Review: Nine Days

 

In a mysterious realm that manifests itself visually as a handful of suburban homes scattered around a seemingly endless stretch of beach, Will (Winston Duke) spends his days watching a wall of old televisions, each showing life as its lived through the eyes of an individual on Earth. When one dies, it's his job to choose a replacement from a number of unborn souls who turn up on his doorstep; the chosen one (who will remember none of this) gets to be born, the others fade away.

Will is the rare resident of this realm who lived a human life, which - coupled with what he's been seeing on his screens - has given him a somewhat harsh view of what it takes to survive on Earth. As the number of souls is whittled down, those who fail the test are given the chance to have an "experience" of their choosing, faked up by Will and sidekick / assistant / concerned neighbour Kyo (Benedict Wong). These are crude enough to be touching rather than twee; despite his own emotional issues, Will remains a tough but fair judge - until the final choice comes around.

It goes without saying that the film is beautifully shot and the performances are strong throughout; the "meaningful" ascetic of this kind of film demands nothing less. Beneath the surface trappings, this kind of fantasy usually falls apart because it's too much of a fantasy; without a grounding in human feelings and situations, what's the point? Despite the pre-birth game show aspects, it's Will's suffering - his sense of failure, and the threat that his injuries will close him off to a vital part of being truly alive - that gives this story real stakes.

There are a number of "life is precious" moments that may strike a chord with some viewers and come off as greeting card philosophy for others, but that's how this genre works. At least by focusing on what happens before people are born it avoids the drama death-trap of the afterlife (where storytelling goes to die), and the range of to-be-chosen souls (including Bill Skarsgard, Tony Hale and Zazie Beets) is diverse enough to ensure that Will is making a real choice... though considering the plentiful range of arseholes currently walking the Earth, some of his fellow judges much have extremely bad taste.

It's still a fantasy that doesn't really say much about life on Earth as its lived, but the range of down-to-earth characters give it a heft these type of films often lack. Will's emotional struggle is real, and while it's hard to warm to him (he often verges on unlikable), as a man struggling with grief and loss over a relationship that was in many ways not "real" his plight echoes - and takes seriously - the kind of parasocial relationships social media encourages. 

Nine Days is the kind of film some people will come out of feeling like they've had some kind of spiritual journey. Those with their feet more firmly on the ground will still enjoy what is basically the story of a man worried he's losing his touch at work. 

- Anthony Morris