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Nine Days Review

By Dave Griffiths @goodbaduglyshow · On July 30, 2021

The Gist

The man responsibility for giving humans life is left in mourning after the death of one of his subjects.

The Review

Nine Days is not an easy film to watch. I also get the feeling it is a film that is going to divide audiences, I could tell that from the Media Screening that I attended where half the people were sitting in bewildered silence during the end credits while the other half were already singing the film’s praises.

I’ll be first to admit that Nine Days is a slow-burn but once you connect with the film you will find that it takes on all the aspects of a well-written thriller.

Directed by first time feature filmmaker Edson Oda Nine Days tells the intriguing story of Will (Winston Duke – Black Panther) whose rule it is to decide which unborn souls are right to be sent out into the human world.

Will spends his days watching the POV cameras that show him how the souls that he has previously chosen are living their lives while occasionally talking to his friend Kyo (Benedict Wong – Doctor Strange) who always seems to be worried that Will is over-working and not enjoying life.

Things take a tragic turn though when one of the souls that Will watches over dies in an accident that may or may not be suicide. As that sinks in followed by the fact that he is watching another struggle under the weight of constant bullying Will realises that perhaps the souls that he is sending out into the world are not cut out for it. Despite Kyo warning him not to Will decides to be tougher on the next candidates despite knowing that any soul not selected will be wiped into oblivion.

To make matters worse one of the souls that Will is interviewing this time around is like no other. The free-spirited Emma (Zazie Betz – Joker) instantly bonds with both Will and Kyo but while Kyo feels that she is the perfect candidate Will disagrees and feels other candidates are better options.

I found that once I got my head around this world that Edson Oda has created the tension in the film rose completely. Early on I found my head filled with questions like ‘why is this guy watching all of these screens’, ‘how does this world work exactly’ but once I let that settle I was able to finally concentrate on what was important – and that was really a soul (ie a person) basically begging to be allowed the opportunity to live.

Once I was able to focus on that I was then able to let the suspense wash over me. This maybe a slow burn that takes a while to play out but it also packs the emotional tension of a well-crafted thriller. The two pronged suspension comes from not only seeing which soul Will will ultimately chose but also what will happen to the bullied soul that is cracking under the pressure.

There are moments of true beauty with Nine Days – some of the scenes that depict Emma learning by life while being encouraged by Kyo are enough to bring a tear to your eyes – so are the moments where Will tries all he can to make the discarded souls last few moments something special and calming.

Aside from the amazing visuals created by Oda and his cinematographer Wyatt Garfield (Beatriz At Dinner) the other powerful force with this film are the amazing acting performances of Winston Duke, Zazie Betz and Benedict Wong. The trio all deliver powerful performances and the scenes that they share together are truly striking.

The Verdict

Nine Days is a stunning visual film with a deep conscience. This film will make you cry, it will make you a laugh but above all it will make you think about just how precious life really is.

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Related

Nine Days Review
Dave Griffiths
July 30, 2021
5/10
5 Overall Score

Benedict WongEdson OdaNine DaysWinston DukeZazie Beetz
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Dave Griffiths

Dave Griffiths has worked as a journalist for over twenty years now -covering topics including film, television, music, travel and sport (with a main focus on AFL Football). That time has seen him host the popular X-Wired television program for seven seasons as well as write for various magazines such as Buzz Magazine, Heavy Mag, Stage Whispers, The Banner and Eternity.. He has even branched out into writing online for Subculture Entertainment, Media Search and The Book The Film The T-Shirt. He also worked as the online editor for Entertainment 360 for three years. Dave's radio work has seen him work on various radio stations including 3RPP, Triple R and Light FM. He is currently the resident film reviewer on Sydney's 2UE radio station and can be heard reviewing what is new at cinemas and on DVD each week on Wednesdays at 3pm with Ed Phillips. He is also the co-host of Melbourne's 94.1FM's breakfast show 'The Motley Crew' and he can sometimes be heard on J-Air's 'First On Film'. David is also the co-host of two popular podcasts - ‘The Good, The Bad, The Ugly Film Show,' and 'The Popcorn Conspiracy' As far as Film Reviewing goes David is an elected committee member of AFCA (Australian Film Critics Association and a member of IPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics)/FIPRESCI (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique). He has also served as a jury member for a number of international film festivals and is considered an expert on cult cinema, horror movies and Australian films.

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