The Sessions

The Sessions has quietly become one of the more dependable comedies currently available in Australia on Disney Plus, and in the US on YouTube TV and Cinemax Amazon Channel. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. John Hawkes sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Put it on tonight on Disney Plus and see for yourself.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, The Sessions earns its spot. Sharp writing and a well-matched ensemble are what separate The Sessions from the crowd. Though a childhood bout with polio left him dependent on an iron lung, Mark O'Brien 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 scare her away, he books an appointment with sex surrogate Cheryl Cohen-Greene to lose his virginity. John Hawkes and Helen Hunt lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2012. What keeps The Sessions from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. There is real craft here, even in the moments that do not fully land.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, The Sessions respects your intelligence. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. John Hawkes's comic timing carries it through its weaker moments. The kind of comedy you recommend to someone who claims they do not watch much.