Nine Days
Nine Days is a profoundly meditative and touching film. The debut film of Edson Oda, Nine Days plays with questions on how to approach life and what appreciating life looks like. Following Will (Winston Duke), a spirit who judges souls to see who should be born, and his supervisor Kyo (Benedict Wong), the film avoids the traditional heaven/hell trappings to focus strictly on the passions and stresses of life. As we see other spirits like Emma, Kane, and Alexander try to find what they most value in life, it forces us to reflect on what elements we appreciate. The film does an excellent job showing us different ideas on the meaning of life without drowning in pretentious dialogue and speeches. Winston Duke delivers one of the most touching performances of the year, as he seems wise beyond his years while still intensely working through his trauma. Nine Days will keep you thinking and reflecting on how to approach life for years to come.
You can watch the interviews with actors Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz, Edson Oda, Benedict Wong, Tony Hale, and David Rysdahl by Knockturnal contributor Aurora Fowlkes here