Session 9 (DVD)

...with dread.

Session 9 works exactly on this premise and is one of the best films I have seen in recent months. I am a self-confessed horror movie buff, and to be frank, it takes a lot to either interest or impress me, but Session 9 achieved both and as I’m sat here on my own typing away, I still have that horrible prickly feeling down the back of my neck. If you had to pick the most disturbing location for a horror film, what ...
...the location of choice for Session 9. There is something inherently sinister about these buildings, born mainly from the fact that they usually have such terrible pasts. The twist here, however, is that the location used in Session 9 really WAS a lunatic asylum. As the cast wanders through the run-down wards and cells there is something extremely unsettling about the fact that the redundant equipment strewn around the lobotomy chamber really was ... more

Some horror films are frightening because they shock the audience. Other horror films – and usually the more superior ones – are frightening because they fill the audience with a sense of dread. As you sit there watching the events unfold on screen, you find yourself holding your breath or clutching something tightly because you have this horrible feeling that something terrible is about to happen soon. The only trouble is you don’t know what that is, and you don’t when it will be. But you still find yourself slowly being overcome with dread.

Session 9 works exactly on this premise and is one of the best films I have seen in recent months. I am a self-confessed horror movie buff, and to be frank, it takes a lot to either interest or impress me, but Session 9 achieved both and as I’m sat here on my own typing away, I still have that horrible prickly feeling down the back of my neck. If you had to pick the most disturbing location for a horror film, what would you choose? Personally, I would choose a mental asylum - the location of choice for Session 9. There is something inherently sinister about these buildings, born mainly from the fact that they usually have such terrible pasts. The twist here, however, is that the location used in Session 9 really WAS a lunatic asylum. As the cast wanders through the run-down wards and cells there is something extremely unsettling about the fact that the redundant equipment strewn around the lobotomy chamber really was used to perform surgery on the unfortunate inmates.

Gordon Fleming is a man on the edge. Having recently become a father, he is short of cash and desperate for work. When a contract comes up for tender at a disused mental hospital, he promptly meets the site owner to discuss the cost of removing all the asbestos present in the building. His offer to complete the task in one week is conditional upon the work being rewarded with a $10,000 bonus, so as well as his usual crew of three, Gordon recruits his cousin to speed up the efforts.

The crew initially makes good progress, despite the personal differences between two of Gordon’s employees. As the men set about their work, Gordon outlines the terms of the contract and engages the commitment of the men. Given the size of the building and the potential danger, the main rule in place is that none of the men wanders off alone and that everyone leaves the building before nightfall.

Needless to say, none of the crew takes notice of the rules, and they each find their own piece of the hospital’s history. It transpires that the hospital was closed down in 1984, after an inmate who had undergone regression therapy was diagnosed as being the victim of satanic abuse. When a medical examination proved otherwise, the hospital was sued and forced to close – but was left with more than its fair share of secrets. One of the crew, Mike, finds a room in the basement where the notes and tapes of interviews with the inmates were stored. His curiosity gets the benefit of him, and he uncovers a packing case filled with nine tapes of therapy sessions undergone by a disturbed woman called Mary Hobbes. Another crew member, Hank, uncovers a horde of coins and valuables in the basement, whilst the foreman, Phil, is seen meeting with two mysterious young men. As the week progresses, tensions rise – and then Hank suddenly disappears. The horrific past of Danvers State Hospital looks set to be coming back……

You simply cannot discuss this film without finding yourself referring to the incredible location used. Danvers State Hospital in Massachusetts, USA, is an entirely original building that in line with the story behind the film was used as a mental hospital. The hospital was closed in the mid-1980s and has remained vacant ever since, as it is a protected building. The architecture of the building is absolutely incredible. With huge pointed towers across the massive expanse of roof, the site basically comprises one central building, with several blocks on either side that gradually recede away from the main block in a symmetrical fashion. From the air, the site takes on the appearance of an enormous bat, with the main building being the body, and the wings being made from the individual blocks on either side. It is as breathtaking as it is sinister and would have taken a budget of millions of dollars to attempt to recreate. The real horror is not in the outside of the building, of course, but the inside.

The interior of the building is run-down and decrepit, but still very visibly a hospital. There are empty beds, overturned wheel chairs and redundant offices throughout, filled with all the paraphernalia one would associate with such an institute. As the characters wander through the white-tiled hallways, it’s quite shocking to think that they are treading the same path as thousands of inmates before and the atmosphere is very eerie indeed. Much of the original equipment used is still in the building, including isolation tanks and there is a chamber filled with barbed hooks and sinks where frontal lobotomies were performed – a procedure that was actually developed in the institute. Even the isolation chambers still contain the pictures and newspaper cuttings pinned to the walls by the wretched inhabitants. It’s a wonder that the crew and cast could bear to be in the place, because even on film, there is an overwhelming feeling of misery and dread. In an interview on the DVD, Peter Mullan (the actor who plays Gordon Fleming) is actually heard to say that whilst filming on the rooftops he had this sudden, inexplicably overwhelming urge to throw himself off and commit suicide. He suggests that the essence of insanity is curiosity of extremes and that the building actually brought this out of the cast.

Given the incredible location, it’s not surprising that the film is visually very absorbing. I found myself fascinated by every feature of the building and loved the way in which the camera would snake up or down the stairs to follow one of the characters. The makers also generally avoid cliché, and whilst much of the film is set in the dark, there are very few moments that actually make you jump. A very memorable scene involves the young apprentice Jeff, who has wandered down to the basement and runs at breakneck speed along the dark corridor as one temporary light fails after another. It is simply his fear of the dark that drives him, but you never really know what will happen to him. The film carries a 15-certificate and as such contains moderate scenes of violence – although there is one very nasty moment that will probably unsettle you and have you covering your eye protectively….

Session 9 is a story about possession. As Mike gradually listens to the session tapes in the basement, we are introduced to each of the multiple personalities that possessed the unfortunate woman. There is a harmless young girl, and a playful young boy – but the final name on the list “Simon” promises to be something more evil. As Mike works his way through the tapes, you know that something terrible will come out of the ninth tape. The film certainly keeps you guessing – you can never quite be sure which character the house has taken hold of.

Session 9 is nothing like the sort of horror film that modern filmmakers produce. Given the basic formula, you might expect a conventional “stalk and slash” horror movie, but this is much subtler. The film focuses on the tensions between the men and the personal anxieties they each have. Gordon, for instance, is clearly very stressed by the birth of his child. Mike is keen to go back to law school and better himself. Jeff has a fear of the dark, whilst Phil and Hank are at each other’s throats over a girl. As such, you don’t start off with the relative safety that normally sets off these films. You would probably expect a group of teenagers to descend on the building for a drunken dare, or a Halloween party. Not so here – with Session 9, there is something very real and very believable about the characters used.

This is helped by the fact that the film boasts an interesting cast, albeit comprised of relatively unknown actors. The Scottish actor Peter Mullan is excellent as the disturbed Gordon Fleming – he really looks like he is on the edge. He seems to be able to switch from being incredibly anxious to incredibly calm and the way in which he behaves has a very powerful effect on the audience. David Caruso, who shares Mullan’s ability to switch from one mood to another, very capably portrays his foreman, Phil. The rest of the men are also very convincing, with Josh Lucas being his usual obnoxious self. Paul Guilfoyle (from CSI) pops up at the start, although he is really only there to provide a bit of reality before things go haywire.

Session 9 succeeds because it has an innovative story line and an incredible setting. It isn’t the most exciting film you could watch - towards the middle of the film, things slow down a bit - but I still found that the film held my attention. Of all the films set in such a location, Session 9 is easily the scariest and could definitely prompt a sequel. If a second film is put into production, I hope that the makers continue to focus on the atmosphere of the building and avoid the potential for cliché.

Highly recommended
 

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