'SESSION 9' - Proves That Psychological Horror Can Be Even More Terrifying Than Most!

A strong case can be made for the superiority of psychological horror over supernatural horror. Whether you believe in the existence of demons, ghosts or other spectral nastiness or not, you can be sure of the existence of pure, unbridled, all-consuming madness. From POLANSKI’s REVULSION to PRANO BAILEY BOND’s CENSOR, the creeping paralysis of the downward spiral into total mania works its way under the skin quite unlike that of any other genre.

Starting off like a journey into the cheapest of schlock, BRAD ANDERSON’s SESSION 9 steadily, and very apparently, undergoes an ugly (yet satisfyingly fresh) transformation into a different beast entirely…

THE SYNOPSIS:

Tensions rise within an asbestos cleaning crew as they hurriedly work in an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past that seems to be coming back.

THE REVIEW:

SESSION 9’s central setting, that of an abandoned insane asylum harbouring a dark secret, is, admittedly, groan inducing. However, BRAD ANERSON and co-writer STEPHEN GEVEDON (who also co-stars in the movie) have crafted an interesting, and somewhat ambiguous, “ghost story”. In many ways, SESSION 9 wouldn’t be entirely out of place if you transported it back to the 1970’s or early 1980’s and placed it alongside, say, ARGENTO’s INFERNO. Not to imply the existence of anything as explicitly supernatural as one would find in INFERNO, of course, but the tone and occasionally dream-like execution, not to mention the plentiful red herrings and labyrinthine plot-twists, would see SESSION 9 sitting comfortably with the very best Euro-horror offerings.

The main thrust of the plot is nicely peppered with more overt references and clues as to where the narrative is headed, but there are a handful of more benign, almost off-handed references to other avenues of development which the film (potentially) shares with SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT. Fans of speculation should get a real buzz off of it.

The only detectable downside to this, and indeed any speculation you will have had right up to the film’s climax, is that it all comes to a close without granting any kind of confirmation or even validation. The absence of a “why”, while not always necessary in these cases, is therefore a touch disappointing. Luckily, the movie presents itself strongly enough for this not to be too much of a deal breaker, though it does render the possibility of repeat viewings somewhat difficult to come to terms with.

I’ve long held it as an axiom that if PETER MULLAN is appearing in your film in any capacity, you’re in for some intense shit. I’ve also long held it as an axiom that if DAVID CARUSO is appearing in your film in a starring role, you’re probably watching JADE. Turns out I was only 50% correct, because while MULLAN expertly delivers a complex performance as GORDON, a troubled man functioning well outside of a comfortable operating window, CARUSO also delivers a steady, relatable performance as his closest friend and business partner, PHIL. Indeed, the whole ensemble cast are a well-written and well-acted bunch, each with their own distinct personalities and backstory. It is these elements which make the film difficult to turn away from, and characters which are strongly realised will always have logical and understandable compulsions to do the things that they end up doing without breaking your immersion. If SESSION 9 isn’t altogether satisfying when it reaches the end of its journey, it excels during the journey itself.

THE PRESENTATION:

This is a SECOND SIGHT joint, son. It looks and sounds the absolute business. The movie was shot digitally, so there is an ever present “bright” sheen over the action which fails to capture all the grain and grit that actual film stock would have afforded it, but that’s certainly not to say that SESSION 9’s atmosphere is hampered in any way. The cavernous depths of the asylum, the flaking paint on the walls, and the multitude of graffiti found in and around the complex all stand out in their own right while also complementing each other perfectly. If you’ve ever wondered what the inside of that abandoned building you passed every day on the way to school looked like, SESSION 9’s HD transfer is as close as you’ll probably ever want to get.

THE FEATURES:

● Audio commentary by Director and Writer Brad Anderson and Writer Stephen Gevedon

● New audio commentary by Mike White and Jed Ayres

● The Darkside: a new interview with Brad Anderson

● Mike's Session: a new interview with Stephen Gevedon

● Back to the Bat: a new interview with Producer David Collins and Director of Photography Uta Briesewitz

● Invisible Design: a new interview with Production Designer Sophie Carlhian

● The Sound of Dread: a new interview with Composers Robert Millis and Jeffery Taylor

● A Twisted Collage: Alexandra Heller-Nicholas on Session 9

● Return to Danvers

● The Haunted Palace

● Horror’s Hallowed Grounds: Session 9

● Story to Screen with optional Director commentary

● Deleted scenes and alternate ending with optional Director commentary

● English subtitles for the hearing impaired

THE TECH SPECS:

● Codec: MPEG-4 AVC

● Resolution: 1080p

● Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

● Region B

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Christopher Shy
Soft cover book with new essays by Charles Bramesco, Simon Fitzjohn and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, plus behind-the-scenes and location images