User reviews

There are two kinds of horror movies.

One, the ones that need to rely on gore to get a reaction from an audience. The other, the kind that requires a brain in order to process the fear-inducing story. I think the one that requires a brain is the best kind because there is no limit to what the mind can make you feel, and when done right, the second kind of movie will take you to heights of horror and suspense that the first kind of movie can only aspire to.

This movie, Session 9, falls in the category of the second kind and that is apparent by the number of people who have chosen to rate it based on their limited taste for just gore, with no substance.

So, in closing I won't go into what happens in the movie, because that is the fun, but will simply say that if you are looking for a chop-'em- up, blood squirting in your face slasher flick, this isn't it. If you are looking for a suspenseful little flick that builds the creep and fear factor, enjoy.

If you are a connoisseur of FEELING a movie, you will hopefully be back to rate it accordingly.

Set in an abandoned asylum, this film is a psychological thriller that, rather than being horror-oriented, focuses more on offering a slow and stealthy journey to a disturbed mind hidden among the protagonists. It is an independent film that did not require a large budget and its greatest strength is the story it offers. During the first days that the protagonists spend in the abandoned asylum, nothing interesting happens until the old recordings found begin to give hints of something disturbing that happened in the past. These indications only serve as a guide to imagine what could happen, but the film leaves open the question of whether there is something supernatural at the site or if it is just the mental imbalance of one of the characters. The film has a setting similar to The Shinning and Silent Hill because the old building becomes darker, generating the feeling that something dangerous is going to happen. Session 9 is a fairly ambiguous film that plays a lot with psychology and leaves many questions or different sensations for those who see it. It can be boring or deep or meaningless or fascinating depending on the viewer's perspective. My rating for this movie is a 7/10.

No point in mincing words: Brad Anderson's Session 9 is the best horror movie I've seen in a long time. It's intelligent, well-written, it's completely unpredictable, it looks great (I didn't really notice until the second viewing how well the editing and the photography work together), and the soundtrack is downright creepy. Until recently only two films had managed to make me lie awake at night: Dario Argento's "Opera" and Tobe Hooper's "Texas Chain Saw Massacre". Well, now the list includes three films. Honestly, there is no excuse not to see this one, folks. Horror doesn't get any better than this.

This film is more of a psychological horror/thriller film than a true horror film. No slasher action here, but plenty of foreboding chills. The setting is great and so are the performances.

SESSION 9

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Sound format: Dolby Digital

Five professional contractors are hired to strip asbestos from an abandoned asylum where they're haunted by the building's horrific legacy.

Notable as the first 2.39:1 movie shot in high-definition video - the same process used by George Lucas for STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES the following year - SESSION 9 is described by director Brad Anderson as an exercise in 'creeping dread', filmed at the deserted Danvers Mental Institution in Massachusetts, whose crumbling interior suggests nothing less than the hellish Marsten House of Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot'. Anderson favors long, deliberate camera movements and wide-angle shots which transform the Institute's vast empty spaces into an oppressive, tomb-like structure, using the widescreen format to impressive visual effect.

A terrific ensemble cast is headlined by David Caruso (TV's "CSI: Miami") and Scottish actor-director Peter Mullan (MY NAME IS JOE), both of whom give committed performances as men on the edge of despair, and strong support is given by Josh Lucas (THE DEEP END), Brendan Sexton III (WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE) and co-writer Steven Gevedon as the hapless co-worker who stumbles on a series of audio tapes which contain ultra-creepy psychiatric sessions involving a former patient suffering from split personality disorder. Memorable sequences include Lucas' unscheduled late-night visit to the Institute, where he finds himself sharing the darkness with... something that shouldn't be there; and the inevitable moment when Sexton - who had earlier declared his morbid fear of the dark - finds himself trapped in the bowels of the building just as the lights go out...

Two endings were filmed, one of which involves a subplot that was dropped from the final assembly, but in truth, neither one of them lives up to expectations. The combination of tragedy and horror will still take many viewers by surprise, but one is left with the distinct impression that few of the participants were interested in making a REAL horror film, even if the movie ends up being one anyway, in spite of itself. Beautifully judged for the most part, and genuinely frightening in places, SESSION 9 is worth a look, despite minor reservations.

I want my two hours back. "Session 9" is yet ANOTHER movie that left me exasperated at the end. Moreover, I am really surprised that people are lauding this film with terms like 'genius' and 'fascinating' -- 'Session 9' is neither.

What is clever about 'Session 9' is its setting, story set-up, casting and cinematography. The film deftly sets its mood and is expert at transition the audience between the moods, so that the viewer is relaxed one moment and seriously creeped-out at the next moment.

The problem is that this is all for naught. The storyline is obvious and the ending is predictable. Worse yet, the ending is so predictable, that the movie spends most of its time trying to throw you off the track. That is NOT clever writing – it is the byproduct of desperation for a good story to tell.

If you're anything like me, if you watch this film, you will be throwing your remote at the television screen by the time the credits roll, angry that yet another precious bit of your life has been leached away by shoddy film making.

I work at a video store and when customers ask me what's a good horror movie that will actually get to them, I don't suggest any of the Freddy or Jason movies. Those are for fans, and I don't consider them to be genuinely frightening. Session 9 is, most definitely, genuinely frightening. It takes place at a mental hospital that is legend where I live. So most people know what I'm talking about when I say Danvers State Mental Hospital. It is one of the few psychologically affective movies that I've ever seen. It takes the audience on a ride through a building that seems alive to it's visitors, and forces the audience to resolve for themselves why things are happening to each character. If you want a movie that is challenging and thought-provoking, this is the one. I always tell my customers to watch this movie in the dark, but not to watch it alone. Just be aware that if there is any distraction during the movie you'll have many questions about it. I hope you enjoy it as much I as do every time I watch it!

Bare-bones plot: a HAZ MAT team gets a contract to decontaminate Danvers Mental Hospital, a defunct asylum that was shut down in the 80s due to scandalous treatment improprieties. With a juicy bonus as the carrot for bringing the job in ahead of schedule, the asbestos removal team finds itself laid siege to by the sprawling institute's rancid, psychic residue, as well as the internal resentments and discord that grow with each day. The team includes the group's Scottish boss, Gordon (Peter Mullan), the foreman, Phil (David Caruso), Mike (Stephen Gevedon, the film's co-writer), Hank (Josh Lucas), and Jeff (Brendon Sexton III), Gordon's nephew.

I thought this was a superior horror film, for three-quarters of its running time.

I believe the movie scores best when it concentrates on creating an atmosphere of comprehensive, smothering dread. It is less a Horror Movie than a Dread Movie: every festering duct and basement in Danvers (the juxtaposition of real and imagined poisons is on the spot) seems to be poised for the arrival of some Impending Awful Event. When the mystery is solved, it seems a tad perfunctory and less disturbing than the build-up that came before.

(Comments below may contain some spoilers or semi-spoilers)

Still, the director, Brad Aderson, really ladled on a lot of deep-dish, disturbing atmosphere. Danvers Hospital is such a great setting. The simple shots of a disquieting collage of photos on a wall with the captions, "No one will leave feeling neutral, " and "Some Day it's going to dawn on you" are far scarier than a slasher with a knife. The movie was drizzled with a sense of claustrophobic doom: characters fleeing down the hospital corridors as the lights go out behind them; the constant oppressive rumble of generators; the slow leak of coins and last effects from a hole in a wall. Like past cinematic houses of the damned in The Shining, The Haunting, Suspiria or any Roger Corman Poe film, the place is The Monster, and a great one at that: with its decaying tunnels, basements, kitchens, wards, and 'treatment" accessories, it's a vivid, nightmarish piece of turf, a perfect stomping ground for demons of the mind.

Peter Mullan gave a terrific performance as the team's troubled Gael boss: his ability to communicate his character's mental distress with a mere cock of his head or the way he rubs his eyes and distractedly nods at some half-heard query, conveys the workings of his trammeled mind. As Phil, Gordon's best friend and foreman, David Caruso was just as fine as Mullan: you feel a sense that, given his personal life, the team's unity is the only thing keeping him going, and watching Caruso's working-class brio ("I'm here for you Gordon")turn to paranoid task-mastering and desperation is great. Josh Lucas as the cynical wiseacre picking at Phil's particular Achilles heel was also very good. On the technical side, Uta Brieswitz' lensing really captures the dark nuances of the hospital's vast and creepy space, and the music, mostly brittle keyboards, is a definite assist.

(Possible Spoiler Below)

The movie keeps you guessing as to whether the chief culprit on hand is a diseased mind or some sort of demoniac infestation and the clues that are provided by the cache of "Session 9" tapes Mike has discovered, provide plenty of ambivalent grist. Those conversations, between a patient named 'Mary", and her doctor, are squirm inducing in the extreme and had me looking over my shoulder when I previewed this at 2:00am in the morning. My own theory is that, in this case, like Takashi Miike's MPD Psycho, the villain is a demon/parasite; however, the film has you asking questions long after the credits crawl.

Even if the movie's unmasking of The Minotaur is not as frightening as it could have been, it sure serves up one hell of a labyrinth.

I will admit that I wish the filmmakers had used the hydro-therapy Tub, and some of those nasty-looking chairs.

After reading the comment about what a chilling, suspenseful, truly awesome movie this was, all I can say is...you're kidding, right. The movie tried to be suspenseful but failed. I couldn't write a spoiler about this picture for the simple fact that I never could figure out what the whole point of the movie was. One review I read compared it to the Blair Witch Project. Well, I agree to part of that description: they were both awful. But at least with the BWP you had some idea of what was going on. With this film the plot seemed to just wander around and never really tie any thing down. At the end of the movie I had the same ho-hum feeling I did half way through it.

Seeing a film like Session 9 just reaffirms that there are truly great films still being made.

While many (including the filmmakers) will find comparisons to Don't Look Now, The Shining, and even a nod to The Changeling, Session 9 still stands on its own as a most effective, brooding experience of dread -- and that's a good thing! I found the style and tension more genuine than the grandiose The Shining, and Session 9 relies mostly on real fears and no gratuitous material to entertain. This film wants to creep you out and that's its soul purpose. No pretty young GAP models, no trendy MTV-influenced rap/metal soundtrack, no breasts, no giggle-inducing decapitation effects. If you want those, by all means go watch something else as there are plenty other films that offer that to those with short attention spans. If you want to be drawn INTO a film, a place of fear, and THINK as well, Session 9 is like a therapy session of nightmares.

The story is simple and complex at the same time, as workers removing asbestos from the massive Danvers Mental Hospital slowly unravel along with secrets from taped audio recordings of a former patient. I never saw the characters' backgrounds as "underdeveloped" as some have complained -- you don't need to know EVERYTHING about these guys and besides, more information about them would have slowed the film down even more, and its nice, brooding pace is just right as it is. And don't worry if some of the things that seem like "clues" are left unresolved, that's part of the fun. Just like I still say many of the weird "clues" in David Lynch's works like Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive are just there to be weird and draw you in, not that they actually have any direct connection to the main story.

The actual Danvers Hospital is an amazing setting as the whole structure is a character all it's own and will disturb you without it having to do much but just BE there in the film. The minimalistic soundtrack is unsettling and downright perfect (I even bought it on CD and am still trying to figure out why it attracts me so much, playing it in the background while, say, typing away something like this....).

Each actor does a fine job -- yes, even David Caruso (some of you need to get off his back!) as a guy who seems to get a bit impatient yet maintaining a sense of calm. Peter Mullan, Steven Gevedon, Josh Lucas, and Brendan Sexton III seem like real, regular blue collar guys. It's refreshing to see a film not insecure in having a mature, rough-edged cast. By giving you a sense that these guys are real (yes, even though they tend to be slacking off quite a bit in places when they're supposed to get the job done in a week), the quiet dread of the story will draw you in and you'll be absorbed completely. Of course, if you appreciate less flashy films like this, you'll agree it's damn near perfect. Oh, to those here on IMDb who criticized the scene with a jar of peanut butter left on the floor, welllll, think about this: considering the state of its consumer, do you think that whoever left it there cared where the container was disposed? Man, do you people get picky over the strangest things! Whatever may seem implausible in the story or the characters' actions really doesn't wreck the film, as it is to be appreciated much for its atmosphere and story. I didn't find the ending to be so hard to understand at all, those that had their mind set that they didn't like this film were too busy being angry to just sit back and let everything present itself quite clearly.

If this film is categorized as horror then it's one of the best I've ever seen, definitely one of the best in years. It takes a LOT to scare me, and there's one specific scene with Josh and his experience in the basement that caused a wave of tingling goosebumps all over my body. It was exhilarating to be scared that effectively by a single scene!

Folks, you can't trash this film because it doesn't give you easy explanations or allows you to have some cheap voyeuristic thrills. Many of you who didn't like Session 9 seemed to know from reading its summary that it wasn't offering slam-bang entertainment. If you like your mind to be stimulated and love being absorbed in mysterious and wondrous storytelling, Session 9 is by my definition a flawless piece of work. For anyone else, I'd just say........."What are YOU doing here....?"

The owner of a small asbestos abatement company, Gordon Fleming (Peter Mullan), needs to work and accepts to remove the asbestos of the abandoned Danvers State Hospital, a mental institution that is closed since 1985 in one week. He has a baby girl and has some personal problems with his wife Wendy, calling her on his cellular. Gordon and his partner Phil (David Caruso) need to bring more workers to accomplish the schedule, and Hank (Josh Lucas), Mike (Stephen Gevedon) and Jeff (Brendan Sexton III) join the team. Phil does not like Hank that has stolen his girlfriend; Mike is a law school dropout; and Jeff has fear of the darkness.

Mike finds a sealed box tagged with the word "Evidence" and when he opens, he finds nine taped sessions of the patient Mary Hobbes that had multiple personalities (The Princess, Billy and Simon). Mike listens to the tapes and none of the personalities wants to talk about Simon. However, in Session 9, Simon finally appears and he discovers that he is evil. Meanwhile Hank finds ancient silver coins and disappears.

"Session 9" is a cult horror movie with a promising premise and environment but also with a confused development. The plot is a tale of insanity only and a kind of "The Shinning" rip-off, but not a supernatural story. It is not clear how the process is triggered in the head of the lunatic and the connection with Simon. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

Obviously I didn't watch the same movie that so many reviewers are raving about. This movie is nothing more than a bore fest that goes nowhere. Some egghead want to be's think that because they don't understand the movie that it must be brilliant and wrongly classify it as a "thinking man's movie." If so, then explain it to me. A thinking man's movie doesn't necessarily have to tie all the strings together, but the strings have to be there in the first place. Psycho was a thinking man's movie; so was Memento and Donnie Darko. However, this movie was nothing but a total waste of time, with it's only redeeming quality being good actors and good acting; which still isn't enough to save this movie that was DOA before it was even made.

I had to see this movie twice, i need did miss few thing the first time I saw.

The movie about Gordon and number of guys going to The Danvers State Hospital which has been closed since 1985, after hearing that needs asbestos removal, he makes a bid to remove them, ambitiously claiming as he a owner of The Hazmat Elimination Company, a small asbestos removal company, said he could been done by two week.

This movie a really Strong build up and which is also building the strong atmosphere for movie, We see the men some having some fun and messing around. one guy find coins in wall and he come back late night to get coin but next morning he no were to been seen, that when strange thinks start to happen This is has some creepy money and some weired moment which took me while to understand and i really good twist at end of the movie, you may see it coming before. The acting from the cast was outstanding.

I am going to give this movie 7 out of 10

I expected a lot more from the film, thinking it would be a haunting scare fest. Instead, it appeared to be more about the characters. I enjoyed the very natural acting from the entire cast, and from a drama point of view, it was actually really good. Josh Lucas was by far the strongest character (and actor) in the film.

The setting in the big old asylum was really awesome, and was constantly foreboding. Unfortunately I found it wasn't utilized properly and could have been a hell of a lot scarier that what it actually was. In fact, it wasn't scary at all. There were a few nice tension moments here and there, but few and far between. Having said that, this was by no means a boring film. Although it wasn't what I expected, it was still captivating and I rooted for and loved all the characters. It will take more than one viewing to fully understand the relevance of Session 9 - a recording of a mental patient with multiple personalities. This is a very different possession tale you have to pay close attention to.

I saw Session 9 last night, from 2001, old but good, horror film set in an abandoned asylum. The way the tension and sense of alienation builds up is well crafted. A team is clearing the asylum of asbestos but things start to go wrong. Most of the horror is psychological but there are some gory scenes. Explores themes of DID, possession and betrayal. Certainly worth watching. Directed and Co-Written by Brad Anderson (his first Horror Film). On Netflix. 7/10.

This film was so god awful it defied reality. While watching it me and my friend constantly had to make jokes because the script was so boring. They have this huge place to fix up, its gigantic, and they have 2 weeks to do, and through nine tenths of the movie everyone is goofing off or on lunch break, apart from that one dude who just listens to tapes.

Then there is the first mildly interesting part which happens an hour into the movie when one guy gets picked off or whatever. Hes walking down a passage and for no apparent reason there is a peanut butter jar in the middle of it. What kind of stupid ass murderer does this? Why in the middle of a passageway? It makes no sense. Also, when they all hear footsteps on the floor above them, they decide it would be a good idea to investigate this by going down to the basement. One of them just decides he is going to listen to more stupid tapes while everyone else is searching for the missing person. This film is a classic case of a good idea gone terribly wrong. If you have to watch the directors commentary to actually realize that the movie is somewhat good, then the movie isnt really good. Besides that all the props that were supposably 18 yrs old, all looked brand new.

Everything about this movie impressed me. The script was lean and inventive, the direction stylish without being overblown, the acting top notch. Even the shot-on-video cinematography looked great (with the exception of one or two exterior shots that had a hint of video look to it, most everything else was "filmic" and artistic).

I also appreciate any horror movie that can generate real tension and suspense from imagination and suggestion rather than relying on lame and lazy tricks that populate most horror movies (if something as limp as Urban Legends can be called a horror movie).

First rate film and I recommend to anyone who appreciates a thinking-man's horror film.

This is not a cheaply made horror oe anything remotely like that.

My Mind is blown....this is a Deep dark psychological thriller. The writing is outstanding, the acting is on point and the twists and revelations are jaw dropping and you find yourself wanting to watch it again so you can see all the hidden stuff again. Wow. Wow. Wow.

Peter Mullan is truly fantastic here, as indeed are the whole cast, the acting if first rate in this well made, unusual horror.

I'm not sure if classify this so much as a horror, I see it more as a psychological thriller, and a truly good one at that. If I'm totally honest, I didn't fully understand all that was happening, but on a second viewing it made more sense.

I see a degree of originality here, it's far from a run of the mill film.

There is enough to keep you interested, and there are definitely a few twists that you won't see coming.

This is a film if gladly sit down to watch again, 8/10.

the acting in this movie was better than could be expected with what they were given to work with. props to all the guys who had to work with the horrible, horrible script.

i have seen many different movies and this was by far the worst! the dialoge is horrible, and the plot is predictable (my friend with me, thinks it wasn't that predictable, so maybe it was just to me). without spoiling the storyline, there is a subplot/parallel that makes absolutely no sense to the main plot line and just was not connected the right way. the cinematography was fine and added to the movie, but there was just no way to save this movie from itself.

my friends and i to this day use this movie as our standard...as in "hey the movie we just watched sucked, but it was better than session 9!"