Brad Anderson's SESSION 9 is a thrilling psychological horror film that uses a haunting backdrop to weave a tale of deep terror. Called in to remove asbestos from the imposing, soon-to-be-renovated Danvers State Mental Hospital, the employees of the Hazmat Elimination Company are unprepared for what they're about to step into. The workers--Gordon (Peter Mullan), the troubled owner who has a wife and baby that he desperately needs to support; Phil (David Caruso), a crew chief who mourns his lost girlfriend by smoking marijuana; Hank (Josh Lucas), the cocky gambler who stole Phil's woman; Mike (Stephen Gevedon), a privileged law student who is fascinated with the hospital's history; and Jeff (Brendan Sexton III), Gordon's naïve nephew--begin to unravel and give in to their own inner fears as the hospital wreaks havoc on their fragile mental states. As the week wears on, the disappearance of Hank brings the tension to a boil, resulting in a shocking series of events that only add to the creepy hospital's legend. With SESSION 9, Anderson proves that he is an immensely talented director who has the ability to work in a variety of genres and keep his deeply personal vision intact.
Review 1:
"...SESSION 9 is a marvel of vérité-nightmare atmosphere..."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.44-5 08/17/2001
Review 2:
"...Startling and genuinely terrifying....SESSION 9 is a filmic experience that's impossible to brush off..."
Source: Box Office
p.57 08/01/2001
Review 3:
"...[The] sound design turns the psychological screws, and the score by band Climax Golden Twins creates its own atonal mental soundscapes..."
Source: Variety
p.45 08/13/2001
Review 4:
"...The old hospital is a wonderfully photogenic place, full of picturesque rubble and odd spaces....The dialogue has an authentic working-class snap, and the performances are impeccable..."
Source: New York Times
p.E15 08/10/2001
Review 5:
"...An ingeniously scary movie....SESSION 9 is so effective that its sense of uncertainty lingers long after the theater lights have gone up..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.4 08/10/2001
Review 6:
"...[An] accomplished chiller....This remains an original take on the haunted-house movie..."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.63 03/01/2003
Shopping Cart:
