Winston Duke was magnetic. I did not know what to expect, but he gave his all to this role. 

He plays Will, a man who adjudicates the pre-lives of humans and determines who is worthy of living a life after nine days. A fascinating premise for a screenplay. 

An incredibly moving and often uncomfortable work, “Nine Days” seems to answer what the idea of life is worth. Many of Will’s subjects fixate on a singular aspect of existence. He tasked them with observing some of the humans he had previously granted life, with some either missing his aim or not taking the task as seriously as he had hoped.  

I loved Zazie Beetz’s character, Emma. She embodied a warm, calming conflict. The cadence in her tone, her wardrobe, her ease in questioning and rejecting the status quo was enthralling and beautifully portrayed. 

While he tasked his subjects, the film also followed Will’s obsession with Amanda, a violinist he granted with life and who he voyeuristically tracks. He watched as she took her life, but he could not fathom a flaw in his process that could have led to this outcome. 

In the end, the audience navigated an unmasking of whose judgement matters. 

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The score was the standout. The final outdoors scenes during the beautiful sunrise when Will had a breakthrough and stopped Emma from crossing over—y’all!! 🔥🔥🔥😌 Will’s final monologue accompanied by the charging score was enough to leave me curled up in my theater seat. 🥺 

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This is probably a far-off thought, but the irony in naming the adjudicator of pre-life humans “Will” stuck with me. A will is a document lived beings use to express their final wishes after they have passed on. Good on the screenwriter if the intention for the naming the character was to evoke the sensibility of a being having the power to grant life to humans. 👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾 

I guess it worked both ways because he gave the beings who did not cross over one last wish.