Nine Days Parent Guide

When Amanda’s car slams into a concrete wall, Will is devastated. Desperate to see if he missed any clues, he pores over the last days of her life, listening to her violin concerto over and over and reviewing images of her joyous, creative life. But Will is no ordinary friend: He’s the person who sent Amanda to earth. And he’s responsible for selecting the new soul who will go to earth to fill the vacancy left by Amanda’s death.

Six souls come to Will to “audition” in this high-stakes test. After nine days, Will is going to choose one to be born: the other five will cease to exist. Will questions them, gives them scenarios to think about, and has them watch the wall of televisions that show life through the eyes of everyone he’s sent to earth. The candidates ponder life on earth: physical experiences, natural beauty, joy, injustice, and suffering. And Will tries to figure out which of them will be best suited to being a “success” in mortality.

Nine Days is a mesmerizing film. As a critic, it’s a delight to watch a film that is wholly original and blessedly unpredictable. In most movies, I can predict developments 20 minutes ahead but with this one, I never knew what was coming. It’s full of big questions and small, incandescent details. The movie asks us what we believe about life – its genesis, its purpose, its successes, its unavoidable pain. And it shows us life in joyful snippets and horrible suffering. The characters’ journey makes us ponder what matters to us – and reminds us that even the tiniest things can be achingly precious. Eating a perfect peach. Walking along the shore. Feeling water splash on your hand. And it does so with a spare, honest script and characters who quickly become very real.

Will is not a god-like character; he’s very human, with his own demons and uncertainties. Of all the movie’s characters, he alone has lived on earth, and his sufferings have left him with baggage that burdens him as he tries to make his decision. His empathy makes him suffer along with the people he sent to earth and he is haunted by Amanda’s death. He rages to his friend, Kyo, “I send flowers [to earth] and other people send pigs to eat them.” Desperate to prevent more suffering, he is torn about whether he should send to earth a person with an overflowing heart and the capacity for beauty and wonder or if he should send a pragmatist who will be able to survive in the face of harsh realities. His care for the candidates is palpable and that affection is transmitted to the audience, making the end of each soul heartbreaking.

Given its topic, it comes as a surprise that Nine Days is not a religious film. This story is told in isolation, without a philosophical or religious framework. Will describes himself as a “cog in the wheel” and is part of a system that no one explains. We never learn where the auditioning souls come from, and there is no elaboration on why Will is doing his job or if other departed people also continue to exist in some form. If you’re looking for some kind of existential guidance, you won’t find it here.

What you will find in this film is an intensely human story focused on the preciousness of our fleeting years on this planet. There are a few content issues – just under 20 swear words, some bathroom humor, a character who seems intoxicated – that will push the movie out of family movie night. But, frankly, this film is far too complex for kids or tweens. Older teens might enjoy it, especially if they enjoy grappling with philosophical or religious questions. As for adults, Nine Days is a solid choice for anyone who wants to be reminded of the mystery and beauty of life.