THE PARKER SESSIONS *** USA 2021 Dir: Stephen Simmons. 72 mins
Black and white in a script can be fascinating and easy to grasp. When it is put to film today one sits up and takes notice if the cinematography is worth the look. The Parker Sessions (2021) is a starkly directed, acted picture of mental illness, trauma, murder and yes therapy that involves retribution. The Parker Sessions (2021), written and directed by Stephen Simmons, takes therapy and adds an element of headlines regarding therapists and those in a position of trust that take advantage.
The story is told in four acts separated by blackouts with titles. Robert (Danny James), a therapist and Parker (Rachell Sean), his patient who seeks someone who will not be like ‘all the rest’. Parker is a bit of a non-conformist in many ways even if she is seeking help for undisclosed traumas. The two play a give-and-take dialogue scene in which they both try unsuccessfully to establish boundaries of how to address each other. Crossing the line is hinted at by Parker to be rebuffed by Robert. She also lies to him multiple times as he asks her if she “uses dope.” and has a social life. Parker replies demurely that she doesn’t only to be shown in a cutaway of her in a club toilet stall snorting coke and enjoying a snog with another female. Everyone hides something in the film world except Parker’s cat who refuses to eat, be social with her and watches the developments.
The acts progress and we see the carefree Parker in a loving sequence in which the black and white images work at the fairground recalling images of some of the best Film Noirs. The lies and stakes get raised as Robert takes Parker’s offer to have one night in her apartment so she can confront her fear. Turns out Parker has photos of Robert in compromising positions with her and some other patients that she gives him as a gift. Retribution yes, blood yes, brutal gore well done, yes about skeletons in the closet we all have are all part of this odd curio of a film.
The film reminded me of Roman Polanski’s brilliant films Repulsion (1965) and Knife In The Water (1962) which are odd looks at relationships, trust and madness with sexual overtones. You also add some elements of Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), particularly in the brutal resolution. This is its downfall yet not for the reasons of budget, actors, set production values.
The directors that Stephen Simmons uses as an influence are the people he ridicules in the closing credit sequence. I find it ridiculously egotistical to do that when you have a closing sequence running backwards with names of people like Polanski, Harvey Weinstein and other people who have a ‘dark side’ to them after you have paid them homage. Stephen Simmons even bills himself in the credits as Stephen ‘King’ Simmons which to me again smacks of ego as the director is not the star of the film, the story is. Running backward title sequence is fun, cool and looks good but my question is why for the sake of being different? For that matter, the Parker Fairground scenes look pretty but again why? The film in some cases is in love with technology that it fails to tell the story which is not Parker or Robert but the effect they have on each other.
The Parker Sessions (2021) showcases some good actors who have the chemistry that the camera loves especially in close-ups with smiles, leers, grimaces and deep laser stares. The film is marred by self-indulgence in the story and images in the parts of the story that should be concerned with effect that each of their ‘skeletons’ have on their world.
Review By Terry Sherwood
THE PARKER SESSIONS is out now on Blu-ray (Region FREE) in the USA and to rent/buy on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and USA courtesy of BayView Entertainment.