Session 9 (2001)

Movie quotes:
Doctor (Lonnie Farmer): And where do you live, Simon?
Mary Hobbes (Jurian Hughes): I live in the weak and the wounded... Doc.

Henry (Josh Lucas): [motioning to Jeff's blaring stereo] Mikey didn't tell you about these?
Jeff (Brendan Sexton III): What?
Henry: Rule one: Music creates sonic vibrations. Vibrations jiggle spooj dust into the air. It gets into the air, it gets into your lungs. This music you plannin' on listening to?
Jeff: Yeah...
Henry: Yeah, you tryin' to kill us all? Either turn it off or put on something else. Like Yanni, or John Tesh or something.
Jeff: Who's Yanni?

At a glance:
Things start going wrong when an asbestos removal crew, led by an overstressed boss, is tasked with cleaning up the rotting interior of a creepy derelict mental hospital

Our review:
An asbestos removal crew takes on a rush job to clean up the spooky abandoned Danvers State Mental Hospital, and finds themselves driven mad by the ghosts of the horror that happened there. Cruises along, all portentious for much of its running time, before exploding into something that is truly horrible (at least, on a psychological level, as little actual gore is shown). This is my second Brad Anderson film (he directed, and co-wrote with Steven Gevedon, who plays Mike) and he seems to like to hold back on the gruesome stuff until right near the end – hope I’m not giving too much away. Some good red herrings will keep you guessing about who the baddy or baddies really are. Every dollar is used effectively in this low-budget, no-star horror film starting with the selection of Danvers Hospital for filming. In the end, it’s a small, good movie that is far from great, but it serves to show the potential of the director (realized in Transsiberian (2008)). Rating: 2.5 of 4

Other reviewers said:
"Playing to a classier tune, the film is one that is immersive even in its understatedness, weaving a tale that is all the more effective because of how believable it is."
- Dustin Putman (TheMovieBoy.com)

"Atmospheric chills and some solid performances ... keep the tension up for a while, until the nasty and disquieting finale."
- Sean Means (Salt Lake Tribune)