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.
90
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Pulls you in with smooth assurance, then holds you hostage to extremely creepy developments in the most awesome haunted house since "The Shining."
70
L.A. WeeklyPaul Malcolm
L.A. WeeklyPaul Malcolm
A deft exercise in atmospheric horror and insanity. Which is why it's unfortunate that, ultimately, Anderson steps back from the brink.
The climactic revelation is a real disappointment, humdrum rather than chilling.
40
Village VoiceAmy Taubin
Village VoiceAmy 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.
38
Boston GlobeJay Carr
Boston GlobeJay Carr
You couldn't ask for a better setting for a horror movie. What you could ask for is a better script.
30
VarietyRobert Koehler
VarietyRobert Koehler
Little more than an overworked exercise in jostling red herrings, and not particularly fresh herrings at that.
30
SlateDavid Edelstein
SlateDavid 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.