Choose Life, so the moral of Danny Boyle’s TRAINSPOTTING (1995) told us to do. Life is choices and sliding doors moments. However, for one such person the devil’s dandruff is something that will shape most of his journey from now on.
Giles Alderson’s SESSIONS is not a new concept, given that the likes of the Boyle film and HUMAN TRAFFIC amongst others have tried to encapsulate drug and club culture to a greater extreme before nearly three decades before. What it attempts to look at instead is to examine the cause and effect of cocaine on one such male, Richie (Daniel O’Reilly). Richie seems to have it all with being newly-married and someone who is about to become a father for the first time.
He has a past laden with white line plus white line and consequences and legacy are also part of this deal. Past behaviour as a true lad culture example is feeding into his potential to change.
Then, a chance for some easy money through his best mate Steve (Jonas Armstrong) emerges in the form of a high-stakes property deal with a corrupt developer (Leo Gregory). The promises do seem too good to be true and so begins a downward spiral with a creditor (Rupert Graves) hot on his heels and a trail of decisions leading to potential self-destruction….
Drug-themed films are never the easiest of watches. I struggled at times watching Ewan McGregor go cold turkey as Renton in TRAINSPOTTING (which is the desired effect in some ways) and, as somebody who has never understood the appeal of all types of drugs being ingesting into your system, so it came to be with SESSIONS.
The film, whilst not totally original, nonetheless does hold your attention with a lead protagonist determined by hook or crook to do right but struggling to escape the lure of the white high at all times. Great performances and visuals hit the right notes and this is a solid indie that will keep your attention.
SESSIONS plays October 9th 2026 at the London Independent Film Festival.
Tickets available at Events | Genesis Cinema
