Session 9

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

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.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

Pulls you in with smooth assurance, then holds you hostage to extremely creepy developments in the most awesome haunted house since "The Shining."

New Times (L.A.) Luke Y. Thompson

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."

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

A spine-tingler directed with fierce finesse.

Mr. Showbiz Michael Atkinson

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.

New York Daily News Jami Bernard

A natural successor to "The Blair Witch Project" in terms of its small suggestions of horror past and future.

LA Weekly Paul Malcolm

A deft exercise in atmospheric horror and insanity. Which is why it's unfortunate that, ultimately, Anderson steps back from the brink.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

A marvel of vérité nightmare atmosphere.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

The film isn't remotely scary. That's a shame, because it has top-notch performances by Peter Mullan and David Caruso.

San Francisco Chronicle Edward Guthmann

The story doesn't quite pay off, characters are underwritten and the surprise ending is contrived and unconvincing.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

The climactic revelation is a real disappointment, humdrum rather than chilling.

The New York Times Dave Kehr

The film, too artfully conceived to deliver many overt shocks, often feels long and aimless.

Village Voice Amy Taubin

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.

Boston Globe Jay Carr

You couldn't ask for a better setting for a horror movie. What you could ask for is a better script.

Slate David Edelstein

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.

Variety Robert Koehler

Little more than an overworked exercise in jostling red herrings, and not particularly fresh herrings at that.