Septem8er Tapes (2004)

21% of critics liked it
(34 reviews)
55% of users liked it
(1,418 ratings)

Commercial director Christian Johnston makes his feature film debut with the dramatic thriller September Tapes. The story takes place in Afghanistan, one year after the events of September 11. American journalist Don Larson (George Calil) and his two companions travel to Kabul in order to… More Commercial director Christian Johnston makes his feature film debut with the dramatic thriller September Tapes. The story takes place in Afghanistan, one year after the events of September 11. American journalist Don Larson (George Calil) and his two companions travel to Kabul in order to investigate the search for Osama bin Laden. After meeting with members of the Northern Alliance, he is arrested for taking photographs. While he's incarcerated, Don learns about a bounty hunter named Babak who may be able to help them. September Tapes premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004 as part of the American Spectrum competition. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Christian Johnston
Genres: Documentary, Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense, Special Interest

In Theaters: Sep 24, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Jan 25, 2005
Studio: First Look

Critic Reviews

Ty Burr, Boston Globe
Eventually collapses under the weight of its no-budget arrogance, but it goes some interesting places beforehand.
Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter
Johnston's rough-hewn handheld footage generates a sense of dread as a defining force behind the camera, more concrete than any onscreen images.
Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle
Afghanistan shouldn't be used as a backdrop for some director's selfish attempt at provocation.
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
The film itself still feels faked, and its calculated exploitation of some real tragedies may be the most unbelievable thing of all.
Jack Mathews, New York Daily News
The whole notion of exploiting a war and its victims to shoot a commercial feature is reprehensible.
Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times
Squanders incredible verisimilitude by undercutting it with credibility-defying storytelling.
David Cornelius, eFilmCritic.com
It's jingoist machismo disguised as deep insight.
Eric Monder, Film Journal International
Finally, there are no truths, higher or lower, in September Tapes...just a lot of din.
, E! Online
It's riddled with stilted voice-overs and eye-rollingly awful dialogue.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
It's hard to make a case for an American film that intentionally mixes fact with fiction when the facts concerning 9/11, the Taliban and the fate of Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden are already so elusive.
Timothy Knight, Reel.com
This disturbing docudrama is a remarkable achievement on many levels.
Paul Sherman, Boston Herald
It shares a lot with the Hollywood product: a forced gimmick, a dislikable protagonist, a transparent plot twist and a lot of unconvincing drama.
Brian Zoromski, IGN Movies
An underwhelming execution of an interesting concept.
Joshua Tanzer, Offoffoff
It yanks us eyes-first into a place that we, in our living rooms, have known only as a cliché.
Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Daily News
Alternating between the despicable and the inept and sometimes capturing both in a single moment, September Tapes is a craven attempt to cash in on the 9/11 tragedy.

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Cynthia S

An interesting idea, but it is delivered in that fake documentary, shakey, hand-held video camera style. Good footage of the Afghanistan/Pakistan countryside, and some pretty good combat scenes...but the entire reason that he was supposed to be there was lost to me. Had he lost his… More
An interesting idea, but it is delivered in that fake documentary, shakey, hand-held video camera style. Good footage of the Afghanistan/Pakistan countryside, and some pretty good combat scenes...but the entire reason that he was supposed to be there was lost to me. Had he lost his mind? All he really accomplished was to be the cause of more senseless killings. I have to say, though, that I was left with a sickened feeling after watching this..even knowing all along that it wasn't real.
Douglas W C

Forget all those crappy anti-american movies that they are making now. Watch this and see the reason. Don't drink the conspiracy Kool-Aid.