Session 9

Session 9 is a 2001 American psychological horror film directed by Brad Anderson, written by Anderson and Stephen Gevedon, and starring David Caruso, Peter Mullan, Brendan Sexton III, Josh Lucas, and Gevedon. The film follows an asbestos abatement crew who take a clean-up job at the abandoned Danvers State Psychiatric Hospital amid an intense work schedule, growing tensions, and mysterious events occurring around them. Its title refers to a series of audio-taped psychiatric sessions with a former asylum patient, Mary Hobbes, that run parallel to the crew's experiences. The film marked a tonal departure for Anderson, who previously directed only romantic comedies. Anderson and Gevedon began developing the screenplay in the late 1990s, utilizing the Danvers State Hospital as a central location for the story. The film was partly inspired by the case of Richard Rosenthal, a man who murdered and mutilated his wife at their Boston home in 1995. Principal photography of Session 9 took place on location at the actual disused Danvers State Hospital in Danvers, Massachusetts in the fall of 2000. It was one of the first motion pictures to be shot in 24p HD digital video, shot by cinematographer Uta Briesewitz. The film's original score was composed by the experimental music group Climax Golden Twins, with a contribution from Vladimir Ussachevsky. Session 9 premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 31, 2001, before receiving a limited theatrical release in the United States on August 10, 2001. While not a financial success in the United States, the film received largely favorable reviews, and has gone on to develop a reputation as a cult film.