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One of the best (psychological) horror movies I have ever watched

posted 10 years ago by met1981
13 replies | jump to latest

Being a fan of Silent Hill games, I found out that Session 9 was a major influence on Silent Hill 3, as Jacob's Ladder (another amazing and scary movie that I loved as well) and Blue Velvet were to SH2. So I watched this movie last weekeend and... it scared the hell out of me! What an amazing, amazing, and absolutely AMAZING thriller/horror movie!

I can't recall being so frightened and tense during a whole movie. The abandoned asylum is extremely eerie and unsettling, I felt really anxious and tense about it, like something really terrible was about to happen. What a perfect location they shot the movie in, the atmosphere was fantastic, I felt like it was like The Shining in a asylum. The score was extremely suspenseful and really contributed to the mood.

I considered the acting great (even Caruso's glorious "fu*k you" line), the characters were believable to me, with their personal stories fitting perfectly with the plot. The character development was phenomenal, the pace was slow, and that's the way want thriller movies to be.

I swear that the scene in which one of the workers, late at night and alone in a hallway, spots a human-like shadow coming in his direction sent a shiver down my spine, one of the most terrifying scenes I've ever watched. The scene in which a character listens to the tapes containing interviews with the patients with DID, where she impersonates a child, "Simon", I believe, was beyond creepy as well.

Could you suggest me similar horror/thriller movies to this? I mean, atmospheric, slow-paced, with great character development? I would love to watch another movie of this kind. 10/10 to me, it's in with The Shining, The Omen, The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby in my personal Top 5 horror/thriller movies, marvelous job from the director's, writers and cast, and it's a pity that this masterpiece does not seem to be as well-known as it should be.

[–] Nightflyre9 9 years ago

Session 9 is what you get when a writer and director understand that scaring your audience is like telling a great joke: it's all in the set-up. This movie is everything that the lazy, disposable horror movies of today are not. That one scene alone (and most people familiar with this film know what I'm talking about) is more terrifying than anything that's come out in the last ten or twelve years. I get shivers up my spine just thinking about it. This is genuinely unsettling stuff.

[–] robertmrosado 8 years ago

Agreed. I can't think of another film that has scared me so much. Seen it numerous times, and I'm frightened and disturbed with each viewing.

[–] tbonesays 8 years ago

I think S9 was the heir to Blair Witch in terms of the unseen enemy story. Even so I'd guess you may have seen BWP and there's maybe a 50:50 chance you liked it.

[–] Slaterson14 8 years ago

I love this movie but Id have to say Im a bigger fan of the Blair witch project. Session 9 is great but the formulaic ending really drops it down a peg but other than that its great, such creepy atmosphere and the really simplistic score mostly just a few keys on a piano being played and of course the asylum itself make it very unsettling. The tape recordings are great too.