Session 9
Number 9. Number 9. Number 9
Insane
asylums/mental hospitals are the perfect setting for horror movies.
They're better than morgues, better than graveyards, better than
public school on picture day. There is just something inherently
terrifying about these asylums. Maybe it's because of their
well-known violent past. Maybe it's because countless numbers of
people died inside them. Or maybe it's our own personal fear of
losing control and being doomed to a life of pills and padded walls.
Whatever reason it may be, no other building, structure or
institution fits the world of horror better then an insane asylum.
The fear exists before the movie even starts.
Session 9 is a 2001
psychological horror movie starring David Caruso (CSI: Miami, NYPD
Blue) as Phil and Peter Mullan (War Horse, Trainspotting) as Gordon
Fleming. Gordon owns the Hazmat Elimination Company and has just
gotten the contract to remove the asbestos from the abandoned Danvers
State Hospital. The old insane asylum is quite large and while Phil
says it should take three weeks to clean, Gordon tells the owner
they'll clean it in one. Gordon and Phil's team includes the
irresponsible Hank (Josh Lucas, Hulk, Poseidon) who stole Phil's
girlfriend, law school dropout Mike (Stephen Gevedon, War Of The
Worlds, Devil You Know) and Gordon's nephew Jeff (Brendon Sexton III,
Empire Records, Boys Don't Cry). While cleaning, Mike discovers nine
taped sessions with a former patient named Mary Hobbes. The tapes
describe Mary suffering from multiple personality disorder. Her other
personalities include a little girl called The Princess, a young boy
named Billy, and someone named Simon, whom the doctor cannot speak
with yet. The incident has been blocked out and the doctor
desperately tries to get Mary to remember. As the week wears on, Hank
discovers a cache of silver coins and other valuable items in a
tunnel underneath the hospital and leaves the job to head to Las
Vegas. At the same time, Gordon begins to unravel, revealing to Phil
that he hit his wife. Mike, who has become engrossed with the taped
sessions, learns that a some sort of mysterious incident occurred to
Mary on Christmas in Lowell, Massachusetts in 1951. Jeff sees Hank at
the hospital, despite supposedly leaving for Las Vegas, and the rest
of the group gives chase. The generator, which provides light to the
hospital, runs out of fuel and the building goes dark. One by one,
each member of the group is attacked. Who is the one behind the
attacks and how does Mary's sessions fit in to everything?
It's clearly haunted, but look at those windows!
For a movie with a
pretty low budget, Session 9 manages to create a fantastically eerie
atmosphere. You're never sure what is going to happen next and where
the movie is going. The music is one contributing factor to the
atmosphere. Light playing of piano notes makes scenes that would
normally be benign seem important and sinister. Scenes in the movie
were shot at the actual Danvers State Hospital in Massachusetts,
which certainly gave the movie a real sense of reality. The building
is quite amazing to behold, especially when you know that Danvers was
supposedly the birthplace of the pre-frontal lobotomy. Another factor
was the sessions that Mike was listening to. It really felt like they
were plucked out of a real mental hospital. The sessions hold a
gripping story with a good amount of suspense in regards to what
happened and how it relates to the current events. While the sessions
are a good parallel for what is happening in the movie, I was
disappointed that they didn't actually affect anything. They're still
creepy, no question, but I was expecting a ghost or something along
those lines. The story does get intentionally confusing towards the
end in hopes of having a big surprise ending. Unfortunately, it
wasn't particularly shocking and made the previous confusion
unnecessary. The payoff should have been a lot better than what we
got.
The acting is good
throughout the movie with Caruso and Mullan putting in the best
performances. There are a few scenes of bloody violence towards the
end, but probably not enough for the typical horror fan. The majority
of the story is a little too slow for my liking, but the Mary
sessions kept me interested. Writer/director Brad Anderson (The
Machinist, Fringe) does a really good job on a small budget, crafting
a dark movie that leaves the audience guessing. There are some really
good horror scenes, including one with an ice pick and one with Jeff
running down a hallway with the lights going out behind him. The
movie is heavy on mood and a little light in terms of narrative.
Devo: The Later Years
Session 9 has a
decent story, but great atmosphere. The setting is authentic and
spooky, far better than something one a Hollywood set. The taped
sessions are probably the best part of the movie as they are quite
unsettling. Sadly, the movie doesn't have the payoff I was expecting.
The ending is fairly predictable, despite having a confusing lead-up.
There is some decent violence and blood, but that only comes at the
end. The acting is good and the direction is very good. Session 9 has
it's moments and had the potential for greatness. It just didn't
reach the heights that it was going for. It's a decent watch with
some good scenes, so if you're looking for something different, give
Session 9 a shot.
7/10
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