Nine Days review – deep supernatural drama | Drama films

SStill behind his metal-rimmed glasses but more emotionally engaged than he would like to admit, Will (Winston Duke) bears a great responsibility. During a nine-day screening process, he interviews potential “souls”, all vying for a single opportunity: to be born and launch into life on Earth. This inventive and daringly spiritual first feature film from the Brazilian Japanese writer–director Edson Oda combines a high Shyamalan concept with a dusty lo-fi aesthetic reminiscent of Being John Malkovich.

Will watches the life of his selections unfold on VHS tapes and a bank of portable televisions; the color scheme is heavy on the green of the 1950s municipal filing cabinet. Against Will – an individual slightly broken by his own life experience – is Emma (an enthralling Zazie Beetz), an instinctively curious and empathetic soul. With its score of spiral, ascending strings and a final scene that quotes Song of myself, Nine days is, in its discreet way, a deep and powerful commentary on life.