Session 9 (Blu-ray)
Starring David Caruso, Peter Mullan, Josh Lucas, Stephen Gevedon
Directed by Brad Anderson
Distributed by Scream Factory
Any director with an ounce of talent can make a “scary” horror film simply by including a handful of the most low-hanging fruit available: jump scares. They’re an easy way to get a rise out of audiences, but, almost universally, they never feel earned. True terror sinks beneath the skin and makes it crawl, generating a palpable response to what the characters on screen are experiencing. Writer/director Brad Anderson felt horror was lacking films filled with a true sense of dread, so he made his own: Session 9 (2001). Set within the decaying Danvers State Hospital, located in Massachusetts, Anderson’s film is a small-scale picture that delivers big scares because the chilling effect is relatable. Universal fears, such as that of the dark, the unknown, or being watched when you’re certain no one else is around; these are the primal terrors that cause the hair on your arms to stiffen and a cold sweat to creep across the brow. There are no loud noises or ghostly entities intended to frighten viewers, instead Anderson relies on his film’s true star, Danvers, to deliver choking fear in spades.
Gordon (Peter Mullan) is a small business owner whose trade is in hazardous waste removal. He’s also a new father struggling to cope with the stress of raising an infant and keeping his wife, Wendy, happy. When the opportunity to do cleanup at the abandoned Danvers State Hospital is presented to him, Gordon makes the nearly-impossible promise of being able to complete work within the week if he wins the bid. He does. Along with Gordon is his usual crew, consisting of law school dropout Mike (Stephen Gevedon), hot headed Phil (David Caruso), envelope pusher Hank (Josh Lucas), and Jeff (Brendan Sexton III), Gordon’s nephew who is new to the business and has a serious case of nyctophobia (fear of the dark). Some of the men are already at odds with each other – for example, Hank, at some point in the past, stole Phil’s girl – and the two-week job that has turned into one is only exacerbating hot tempers.
Danvers is a mammoth; labyrinthine and decrepit, the interior wings are as pitch black during the day as they are at night. While roaming around the tunnels down below, Mike comes across a recorder and a box of “sessions” – nine, to be exact – with a patient named Mary Hobbes. During these sessions a doctor is questioning Mary and her multiple personalities in an effort to piece together the fateful events of a particular Christmas night. “Princess” is Mary’s most childlike and innocent personality, while “Billy” is more protective. But it is “Simon” who the doctor is after, a facet of Mary that is unknown to “Princess” and frightens “Billy”. While on his own recon mission, Hank comes across a cache of antique coins and silver trinkets – unbeknownst to him, spilling out from the aging crematorium – with so much booty found he decides to come back later that evening.
Hank returns, but after wrapping up his plunder he is met in the dank hallways of Danvers by… someone. The next day Hank fails to show up to work. Phil offers to call Amy, their “mutual friend”, whereupon she tells him Hank broke up with her and moved to Florida; or at least, that’s what Phil tells everyone. The men continue their work but Gordon is distracted. Phil notices. As Gordon admits, a few nights earlier his wife accidentally spilled boiling water on his leg, badly burning him, and he hit her. She hasn’t spoken to him since. Phil tries to get Gordon back on track but it is clear his marital problems have taken quite a toll. He’s also been hearing a voice calling to him from within Danvers…
This is a film that excels at white knuckle tension through the use of stunning photography and deliberate pacing. Nothing, save for maybe the ending, feels rushed, with Anderson allowing the imposing nature of Danvers to whip up all the tension needed for any given scene. When Hank returns to brazenly collect his loot, fear immediately begins creeping up. Sure, logic says there isn’t anyone else in the place, save for a vagrant or two, but would you want to walk in there armed with only a flashlight? Creepy abandoned palaces are one thing; creepy abandoned palaces where people were lobotomized, tortured, or worse, is another.
Psychological horrors are far more effective and lasting than anything gruesome, at least from what I’ve seen. Here, Anderson has each of the men being affected in different ways from their stay at Danvers. Their work takes a backseat to curiosity and greed, as the hospital seems to play directly to their interests. Hank finds all that sweet coinage. Phil finds a couple of local drug dealers. Mark finds those intriguing tapes. Gordon finds respite from his home life. And Jeff, poor sweet Jeff; he doesn’t find much outside of a bad time. In a short amount of time, Danvers is able to wean these men off of their duties and control their minds, affecting their actions and interactions. The denouement works, although I somewhat agree with a few complaints about how it is handled; it could be a little smoother. But that isn’t a knock against what is unarguably one of the early millennium’s most effective, underrated chillers.
Session 9 was shot on digital before shooting on digital was the thing to do, and it shows. The 2.35:1 1080p image looks more like video than film, though it was one of the earliest features shot at 24 frames per second versus digital’s then-standard 30fps. The lack of a cinematic aesthetic mostly works in the film’s favor, however, because it adds a layer of realism, almost like a documentary. The image is nicely defined for the most part, though some wide and master shots appear inherently soft. Colors are on the dull side; likely a stylistic choice more than camera limitations. The few primary colors on display are well saturated but hardly “pop”. The aesthetic here is decidedly austere and grim, something cinematographer Uta Briesewitz perfectly captures. Black levels are on point without looking hazy or gray like some digitally lensed pictures.
Audio is carried via an English DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo track, which is how the film was mixed for theaters. A multi-channel track could have significantly amped up the creep factor here, as there are lots of subtle spooky sounds that could have aided in immersing the viewer within Danvers, but this track gets the job done just fine. It’s clean, separation is nicely handled, and many of the ambient sounds and manipulated vocals still provide a chilling response. Subtitles are available in English.
Writer/director/editor Brad Anderson delivers a thoughtful and thorough audio commentary track.
“Return to Danvers: The Secrets of Session 9” – Anderson, Gevedon, Briesewitz, and a few others discuss the film’s origins, shooting in Danvers, crazy set stories and more. There is some great information in here, making this a must-watch for fans of the film.
“Horror’s Hallowed Grounds” – Host Sean Clark revisits Danvers, which has since been turned into condos, and he also shows off old home video footage of an unauthorized visit made before it was razed.
A number of deleted scenes and an alternate ending are included, with optional commentary by Anderson.
“Story to Screen” – Footage from the film is shown side-by-side with storyboards and behind-the-scenes footage from the set.
“The Haunted Palace” – Hear some scary stories from those who have spent time at Danvers, including members of the cast.
The film’s theatrical trailer is also included.
Special Features:
- NEW Return to Danvers: The Secrets of SESSION 9 featuring interviews with director/co-writer Brad Anderson, actor/co-writer Stephen Gevedon, actors Josh Lucas, Brendan Sexton III, Larry Fessenden, composers The Climax Golden Twins and director of photography Uta Briesewitz
- NEW Horror’s Hallowed Grounds – revisiting the locations of the film
- Audio Commentary with Brad Anderson and Stephen Gevedon
- Deleted Scenes/ Alternate Ending with/without commentary by director Brad Anderson
- Story to Screen
- The Haunted Palace
- Theatrical Trailer
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Session 9
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Special Features
Categorized:Reviews
