Quick Review: Psych:9 (2011)

We here at THC always welcome an opportunity to see Michael Biehn in a new movie. Aliens, The Terminator, The Abyss, Tombstone, Navy Seals, The Rock... he's been in some of the best (action) movies ever! So back when I originally heard that he was starring in this upcoming creep-fest, I was instantly intrigued.

Having now seen the movie, can we add Psych:9 to his list of great movies? I don't know. I think this one falls into the "tolerable" category way easier than it does the "great" one.

Psych:9 is the story of Roslyn, an obviously disturbed woman who takes a midnight shift job at a closing Hospital, sorting old medical records. She also needs to sort out her life, if I'm being honest, so I guess a new job is just the thing, creepy place or not. As luck would have it, a Serial Killer also happens to be on the loose in town, and he seems to have a taste for pretty young girls. Maybe he's sorting out his life too.

Also just her luck, the Hospital she works in may be haunted, or she just might be having hallucinations because she's crazy.

She looks perfectly sane to me...

That's about as straight forward as the plot ever gets in this movie. Psych:9 spends most of its running time feeling rather confused. Is it a whodunit about a Serial Killer, making us suspect Roslyn's boyfriend, the Cop and the mysterious doctor up on floor 5? Or is it a ghost story, what with all of the creepy noises and occurrences that keep happening around Roslyn? Maybe it's a revenge flick since we see a bunch of flashbacks which focus on some people who have been done wrong, and their anger for said offenses. It could be a movie about a crazy chick too, who invents everything in her head to cope with past tragedy... I'm still not sure.

I guess it's a good thing that this movie has its share of creepy moments, and managed to hold my interest. Most movies don't.

"Come with me if you want to live lol."

I liked the cast and what they did with the material too. Michael Biehn and Cary Elwes are especially good here, and are as enjoyable to watch as they usually tend to be. Sara Foster plays her part well too, making me feel for her while wondering about her place in things at the same time. As for the rest of the cast, I thought Gabriel Mann was James Spader for about 20 minutes or so, and that Winter Ave Zoli is always hot. We're partial to her because we love Sons of Anarchy.

You can't care for a baby laying in a tub full of blood. No wonder they took it away from you.

So was it good? The editing was jumpy and confusing, and the plot suffered for it in places. The ending didn't do much to resolve some lingering questions, and that's never a good thing... but we enjoyed it. We could have done without the "daddy touched me" plot device and the quick flash J-Horror style "creepy" moments, but it wasn't as distracting as it could have been.

So yeah, it was mostly good.

It was creepy too.

A decent effort that could have been great were it just a little more clear on certain plot points. Maybe we just need to watch it again... but then if a movie is truly great, once should be enough, shouldn't it? It's the middle of the road for this one, I'm afraid.

C

Sara Foster and Winter Ave Zoli are in this.