Set in an abandoned asylum, this film is a psychological thriller that, rather than being horror-oriented, focuses more on offering a slow and stealthy journey to a disturbed mind hidden among the protagonists. It is an independent film that did not require a large budget and its greatest strength is the story it offers. During the first days that the protagonists spend in the abandoned asylum, nothing interesting happens until the old recordings found begin to give hints of something disturbing that happened in the past. These indications only serve as a guide to imagine what could happen, but the film leaves open the question of whether there is something supernatural at the site or if it is just the mental imbalance of one of the characters. The film has a setting similar to The Shinning and Silent Hill because the old building becomes darker, generating the feeling that something dangerous is going to happen. Session 9 is a fairly ambiguous film that plays a lot with psychology and leaves many questions or different sensations for those who see it. It can be boring or deep or meaningless or fascinating depending on the viewer's perspective. My rating for this movie is a 7/10.

There are two kinds of horror movies.

One, the ones that need to rely on gore to get a reaction from an audience. The other, the kind that requires a brain in order to process the fear-inducing story. I think the one that requires a brain is the best kind because there is no limit to what the mind can make you feel, and when done right, the second kind of movie will take you to heights of horror and suspense that the first kind of movie can only aspire to.

This movie, Session 9, falls in the category of the second kind and that is apparent by the number of people who have chosen to rate it based on their limited taste for just gore, with no substance.

So, in closing I won't go into what happens in the movie, because that is the fun, but will simply say that if you are looking for a chop-'em- up, blood squirting in your face slasher flick, this isn't it. If you are looking for a suspenseful little flick that builds the creep and fear factor, enjoy.

If you are a connoisseur of FEELING a movie, you will hopefully be back to rate it accordingly.

SESSION 9

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Sound format: Dolby Digital

Five professional contractors are hired to strip asbestos from an abandoned asylum where they're haunted by the building's horrific legacy.

Notable as the first 2.39:1 movie shot in high-definition video - the same process used by George Lucas for STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES the following year - SESSION 9 is described by director Brad Anderson as an exercise in 'creeping dread', filmed at the deserted Danvers Mental Institution in Massachusetts, whose crumbling interior suggests nothing less than the hellish Marsten House of Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot'. Anderson favors long, deliberate camera movements and wide-angle shots which transform the Institute's vast empty spaces into an oppressive, tomb-like structure, using the widescreen format to impressive visual effect.

A terrific ensemble cast is headlined by David Caruso (TV's "CSI: Miami") and Scottish actor-director Peter Mullan (MY NAME IS JOE), both of whom give committed performances as men on the edge of despair, and strong support is given by Josh Lucas (THE DEEP END), Brendan Sexton III (WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE) and co-writer Steven Gevedon as the hapless co-worker who stumbles on a series of audio tapes which contain ultra-creepy psychiatric sessions involving a former patient suffering from split personality disorder. Memorable sequences include Lucas' unscheduled late-night visit to the Institute, where he finds himself sharing the darkness with... something that shouldn't be there; and the inevitable moment when Sexton - who had earlier declared his morbid fear of the dark - finds himself trapped in the bowels of the building just as the lights go out...

Two endings were filmed, one of which involves a subplot that was dropped from the final assembly, but in truth, neither one of them lives up to expectations. The combination of tragedy and horror will still take many viewers by surprise, but one is left with the distinct impression that few of the participants were interested in making a REAL horror film, even if the movie ends up being one anyway, in spite of itself. Beautifully judged for the most part, and genuinely frightening in places, SESSION 9 is worth a look, despite minor reservations.