A craftsman-style house sits alone in the middle of a desert. Vintage TV sets line the living room, each one displaying the life of a different person. A man takes copious notes and fastidiously files them away until one of those screens abruptly goes blank. This man must now interview and select one of several candidate souls to step into that vacancy and begin a new life. Nine Days is the kind of enriching, life-affirming work that embraces the artistic depth and versatility of filmmaking, telling a wholly unique story in the process.
Edson Oda’s debut feature is incredible, but it’s also the kind of movie that might get overlooked when it comes down to the end of the cinematic year. It’s easily in the top-5 films so far this year. It’s probably at the top of that list so, hopefully, enough people get a chance to see it so it can get the momentum it needs to be in the Best Picture conversation.
Oda’s screenplay examines many different facets of the human spirit and pits them against one another in a sort of reality-show-style competition, where the man in the house is the judge. The beauty in the approach is that there really is no right or wrong in these souls, but rather it’s the bias of the man who’s judging them that comes into play. It’s a beautiful metaphor. In the process of him casting judgment, he’s faced with some truths that force him to confront his own story. I could see this as a Best Original Screenplay candidate as well.
Winston Duke, most well known for his roles in Us and Black Panther, steps into the shoes of that man and it may very well be the performance to catapult his career to the next level. It’s an interesting portrayal because Duke is so measured in his performance as Will, but there are glimpses of something raw and powerful lurking behind the surface.
Zazie Beetz also gives a tremendous performance as Emma, a burgeoning soul who challenges Will in ways that he’s unaccustomed to. Her exuberance is infectious and it’s so very easy to cheer for her. The spirit she brings really punctuates Oda’s messaging of how perspective shapes life. She’s already had some high-profile roles and while this exactly isn’t one of them, it’s the kind of work where she shines and it’s up there with the best supporting performances of the year.
As I had mentioned, Duke’s character was very rigid so it was important to surround him with opposing characters and Kate Geller and Jessica Kelly put together a fantastic supporting cast: Benedict Wong, Tony Hale, Bill Skarsgård, Arianna Ortiz, and David Rysdahl. Each one of these characters embodies a different trait that’s essential to the human experience and getting to know them through the actors’ performances is really what the film is about. Connecting to the characters is a piece of any story, but I love that it’s the essential machinery here.
Antonio Pinto’s music hits all the right notes to match this particular story and it helps push all the right emotional cues. Wyatt Garfield’s cinematography is wonderful and Dan Hermansen’s production design is very creative, even if a little old-school.
I only have positives to say about this movie. I caught in on the end of its theatrical run, but I can’t wait to see it again and that’s more than I can say for the majority of the other films I’ve seen this year.
Recommendation: Find a way to see this one if you can, but you may have to wait for it to come to video on demand.
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