mostly subtle) foreshadowing to build to a climax of madness, with sparing use of the cheaper horror devices. Unfortunately the characters are not as fleshed out as one would have hoped, so we are left with some unanswered questions (we would have liked to have met Gordon's family and Hank's girlfriend. Why did Mike drop out of law school?). Though the subtle horrors of this film may fail to grasp the short attention spans of younger moviegoers who consider "I Know What You Did Last Scream" to be the de facto standard of the genre, this is a very cleverly executed, if imperfect, thriller.

I had read a lot on Session 9 before going to see it and had certain expectations. Although it started out slowly, the story was good. The "scary" parts were fewer and farther between than I expected and there was some mild gore at the end. The psychology and personalities were what I found most interesting. As the days passed after seeing the movie, I found myself remembering what I had thought to be insignificant things, and putting more of the subtle "creepy" things together.

I work at a video store and when customers ask me what's a good horror movie that will actually get to them, I don't suggest any of the Freddy or Jason movies. Those are for fans, and I don't consider them to be genuinely frightening. Session 9 is, most definitely, genuinely frightening. It takes place at a mental hospital that is legend where I live. So most people know what I'm talking about when I say Danvers State Mental Hospital. It is one of the few psychologically affective movies that I've ever seen. It takes the audience on a ride through a building that seems alive to it's visitors, and forces the audience to resolve for themselves why things are happening to each character. If you want a movie that is challenging and thought-provoking, this is the one. I always tell my customers to watch this movie in the dark, but not to watch it alone. Just be aware that if there is any distraction during the movie you'll have many questions about it. I hope you enjoy it as much I as do every time I watch it!