It seems to be polarizing but this is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. It's in limited theatres now and I strongly recommend it to anyone who seems interested in the premise.

This is a really astonishing debut from writer/director Edson Oda, led by Winston Duke's heart-wrenching, A+ performance. The film's exploration of existential concepts is sometimes too superficial for its serious tone, and some conversations seem cut off before reaching their true depth.

Regardless, Nine Days is an ambitious story that often touches greatness, delivering a very emotionally satisfying cinematic experience.

walked with the first-person pov thing so that nickel boys could sprint with it. insanely ambitious debut that isn’t afraid to spill it all out. can’t wait to see what edson oda cooks up next

AFI 2020: film #1

“don’t be sorry. you’re good”

cerebral in a way that doesn’t always land but still manages to feel authentic. the premise is overlong for how simplistic it really is, and unfortunately didn’t do anything for me emotionally (which is a lot of what it hinges on)

Nine Days allows us to step back and examine life from afar. It’s an emotional experience so universal that anyone will be able to connect with it. Winston Duke is magnificent. Favorite of the fest.

I wouldn’t argue that it says anything entirely new, but what it does is it puts us in a new perspective to experience these feelings. And an experience it is.

NINE DAYS is a hypnotic & transcendent motion picture experience. We’ve seen movies explore life after death before & here we get to see life before birth. Winston Duke delivers a powerfully controlled performance filled with soul & anguish. He ascends to a whole new level here with some truly stunning work. Wholly original & eternally beautiful, the score by Antonio Pinto took my breath away.

I cannot express how badly I needed this film today. It is both a celebration of human life and an acknowledgment of the inevitable, profound pain. Some people are just too good for this world, and the best we can do is relish a series of moments before we disappear.

i just wanna wake up one day and not feel like shit.

Thought provoking themes, solid performances, and a handful of beautiful moments buried under a lot of pontificating and pretty but empty imagery. I do genuinely respect the ambition of this script and its writer/director, but this really would make for a better play than a film - it's a concept in search of a story, too contained and repetitive to justify anything even close to its laborious runtime. Oda plays his cards in the safest, most monotonous ways possible, his story driven at every turn by stale setups and the same musings about life and death. Evaluating this as a debut, I'm impressed with elements of this project, but far less impressed than the film is with itself.

GRADE: C+

I live and breathe for existential shit

No words will do this justice. I tried writing up a profound review, but it’s still so fresh I can’t. This film is so alive, so full of life. The emotion is so present the entire film I was always feeling something. The final five minutes of this film is a stunning representation of how powerful art is. I felt so much during it, so so much.
  
At this very moment, in my opinion, this is the best film to release since Blade Runner 2049. Most people will not agree with me on that, it’s just how I feel. But this is something special. Please, go see this if you can.

There’s an emotional current that runs through this entire film for me, as if being on the edge of tears for two hours. I love it.

Interview with Edson Oda runs next week.