Session 9

Set in an abandoned asylum, this film is a psychological thriller that, rather than being horror-oriented, focuses more on offering a slow and stealthy journey to a disturbed mind hidden among the protagonists. It is an independent film that did not require a large budget and its greatest strength is the story it offers. During the first days that the protagonists spend in the abandoned asylum, nothing interesting happens until the old recordings found begin to give hints of something disturbing that happened in the past. These indications only serve as a guide to imagine what could happen, but the film leaves open the question of whether there is something supernatural at the site or if it is just the mental imbalance of one of the characters. The film has a setting similar to The Shinning and Silent Hill because the old building becomes darker, generating the feeling that something dangerous is going to happen. Session 9 is a fairly ambiguous film that plays a lot with psychology and leaves many questions or different sensations for those who see it. It can be boring or deep or meaningless or fascinating depending on the viewer's perspective. My rating for this movie is a 7/10.

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.

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.

I had been hearing about Session 9 for a while now, and I finally decided to give it a go.

First off, I have to say the film has incredibly nail-biting atmosphere. There were actually not that many 'scary' scenes, but it was what I feared would come. But don't let that fool you- this is a film that I will be afraid to think about when I go to sleep. The sound effects are incredibly tense and very creepy, to the point that they are disturbing. Certain images in the film are sure to stay with me for a long time. As far as plot goes, like I expected, I knew there would be a twist at the end, but the film does so many different things with itself that I never knew how it was going to come. When all is said and done, the actual twist isn't even all the surprising, BUT the final 20 minutes getting there are very, very tense and I could not look away.

I also want to give a shout out to Peter Mullan, who gives a fascinating performance here. He is the driving force of the film. Also, the cinematography, editing, score, and sound make this perhaps one of the creepiest and unsettling films of its decade. I look forward to rewatching this.

No point in mincing words: Brad Anderson's Session 9 is the best horror movie I've seen in a long time. It's intelligent, well-written, it's completely unpredictable, it looks great (I didn't really notice until the second viewing how well the editing and the photography work together), and the soundtrack is downright creepy. Until recently only two films had managed to make me lie awake at night: Dario Argento's "Opera" and Tobe Hooper's "Texas Chain Saw Massacre". Well, now the list includes three films. Honestly, there is no excuse not to see this one, folks. Horror doesn't get any better than this.