SESSION 9

Year: 2001
USA: USA Films
Cast: David Caruso, Stephen Gevedon, Paul Guilfoyle, Josh Lucas, Peter Mullan, Brendan Sexton, Charley Broderick
Director: Brad Anderson
Country: USA
USA Rated: R for language and brief strong violence
USA Release Date: 10 August 2001 (Limited Release)

Synopsis

A horror / thriller SESSION 9 details the story of the team of workers from Hazmat Elimination Company that has been awarded the contract to remove asbestos from the interior of the local Danvers Mental Hospital. However Danvers Mental Hospital once known as the Danvers Lunatic Asylum has a history of its own and is over 130 years old and was once the largest institution of its kind in the Northeast but closed down abruptly in 1985 officially due to budget cuts but according to local rumours because of a series of scandals involving patient abuse and mistreatment.

Parts of the sprawling complex will be renovated this fall to become the new site for the local Town Hall, the Town Archives and other municipal offices. Bill Griggs (Paul Guilfoyle), Head of Public Works and Roads, is overseeing the project. Located on a hill on the western side of town the hospital covers over 500 acres and consists of more than eight separate buildings, only one of which will be preserved and cleaned out for renovation purposes.

The asbestos removal contract should take 7 days and will meet all OSHA guidelines but because asbestos fibres like amosite and crocidolite (two of the most hazardous) cover every pipe and boiler in the building and everything is badly decomposed and friable it could prove to be very dangerous. In addition vinyl asbestos tiles cover the floors and drop ceilings.

The team doing the job include Gordon Fleming (Peter Mullan) - the owner with financial troubles plus a wife and baby to support, Phil (David Caruso) - who smokes marijuana to dull the pain of losing his girlfriend to Hank (Josh Lucas) a gambler, Jeff (Brendan Sexton III) - nephew of the owner and law student Mike (Stephen Gevedon).

The team descend on the hospital and start to remove the asbestos. However as each day passes the tension builds among the workers and when Hank disappears all hell breaks loose amongst the crew fuelled by the eerie surroundings of the hospital complex.