Session 9
Brad Anderson stood at a crossroads in the early 2000s. He had directed two romantic comedies, Next Stop Wonderland and Happy Accidents, before making Session 9. This new project marked his first foray into horror. The director described the film as an American tragedy rather than a standard genre piece. He wanted to subvert the conventions of modern horror that he felt were too focused on teen thrillers. His goal was to create something less about jump scares and more about psychological dread. Anderson drew inspiration from a real-life murder case involving Richard Rosenthal in Boston during the mid-1990s. A man killed his wife after she accidentally burnt his dinner. He then cut out her heart and lungs and placed them on a stake in his backyard. This gruesome event haunted Anderson while growing up in the area. He also cited the location itself, Danvers State Hospital, as a major influence. The abandoned asylum provided a tangible sense of place that shaped the entire narrative.
Production took place inside the disused Danvers State Mental Hospital in Danvers, Massachusetts. Most of the filming occurred within a small section of the building because the rest was deemed unsafe for shooting. Actor David Caruso noted that the sets did not need dressing since all props were already present inside the structure. The crew utilized innovative technology for the time by shooting in 24p HD digital video. This format captured footage at 24 frames per second, mimicking the look of film rather than the standard 30 frames per second used in regular digital video. Sound design played a crucial role in generating a creepy tone throughout the production. The team incorporated subliminal animal and mechanical noises into the audio landscape to unsettle viewers without explicit visual cues. The director aimed to use sound to convey the plot just as effectively as visuals could do. This approach helped create an atmosphere where uncertainty lingered long after the theater lights came up.
Mike discovers a box containing nine audio-taped therapy sessions with Mary Hobbes while surveying the job site. These tapes feature a psychologist attempting to unveil details surrounding a crime she committed at her home two decades prior. Mary exhibits numerous personalities with unique voices and demeanors during the recordings. One malignant personality named Simon claims to live in the weak and the wounded. Hank finds a cache of antique silver dollar coins and other valuables from the crematory late one night. He returns to retrieve items but encounters a lobotomy pick among them. A shadowy figure appears and confronts him before he disappears entirely. Jeff witnesses Hank staring out a window wearing sunglasses and talking to himself in a stairwell. Phil descends into tunnels beneath the hospital where he finds Hank half-nude and muttering to himself. The generator runs out of fuel, leaving a terrified Jeff trapped in darkness until Mike restores electricity. Gordon arrives to find Hank wrapped in plastic sheeting with the lobotomy pick protruding from his eye. He is then confronted by Phil who repeatedly tells him to wake up before vanishing. Craig witnesses Gordon standing over Hank barely alive before Gordon attacks him. Gordon pulls the lobotomy pick from Hank's eye and stabs it into Craig's. In a dissociated state, Gordon recounts murdering each of his men as well as Wendy, his daughter, and their dog after she spilled boiling water on him.
Session 9 premiered at the Fantasia Festival in July 2001 before releasing to theaters on August 10. It played on only 30 screens and ended its American theatrical run on October 18 grossing $378,176. The film found greater financial success abroad earning $1.2 million internationally despite being a modest box office performer domestically. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 67% based on 76 reviews with an average score of 6.30 out of 10. Critics praised the dark eerie atmosphere and lack of gore while others criticized the ending as contrived or underwritten. Entertainment Weekly called it a marvel of vérité nightmare atmosphere while Rolling Stone described it as a spine-tingler. Bloody Disgusting ranked the film fifth among the twenty best horror films of the 2000s for its psychological depth. Some reviewers felt the story did not pay off satisfactorily leaving characters stranded without resolution. Dave Kehr noted impeccable performances but criticized pacing that often felt long and aimless. Despite mixed initial reception the film developed a reputation as a cult classic among horror fans over time.
Scholar Heike Schwarz states that Session 9 refers to dissociative identity disorder alongside possible possession by a demonic personality. Edward Bryant contends in his review for The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror that Simon is not necessarily an alternate personality of Mary Hobbes. Instead he argues Simon represents a malevolent genius loci tied to the location itself. M. Scott Peck observed evil originating from weakness or cowardice in his work People of the Lie published between 1983 and 1988. Deleted scenes included on the DVD help fill out the narrative gaps left by the theatrical release. Critics have pointed out similarities and references to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining released in 1980. The concept of genius loci suggests spirits such as those inhabiting specific places can influence events within them. This interpretation shifts focus away from purely supernatural explanations toward environmental determinism. The film leaves connections between events unstated allowing audiences to project their own understanding onto the ambiguity. An excerpt from the ninth tape features Mary's doctor asking where Simon lives with the response being I live in the weak and the wounded Doc.
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Common questions
Who directed the 2001 film Session 9?
Brad Anderson directed the 2001 film Session 9. He had previously directed two romantic comedies before making this his first foray into horror.
Where was the movie Session 9 filmed in 2001?
Production took place inside the disused Danvers State Mental Hospital in Danvers, Massachusetts. Most of the filming occurred within a small section of the building because the rest was deemed unsafe for shooting.
When did the film Session 9 premiere and release to theaters?
Session 9 premiered at the Fantasia Festival in July 2001 before releasing to theaters on August 10. It ended its American theatrical run on October 18 grossing $378,176.
What is the plot summary of the film Session 9 about Mike and Hank?
Mike discovers a box containing nine audio-taped therapy sessions with Mary Hobbes while surveying the job site. The story follows Hank who finds antique silver dollar coins and encounters a lobotomy pick before disappearing entirely.
Why does the character Gordon attack Craig in the film Session 9?
Gordon pulls the lobotomy pick from Hank's eye and stabs it into Craig's after witnessing Gordon standing over Hank barely alive. In a dissociated state, Gordon recounts murdering each of his men as well as Wendy, his daughter, and their dog after she spilled boiling water on him.