Session 9 [DVD] [2001]

I can see why it had no cinema release here : No massive stars, no nubile young girls and no overly gory scenes. In fact, the opposite to the usual fare on offer these days. Instead, you have a slow, well acted and beautifully shot piece of cinema that is worth watching for these factors alone. In terms of the story, it is a little confusing, particularly as what you expect to happen, may not actually happen. The good thing is that it leaves you asking questions and demands to be seen again and even again!! 'Horror' fans per se may not love the film but if you love cinema in general and like to be 'moved' be it by horror, suspense or just good acting, then watch this movie!!

The direction is spot on (in my opinion) sound overs and flash backs are utilised perfectly.. although maybe a particular scene is replayed a few too many times.. it is an important one though.
Ten minutes or so into the film and it really does deliver the same sort of psychological tension that the above classics do. You can feel something big coming. And it's not something like the typical scenes that characterise horror in the 80's to present day. It doesnt rely on shock moments, or hack and slash moments, instead it has some truly disturbing scenes that really are impressive. You'd be hard pressed to find any moments as chilling as the parts where we hear the tapes of an interview with a particular ex patient at the hospital. Absolutely terrific. There are other good moments, including the 'running from the dark' bit but I wont go into them. The film pretty much
sticks to the famous saying by Robert Wise (Director of 'the Haunting') "What you dont see is infinetly more frightening than what you do"

Unfortunatly however, this isnt a perfect ten. With such a good setting and build up plot, I felt this film had a lot more potential than what was produced in the end. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but it could have been so much better. The Ending is a tiny bit baffling really, but not totaly illogical and when you manage to peice together what's going on you'll wonder how it confused you in the first place. The good thing about the DVD is that it has an alternate version of the film on it.. well sort of.. there's a few deleted scenes and an alternate ending that if they had been included would have changed the film considerably. Infact all the extras included on the DVD are pretty cool and worth a peek. The actors aren't hugely famous, David Caruso being the most well known, but they all do a fantastic job. And To be honest, Session 9 is easily one of the best horror films of the last decade. Considering that it was pretty low budget and released in the UK very quietly. If you like Psychological horror, then this is definetly worth checking out. I mean.. look at the cover.. there's a wheelchair..ahh

David Caruso and Peter Mullan head an impressive cast, (Mullan particularly shines) who have the unenviable task of clearing out an abandoned asylum. That should be enough to put the creeps up anybody, but it soon becomes clear that the asylums past history may be coming back to haunt them.

What could easily have become territory for a bad B-movie, instead becomes a tale of terror as the tension mounts and the truth is slowly revealed. The brilliant location is expertly used to instill in you a fear that something rather unpleasant is waiting just around the corner, but it never once resorts to cheap thrills.

It is shocking to think that with all the rubbish that comes from Hollywood every year, an original film like Session 9 doesn't even get a cinema release in the UK.

You do however get the feeling that it will struggle for a convincing ending and indeed it does fall apart a little in the final thirty minutes. That said, this is still a brilliantly understated pyschological chiller, that is part "Blair Witch Project", part "The Shining" and it deserves to find an audience, hopefully it will find it's home on DVD.