Session 9

Brad Anderson is a pretty cool director. This makes two of his films I've seen (and an ep of The Wire that blew my mind) and really enjoyed, though The Machinist is much more cohesive and satisfying.

Session 9 is also a psychological thriller. It's the creepy tale of a haz-mat team who accept the challenge of de-toxifying an insane asylum that has been abandoned lo' these 15 years. The setting is awesome and offers opportunities for really creepy sub-plot points and some good scares. Unfortunately, the plot is a bit choppy (no pun intended) and the main subplot adds to the build of tension but doesn't significantly associate with anything else, otherwise. In fact, there are several red herrings here and none of them offers more than a brief distraction from a fairly thin plot.

The other elements, however, combine to make this a fun film to watch. The score is very effective. The photography has that bump in contrast that appears to be common in Anderson's work, and that promises that whatever grisly fate comes our way, we'll see it in stark detail. This ups the ante nicely for the viewer. Acting is fairly good across the board, despite the presence of David Caruso. And the ending will pin you to your seat, if not shock you.

It's not a brilliant film, and it could have been better with a few changes. These characters, despite a wicked deadline, spend a lot of time hanging around, but they never crack any jokes. I am still wondering . : \ If you're looking for a creepy thriller though, Session 9 delivers. 3/5