Session 9 (2001)

Tensions rise within an asbestos cleaning crew as they work in an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past that seems to be coming back.

Director:

Brad Anderson

Writers:

Brad Anderson, Stephen Gevedon

Stars:

David Caruso, Stephen Gevedon, Paul Guilfoyle

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
David Caruso	...	Phil
Stephen Gevedon	...	Mike
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Bill Griggs
Josh Lucas	...	Hank
Peter Mullan	...	Gordon Fleming
Brendan Sexton III	...	Jeff
Charley Broderick	...	Security Guard (as Charles Broderick)
Lonnie Farmer	...	Doctor (voice)
Larry Fessenden	...	Craig McManus
Jurian Hughes	...	Mary Hobbes (voice)
Sheila Stasack	...	Wendy (voice)

Storyline

An asbestos abatement crew wins the bid for an abandoned insane asylum. What should be a straightforward, if rather rushed, job, is complicated by the personal histories of the crew. In particular, Hank is dating Phil's old girlfriend, and Gordon's new baby seems to be unnerving him more than should be expected. Things get more complicated as would-be lawyer Mike plays the tapes from a former patient with multiple personalities, including the mysterious Simon who does not appear until Session 9, and as Hank disappears after finding some old coins.

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Plot Keywords:

asbestos | tension | baby | multiple personality | coin | 

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Taglines:

Fear Is A Place.

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and brief strong violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 September 2001 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Dziewiata sesja

Filming Locations:

703 Lynnfield Street, Lynn, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$76,493 (USA) (10 August 2001)

Gross:

$373,967 (USA) (12 October 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

USA Films, Scout Productions, October Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Almost the entire film was shot in the Kirkbride administration complex, (wing or ward F) but many scenes were filmed in the tunnels, the roof, and wings A, B, C, D, and E.

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Goofs

At the very end of this movie there's a typo in the copyright notice. The word motion, as in motion picture, is spelled "motin".

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Quotes

[first lines]
Phil: Gordy? You look tired, man. You look beat. Your turn to feed Emma?

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Connections

Referenced in Silent Hill 4: The Room (2004)

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Soundtracks

"Choke Chain"
Written & Performed by Lou Barlow
Courtesy of Smells Like Records and BMG Music Publishing (BMI)

User Reviews

Imperfect but smart and genuinely creepy

With a brilliant premise, "Session 9" is a slow build of genuine atmospheric creepiness. More akin to Nicolas Roeg's classic "Don't Look Now" than more recent horror fare with high body counts, director Brad Anderson effectively builds tension in layers of voiceovers and (mostly subtle) foreshadowing to build to a climax of madness, with sparing use of the cheaper horror devices. Unfortunately the characters are not as fleshed out as one would have hoped, so we are left with some unanswered questions (we would have liked to have met Gordon's family and Hank's girlfriend. Why did Mike drop out of law school?). Though the subtle horrors of this film may fail to grasp the short attention spans of younger moviegoers who consider "I Know What You Did Last Scream" to be the de facto standard of the genre, this is a very cleverly executed, if imperfect, thriller.