Session 9

Session 9...2001...100 minutes...rated R...starring Peter Mullan, David Caruso, Stephen Gevedon, Josh Lucas, and Paul Guilfoyle...written by Brad Anderson and Stephen Gevedon...directed by Brad Anderson

A crew of asbestos abatement workers face a challenge in getting a large, abandoned asylum up to code in the time bid for the contract. What's worse, members of the team have their own issues that are causing complications; Gordon, the team leader, has a new baby and hasn't been sleeping well while Hank is dating Phil's ex. One of the team members finds a recording of one of the case histories, a woman named Mary Hobbes with multiple personalities...and things start going downhill for the team as more and more is revealed on the 9 taped sessions of  Mary's case.

There are certain places that have become standard settings for horror tales, especially in regards to the "haunted house" story.  Included under this heading are the large mansions or plantation homes, creepy churches,  dilapidated prisons...and of course the mental hospital or asylum. In particular, this last selection of setting seems rather appropriate; in such a place a viewer is often unsure if the phantoms of the movie are external or internal. "Session 9" is one of those movies that doesn't make it too clear, ultimately leaving it up to the audience to decide.

This movie doesn't have a whole lot of gore, or even effects to rely on...rather relying on the slow buildup of tension as things both get revealed and get unraveled. Like the setting, the characters are all in some state of disrepair...either with perosnal issues, crises, or phobias. It's the story of these people, and of the hospital itself, that will either make the movie work for you or bore you for an hour and a half. While the plot isn't horribly inventive, the execution of it is handled well enough that I think people will be drawn to it. Certainly "Session 9" is a refreshing break from the usual hack and slash, and the talent involved is first rate...if slightly reminiscent of a CSI get-together.

I give this movie a solid 3 wheelchairs out of 5.