Session 9
Director: Brad Anderson
Cast: David Caruso, Stephen Gevedon, Paul Guilfoyle
Reviewed by Brian M. Sammons
Cut to the chase: this is an excellent horror movie that more horror fans need to see. Sure, a lot of fans out there have seen it, and I’ve never met one that has seen it that didn’t like it, but I have met more that, for whatever the reason, never saw that. And that has to change. Thankfully the horror lovers over at Scream Factory have just released this on Blu-ray. Is it worth a get? Well yeah, of course it is, did you not read the first sentence of this review? But how good is it? Well come on, Doc, let’s find out.
A five man group of hazardous materials removers get a job to clean up an old, abandoned building, which just so happens to be the massive Danvers State Hospital for the insane. This lonely, creepy location really acts as the sixth member of the cast in this film — rarely, if ever, has a location been so perfectly utilized. It is eerie and atmospheric and I could not imagine this movie taking place anywhere else. Anyway, as the group goes about their work over the span of a few days, strange things begin to happen to them one by one. If you are expecting full blown haunted house shenanigans here, you may be disappointed. Things are far more subtle in this film, but that does not mean that they are any less frightening, and in keeping with the setting, more often than not the scares are of a psychological nature. Sure there’s still some good old red stuff to be seen (not to mention weirdness that can’t be easily explained), but instead of jump scares, gallons of splatter, crappy CGI specters, guys with chainsaws, voices telling you to get out, or other horror tropes, here you get mood, dread, and tension. One by one this haunted and hellish place has its way with our blue-collar heroes, all while the audience knows something is wrong, but the reality of it only slowly creeps up on you until the big reveal. And what a dark, disturbing ending it is.
This is slow burn horror done right. It takes its time to creep you out, it is in no rush, because it knows there is no escape. The direction by Brad Anderson is excellent and, in my opinion, it is the best he’s ever done. All the actors do great work — they’re believable and likable, even David Caruso, which surprised the hell out of me. There is not one down side, one misstep, to this exceptionally well made and effective horror movie. That said, how are the extras that Scream Factory assembled for this Blu-ray release? Well let’s discuss it, Doc.
First and foremost there is an audio commentary with director Brad Anderson. There is a retrospective/interview featurette called “Return to the Darkness: The Secrets of Session 9” that is new and exclusive to this Blu-ray that runs a nice, meaty 49 minutes. Also new is one of those Horror’s Hallowed Grounds segments that I always love, where Sean Clark visits the locations where the movie was filmed, which includes the old Danvers hospital, or at least, what’s left of it. There are a collection of deleted scenes, an alternate ending, and a storyboard to screen comparison segment. There is a 12 minute featurette called “A Haunted Place” that’s about the hospital and the ghosts that supposedly haunt it in real life. Lastly there is the ever present trailer. So yeah, as great as the movie is, there is an equally impressive list of extras included on the disc.
Session 9 is an amazing horror movie. It’s moody, atmospheric, and creepy as all hell. This is a real horror movie. No lame jump scares. No false frights. No cheap shots. No overused monsters. No laughing at the horrors. No, everything here is just scary as all hell, and befitting of its eerie setting, this movie gets inside your head and doesn’t leave for a good long time. This is a must have addition to any horror lover’s movie library. It is beyond highly recommended.
