One out of
Five stars
Running time:
98 mins
Disappointing, badly written and poorly directed British horror that somehow manages to be both utterly predictable and entirely nonsensical all at once.
What's it all about?
Directed by Andrew Shortell, Psych 9 stars Sara Foster (basically a sort of bargain basement Rhona Mitra) as Rosalyn, a not-entirely-stable young woman who takes an admin-based night job at a deserted hospital despite the fact that there is a serial killer on the loose in the neighbourhood. As the nights wear on, Rosalyn is variously plagued by hallucinations, spooky goings-on, strange noises, a suspicious cop (Michael Biehn), flashbacks to her own traumatic childhood and a general sense of something being not quite right at the hospital.
Rosalyn finds an unlikely ally in smug psychiatrist Dr Irvin Clement (Cary Elwes, a long way from The Princess Bride, but not too far from Saw), who encourages her to open up about her childhood and confront her demons. Are her experiences somehow connected to the string of recent murders?
The Bad
Foster is attractive in a moody, pouty sort of way, but she's such an inexpressive character (apart from the pouting) that it's impossible to care whether she makes it to the end of each scene, let alone whether she manages to unlock the mysteries of her past. Similarly, Elwes is on creepy auto-pilot and struggles with some pretty terrible dialogue, while the likes of Michael Biehn (one of those actors you wish would make more films, just not films like this) are largely wasted in thankless and underwritten supporting roles.
The Worst
Sadly, the film's problems don't end there. Despite an admittedly creepy atmosphere (the location is easily the best thing about the film), the various shocks and twists aren't remotely scary, while the pacing slows to a painful crawl in the middle section. Similarly, the climax manages the impressive feat of managing to be both utterly predictable and entirely nonsensical both at once.
Worth seeing?
Despite its inherently creepy setting, Psych 9 is ultimately disappointing, thanks to poor pacing, a badly written script and a total lack of scary or suspenseful moments.