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Session 9
Metascore
58 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 16
  3. Negative: 3 out of 16
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  1. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Thomas
    90
    Anderson, his superb ensemble cast and inspired cinematographer Uta Briesewitz, appeal at once to the intellect and the emotions as they build suspense and tension mercilessly.
  2. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    90
    Pulls you in with smooth assurance, then holds you hostage to extremely creepy developments in the most awesome haunted house since "The Shining."
    All this critic's reviews
  3. New Times (L.A.)
    Reviewed by: Luke Y. Thompson
    90
    Horror fans and those who just plain enjoy a well-told story should thank the cinematic gods. Session 9 is not only the scariest movie of the year, but also perhaps the most easy to believe since the first "Blair Witch."
  4. Mr. Showbiz
    Reviewed by: Michael Atkinson
    80
    May not quite be more than the sum of its creepy parts, but as a reality-is-fear launch into workaday darkness, it clearly points toward the horror genre's best destiny.
    All this critic's reviews
  5. Rolling Stone
    Reviewed by: Peter Travers
    80
    A spine-tingler directed with fierce finesse.
  6. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Jami Bernard
    75
    A natural successor to "The Blair Witch Project" in terms of its small suggestions of horror past and future.
  7. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Paul Malcolm
    70
    A deft exercise in atmospheric horror and insanity. Which is why it's unfortunate that, ultimately, Anderson steps back from the brink.
  8. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    67
    A marvel of vérité nightmare atmosphere.
  9. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    50
    The film isn't remotely scary. That's a shame, because it has top-notch performances by Peter Mullan and David Caruso.
  10. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Edward Guthmann
    50
    The story doesn't quite pay off, characters are underwritten and the surprise ending is contrived and unconvincing.
  11. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    50
    The climactic revelation is a real disappointment, humdrum rather than chilling.
  12. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Dave Kehr
    50
    The film, too artfully conceived to deliver many overt shocks, often feels long and aimless.
  13. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Amy Taubin
    40
    The script for Session 9 is so underwritten that even such lively character actors as David Caruso, Peter Mullan, and Brendan Sexton III are left stranded.
  14. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Jay Carr
    38
    You couldn't ask for a better setting for a horror movie. What you could ask for is a better script.
    All this critic's reviews
  15. Slate
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    30
    The final illuminations (people have demons, a mind is a terrible thing to lose) are a poor return on nearly two hours of ear-buckling, eye-stabbing incoherence.
  16. Variety
    Reviewed by: Robert Koehler
    30
    Little more than an overworked exercise in jostling red herrings, and not particularly fresh herrings at that.
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.1 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 39
  3. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. JamieBlueR
    6
    A very average horror film. Some genuinely unsettling and creepy sequences, but for the most part a dry and uninteresting flick. The setting and atmosphere is very spooky and well done, but this is wasted with a bad script and plot-line, and wooden acting.… Full Review »
  2. TTW107
    7
    There came a point in the movie that made it very easy to guess the ending. Despite this it is hard to deny that Session 9 is a smartly crafted thriller/horror flick. A genuinely creepy movie.… Full Review »
  3. jredekop
    6
    Let me put it this way. If this review was based on the story itself, it would be an 8 or a 9. The movie is moody, menacing, and at some points borderline terrifying. But there's way more to a movie than the story. In pretty much every other area, Session 9 is flawed. The characters are shallow, the dialogue painful at some points. I found myself not really caring about what happened 2/3 of the way through. But the last 10 minutes was fairly redemptive. It was pretty shocking, not a twist that I at all expected. It made it worth watching, but up until the last 10-15 minutes, it's a pretty frustrating ride.… Full Review »
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