X
- 2001
- R
- USA Films
- 1 h 40 m
- 2001
- R
- USA Films
- 1 h 40 m
Summary A contemporary tale of terror set in an abandoned insane asylum. (USA Films)
Directed By: Brad Anderson
Written By: Stephen Gevedon, Brad Anderson
- 2001
- R
- USA Films
- 1 h 40 m
- 2001
- R
- USA Films
- 1 h 40 m
Session 9
58
6.6
Where to Watch
Summary A contemporary tale of terror set in an abandoned insane asylum. (USA Films)
Directed By: Brad Anderson
Written By: Stephen Gevedon, Brad Anderson
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
58
50% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
31% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
19% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
58
50% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
31% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
19% Negative
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
Horror fans and those who just plain enjoy a well-told story should thank the cinematic gods. Session 9 is not only the scariest movie of the year, but also perhaps the most easy to believe since the first "Blair Witch."
May not quite be more than the sum of its creepy parts, but as a reality-is-fear launch into workaday darkness, it clearly points toward the horror genre's best destiny.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 48 User Ratings
6.6
56% Positive
27 Ratings
27 Ratings
38% Mixed
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
6% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 48 User Ratings
6.6
56% Positive
27 Ratings
27 Ratings
38% Mixed
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
6% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
Good atmosphere, very good tension, a very good job, but a script so complicated that can confuse many people.
In this film, workers at a small asbestos removal firm need to remove asbestos from the old Danvers Psychiatric Hospital, a foreclosure for decades. They have a week to do it, and Gordon, the firm's owner, and Phill, his aide, call more employees to work, and Hank, Mike, and Jeff come to work hard. But each has its own problems and personality: Gordon has problems with his family; Phill is arrogant and has poorly resolved issues with Hank; Mike is a failure and Jeff a fearful. It is Mike who delves deeper into the asylum's past, rummaging through the boxes and archives of his former patients and coming across the file of one patient, Mary Hobbes, who disturbs him greatly, while Hank finds a number of valuables. As the movie unfolds, it becomes clear that this place stirs deeply with each of them, to the point of leaving them on the verge of madness.
I like psychological horror, and if there's one thing the movie was very competent about, it was the task of confronting each character with herself. The movie can be a bit confusing as each character lives his own story and his own psychological struggle within the overall story that unites them all: Jeff is forced to face his fear of the dark, Mike is forced to confront failure school and Hank his own greed. But it is Gordon who will endure the greatest torment. I won't reveal much more, but anyone who says the movie is similar to "The Shinning" is for some reason: Both films bet on a kind of "cabin fever" and there are elements that were truly inspired by that movie. And don't expect to fully understand the movie ... there are things that remain unexplained in the end.
The film bets heavily on the environment and the creation of a scenario where tension and suspense reign. We are always waiting for something to happen, and that expectation works very well and doesn't let the movie get cold. Peter Mullan was quite good at his role and managed to balance himself in a demanding character. Josh Lucas and Stephen Gevedon were satisfactory and Brendan Sexton III managed to make his character sympathetic to the public eye. David Caruso had a difficult life because not only does he have the most unpleasant character in the movie but I couldn't see him without thinking about "CSI Miami" where he played the role that gave him fame and prestige.
Finally, a word of appreciation for the use of real scenarios and props. I know the film was low budget, and that using a real location was a way to cut costs, but it gave the film a very good credibility and visual beauty. Unfortunately, and please consider this as a comment from a historian (my profession), I must regret the fact that it was not possible to preserve the Danvers Asylum, almost completely demolished shortly after this film was made, to make way to a real estate development.
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scores high on the creepy-scale. may take a couple viewings to understand . . . and well worth it. characters all start off so very normal, and then the insanity begins.
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A natural successor to "The Blair Witch Project" in terms of its small suggestions of horror past and future.
The film isn't remotely scary. That's a shame, because it has top-notch performances by Peter Mullan and David Caruso.
The story doesn't quite pay off, characters are underwritten and the surprise ending is contrived and unconvincing.
You couldn't ask for a better setting for a horror movie. What you could ask for is a better script.
Little more than an overworked exercise in jostling red herrings, and not particularly fresh herrings at that.
I found a list of "best ghost movies," and now I'm set for like the rest of the month. This ended up on that list, and while it's not exclusively a supernatural flick, I wasn't disappointed. Session 9 follows an asbestos cleaning crew as they work inside an abandoned mental hospital. One of the characters, Mike, finds a collection of old tapes that chronicle sessions of Mary Hobbes, who has disassociative identity disorder. Each of her "personalities" mention a man named "Simon," who may be linked to a suppressed memory that Mary has. Session 9 is a slow-burner; it builds up a dense atmosphere and sense of dread until the final act becomes exceptionally creepy and intense. It's much more unsettling than outright scary, and that's the perfect mood for this type of movie. The tapes that Mike listens to are increasingly unnerving and create a lot of suspense as to who exactly "Simon" is. When "Simon" finally speaks in the 9th session, it's incredibly scary and memorable. Along with an extremely talented cast, beautiful cinematography and an ambiguous ending that could create hours of discussion, Session 9 is a very creepy and atmospheric psychological horror film.
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A very average horror film. Some genuinely unsettling and creepy sequences, but for the most part a dry and uninteresting flick. The setting and atmosphere is very spooky and well done, but this is wasted with a bad script and plot-line, and wooden acting.
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Let me put it this way. If this review was based on the story itself, it would be an 8 or a 9. The movie is moody, menacing, and at some points borderline terrifying. But there's way more to a movie than the story. In pretty much every other area, Session 9 is flawed. The characters are shallow, the dialogue painful at some points. I found myself not really caring about what happened 2/3 of the way through. But the last 10 minutes was fairly redemptive. It was pretty shocking, not a twist that I at all expected. It made it worth watching, but up until the last 10-15 minutes, it's a pretty frustrating ride.
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This film is absolutely abysmal. There are no redeeming qualities to it whatsoever. I do not understand how this captivates the minds of people who enjoy psychological thrillers. It is poorly written and leaves everything unanswered, and has plot holes the size of Alaska. Seriously, this film makes no attempt at explaining itself or providing the viewer with enough information to draw their own conclusion. Watch this just to see how right I am. Go ahead.
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Awards
Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
• 2 Nominations
Fright Meter Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
