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Session 9 (2001)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:64
Fresh:39
Rotten:25
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: Relying more on atmosphere than gore, Session 9 is effectively creepy.
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: 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... 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. [More]
Starring: Peter Mullan, David Caruso, Joshua Lucas, Brendan Sexton
Starring: Peter Mullan, David Caruso, Joshua Lucas, Brendan Sexton, Stephen Gevedon, Paul Guilfoyle, Larry Fessenden
Director: Brad Anderson
Director: Brad Anderson
Screenwriter: Brad Anderson, Stephen Gevedon
Producer: David Collins, Dorothy Aufiero, Michael Williams
Studio: USA Films
Reviews for Session 9
Toying with the fright potential of an actual defunct and eerie woodland mental hospital, Session 9 is maybe a little Blair Witch Project, but mostly Boy, Interrupted.
Is it a ghost? Is it one of the men? We're not telling, but the manipulative and unconvincing script and cable-TV acting sure scared us.
The script for Session 9 is so underwritten that even such lively character actors as David Caruso, Peter Mullan, and Brendan Sexton III are left stranded.
The final illuminations ... are a poor return on nearly two hours of ear-buckling, eye-stabbing incoherence.
The story doesn't quite pay off, characters are underwritten and the surprise ending is contrived and unconvincing.
There's no HOLY S%^&T!!!!!!! moment that fans of horror flicks pay their eight to ten bucks to see.
The movie's misplaced psychological emphasis is matched by its stubble-scraping visual style.
As the violence escalates, the store of ominousness shrinks and gives way to silliness, leaving some talented actors high and dry.
Tries to be a back-to-basics thriller without the special effects, buckets of blood and evil dolls that talk. Unfortunately, the filmmakers forgot to replace the horror-film formula with a plot that makes sense.
Latest News for Session 9
September 22, 2008:
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