WTF Movie of the Week: Session 9!

Session 9: could've sucked,
but didn't.

'Tis not often we come across a gem which perfectly suits our current horror needs. I'm always on the look-out for good psychological horror, but often find myself making due with something much more mundane or more fantastic. But every once in a while we walk into another The Others or another Sixth Sense or, as now I can now boldly claim, another Session 9.

For this movie is truly such a gem.

First of all, praise for the writers for making the protagonists a couple of rough 'n tough asbestos removers instead of the easily impressed woman-after-a-miscarriage or something. It lends such a relieving feel of reality to this haunted-house movie. And they make for interesting characters.

So the movie is about a small group of asbestos removers who take a job in an mental hospital. After some juicy stories the guys tell each other during breaks, they slowly start to find out that there acually is more to the place than meets the eye. What follows is a slow descend into madness and for some into death. 

The great thing about Session 9 is that it becomes more and more introspective rather than trying to scare us with cheap effects. The newbie that's scared of his own shadow gets trapped in a dark hallway, the greedy, antisocial SOB finds a hidden loot in a furnace that's just too big for comfort and the ambitious right hand man (David Caruso) keeps some dodgy company when no-one is looking. Then there's the introverted medical school drop-out who finds the session tapes of a doctor interviewing a schizophrenic girl.

The movie is a lot of talk and not much action, so the gore-buffs will not reach their quota, but the suspense is so thick, you could cut it with a knife. David Caruso is wonderful as the dodgy dealer trying to instigate a falling-out between the boss and his collegue who he thinks is unreliable and actually shows he's a good actor (even without the sunglasses). The build-up towards the final scenes and the unfolding of all that has transpired is a joy to watch. All the random scenes and flashbacks we've seen come together like the beads on a string. Suddenly, it all makes horrific sense.

I seriously recommend giving it a try.