Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- paranoid
- oppressive
- late night horror viewing
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's eerie vérité atmosphere, psychological tension, and restrained camerawork, while finding its narrative payoff and character development uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The asylum tapes, Simon's presence, and the crew's deteriorating behavior sustain uncertainty between internal madness and external evil.
The abandoned Danvers State Hospital, its empty corridors, and its history of misery dominate the film's atmosphere.
Critics specifically praised the film's lack of gore, sparse storytelling, shadows, half-seen clues, and vérité nightmare atmosphere.
The asbestos crew's job is destabilized by Hank's relationship with Phil's former girlfriend, Gordon's anxiety about fatherhood, and mounting distrust among the men.
Films like Session 9, and why
The Shining
shared psychological horror, ambiguous supernatural implications, and sustained atmosphere of dread
Don't Look Now
shared eerie location, internalized horror, and uncertainty between mental disturbance and external evil
The Thing
shared claustrophobic workplace terror, sparse storytelling, and paranoia within an isolated environment
Movie Details
- Director
- Brad Anderson
- Release Date
- 2001-08-10
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (1072)
Cast
- Peter Mullan
- David Caruso
- Stephen Gevedon
- Josh Lucas
- Brendan Sexton III
- Paul Guilfoyle
- Larry Fessenden
- Charley Broderick
- Lonnie Farmer
- Sheila Stasack
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Session 9 about?
- An asbestos-removal crew’s routine job inside an abandoned asylum becomes a pressure cooker of personal resentment, psychological disintegration, and uncertain evil.
- What is Session 9 like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Session 9 as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Session 9 violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Session 9 as mild.
- What did critics think of Session 9?
- Critics broadly praised the film's eerie vérité atmosphere, psychological tension, and restrained camerawork, while finding its narrative payoff and character development uneven.
- Which films are like Session 9?
- Films with a similar feel include The Shining, Don't Look Now, and The Thing.
- How long is Session 9?
- Session 9 runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch Session 9?
- In United States, Session 9 is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
