The Sessions

Play trailer

The Sessions

R

Released Oct 19, 2012

1h 35m

Comedy

Drama

Biography

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

199 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Though a childhood bout with polio left him dependent on an iron lung, Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes) maintains a career as a journalist and poet. A writing assignment dealing with sex and the disabled piques Mark's curiosity, and he decides to investigate the possibility of experiencing sex himself. When his overtures toward a caregiver (Annika Marks) scare her away, he books an appointment with sex surrogate Cheryl Cohen Green (Helen Hunt) to lose his virginity.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Tender, funny, and touching, The Sessions provides an acting showcase for its talented stars and proves it's possible for Hollywood to produce a grown-up movie about sex.

Read Critics Reviews

Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

The story isn't as provocative as it tries to be, and the contrived romance is just as frustrating to watch unfold.

Rated: C-

Sep 7, 2017

Full Review

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

metro.co.uk

The Sessions could easily have slipped into schmaltz, but it's an unexpectedly funny delight, thanks in part to sterling work from Helen Hunt and John Hawkes.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 1, 2017

Full Review

Charlotte Ross

London Evening Standard

Satisfaction guaranteed? Pretty much.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 18, 2013

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Lewin examines the potentially taboo subject of disabled people having intercourse in a matter-of-fact way that breaches the topic by rendering it a non-issue.

Rated: 2.5/4

Sep 21, 2022

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

It is very seldom that I find virtually everything that I want within the confines of a single film.

Rated: 4.0/4.0

Sep 22, 2020

Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

A love story between a man and life itself. A story that should humble, challenge and inspire us all.

Nov 27, 2019

Full Review

Read all reviews

Rosana B

Pensando inicialmente ser um drama ficcional retratado de maneira fofinha e engraçadinha, mas qual não foi minha surpresa ao pesquisar e descobrir que é baseado num artigo de 1990 "On Seeing a Sex Surrogate" de Mark O'Brien , um poeta paralisado do pescoço para baixo devido à poliomielite, que contratou uma substituta sexual para perder a virgindade, que relato lindo e triste… Muito emocionante, sensível, relatos necessário, não capacitista, realista e divertido... Inspirador e excitante...

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/25

Full Review

Jason H

Love from a worm's-eye-view of the disabled. Very self-centered to begin with and as you walk through life through that self-centered lens you just realized you're just missing out on all the kinds of "flavors of love" life has to offer.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/27/24

Full Review

Anjum K

Too little was expressed in the means of emotions.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/16/23

Full Review

Cees T

Kinda jealous ngl. 7/10 - Good.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/11/23

Full Review

Kyle M

An empathetically mature, light-hearted grown-up film with a fragile topic that secondarily intrigues behind the star power's praised caliber to find genuine tenderness in their sensitive approach along with comedic amusement being their smartest degree. (B)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A raw and intimate character study with two stellar performance from John Hawkes and Helen Hunt.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Ben Lewin

Director

John Hawkes

Mark O'Brien

Helen Hunt

Cheryl

William H. Macy

Father Brendan

Moon Bloodgood

Vera

Annika Marks

Amanda

Sideways

97%

79%

Sideways

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Sideways

Notorious

52%

65%

Notorious

Watchlist

The Wolf of Wall Street

79%

83%

The Wolf of Wall Street

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Wolf of Wall Street

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

77%

76%

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

Made in Dagenham

80%

75%

Made in Dagenham

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Digital Multiplex: Now Available in Your Living Room

Critics Consensus: Paranormal Activity 4 Offers Up Stale Scares

View more photos

Synopsis

Though a childhood bout with polio left him dependent on an iron lung, Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes) maintains a career as a journalist and poet. A writing assignment dealing with sex and the disabled piques Mark's curiosity, and he decides to investigate the possibility of experiencing sex himself. When his overtures toward a caregiver (Annika Marks) scare her away, he books an appointment with sex surrogate Cheryl Cohen Green (Helen Hunt) to lose his virginity.

Director: Ben Lewin
Producer: Judi Levine, Stephen Nemeth
Screenwriter: Ben Lewin
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Production Co: Fox Searchlight
Rating: R (Graphic Nudity|Frank Dialogue|Strong Sexuality)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 19, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.0M
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Most Popular at Home Now