Nine Days (2021): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Nine Days is a 2021 fantasy drama directed by Edson Oda, starring Winston Duke as Will, Zazie Beetz and Benedict Wong. It runs 2 hours 4 minutes and earned $967,662 worldwide on a $10 million budget. It earned 2 award nominations, including Best First Feature at the Spirit Awards 2021. Critics gave it 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and 72 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.8/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 4m (124 min)
- Director
- Edson Oda
- Original language
-
English
- Studio
- Sony Pictures Classics
- Budget
- $10M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Nine Days About?
The premise of Nine Days without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
While observing countless lives on television, Will oversees the process of assigning souls to human bodies. When the energetic Emma unexpectedly joins the selection process, he questions his methods and confronts his own past regrets. Through Emma, Will rediscovers a sense of purpose and begins to re-evaluate the meaning of existence and mortality.
Nine Days Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- auditioning for life
- judging souls
- regret
- meaning of life
- existentialism
- beach
- bicycle
- bullying
- violin prodigy
- arbiter
- isolated house
- desertscape
+38 more Show fewer
- television screen
- 9 days
- tragic death
- selection process
- suicide note
- new born
- walking on a beach
- destiny
- vhs tape
- need to be loved
- being watched
- last wish
- humanity
- happiness
- interview
- isolation
- female violinist
- car accident
- death in a car accident
- cousin cousin relationship
- pessimism
- reference to walt whitman
- watching someone
- happy birthday
- birthday cake
- montage
- vacancy
- erasing identity
- parallel dimension
- darkness
- memory
- death
- birth
- desert
- hypocrisy
- subjective camera
- father daughter relationship
- mother daughter relationship
Nine Days Cast & Characters
Winston Duke leads the cast as Will, with Zazie Beetz as Emma and Benedict Wong as Kyo. Directed by Edson Oda; 19 actors are credited in all.
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Director Edson Oda
-
Winston Duke as Will -
Zazie Beetz as Emma -
Benedict Wong as Kyo - Eliza de Azevedo Brown as Amanda (8 Years Old)
Also Starring in Nine Days
· 15 more- Bill Skarsgård Kane
- Tony Hale Alexander
- David Rysdahl Mike
- Arianna Ortiz
- Geraldine Hughes
- Lisa Starrett
- Jeffrey Hanson Conductor
- Perry Smith Anne
- Sterlin English Rick (14 Years Old)
- Brandy Pitcher Amanda's Mom
- Caleb Fralick Bully 2
- Elizaveta Shaikhulina Violinist
- Eric Ramaekers Amanda's Dad
- Taran Marshall Bully
- Logan Smith
More from Edson Oda
More films directed by Edson Oda: Malaria and The Birth.
Nine Days Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Nine Days 90% on Rotten Tomatoes and 72 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.8/10. Our Echo Score gives it 81/100, strongest in sensory experience (88) and weakest in story & flow (65).
Nine Days Echo Score Breakdown
Nine Days delivers a thoughtful meditation on existence with strong visual style, nuanced performances, and a haunting score that together create a resonant cinematic experience. Critics and viewers alike commend the direction, cinematography, and production design, while noting occasional pacing lulls and an uneven narrative structure. The film's emotional core and sensory richness encourage repeated viewings, though its philosophical ambition sometimes exceeds its storytelling clarity, resulting in a generally positive but mixed overall impression.
Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.
- Art & Craft 85
In terms of art and craft, the film excels through understated direction, meticulous production design, and inventive editing rhythms that enhance its contemplative tone. Critics highlight a fully realized visual environment and luminous cinematography, while users echo the appreciation for its well‑crafted visual appeal. Minor criticisms note occasional strain in sustaining the premise, but the overall artistic execution remains strong and purposeful.
- Character & Emotion 78
When evaluating character and emotion, performances by Winston Duke, Zazie Beetz, and Benedict Wong receive consistent praise for depth and nuance, delivering moments that move audiences to tears. Reviewers describe the acting as superb and emotionally resonant, though some viewers find the characters distant or the pacing dull, limiting connection. Overall, the emotional impact is significant, albeit not uniformly felt across all audiences.
- Story & Flow 65
The story and flow present a bold, original concept that intrigues many, yet its measured pacing and philosophical density generate mixed reactions. Critics cite ponderous moments and occasional elusiveness, while users describe the narrative as both moving and, at times, boring or confusing. The plot’s originality is acknowledged, but uneven execution leads to a moderate assessment of its overall coherence and engagement.
- Sensory Experience 88
Sensory experience stands out with Antonio Pinto's strings‑forward score and a visual palette that is both beautiful and haunting. Critics and audiences alike commend the atmospheric sound design and cohesive visual style, noting that the music nudges viewers toward emotional reflection. The sensory elements consistently receive high marks, reinforcing the film’s contemplative atmosphere and enhancing its overall impact.
- Rewatch Factor 80
Rewatch factor is strong, as the film’s philosophical themes and layered storytelling invite multiple viewings to uncover hidden nuances. Reviewers mention a rewarding payoff in the final act and a lingering desire to reflect on its ideas. While some viewers find the midsection tedious, the overall curiosity and emotional resonance foster a desire to revisit, supporting a high replay value.
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IMDb 6.8 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 90% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 73%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 72 Metascore
User score 7.0
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 68% User score
See on TMDB -
Letterboxd 3.8 /5
834 ratings
See on Letterboxd -
Movie Insider 5.0 /5
See on Movie Insider
Nine Days Plot Summary
What happens in Nine Days from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Will serves as an arbiter, responsible for evaluating souls before they enter the world of the living. Residing in a remote desert home, he conducts interviews with potential souls seeking the chance to be born. Those not chosen receive a poignant farewell memory as their existence is ultimately erased. The only companion in this isolated existence is Kyo, a soul who has remained and now aids Will in the interview process.
Full summary
The whole story of Nine Days, scene by scene
Nine Days Box Office & Budget
Nine Days grossed $967,662 worldwide on a $10 million budget, 10% of what it cost. $694,849 came from the US and Canada and $272,813 (28%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$967.7K
10% of its budget back
- US & Canada
- $694.8K
- International
- $272.8K
- Budget
- $10M
Nine Days Awards & Nominations
Nine Days earned 2 award nominations, including Best First Feature at the Spirit Awards 2021.
2 nominations1 ceremony
-
Spirit Awards 2021 2 nominations- Nominated Best First Feature – Edson Oda
- Nominated Best Supporting Male – Benedict Wong
Nine Days Trailers & Videos
7 videos: 1 trailer, 2 clips and 4 featurettes.
- Clip "Maybe You'll Find Out" Official Clip
- Clip Extended Preview
- Featurette NINE DAYS Full Conversation
- Featurette Film Independent Presents: NINE DAYS Q&A with Zazie Beetz, Bill Skarsgård, Winston Duke
How Well Do You Know Nine Days?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Where does arbiter Will reside?
Nine Days Also Known As
23 alternative titles, including “9 Days” and “靈魂候選人”.
- Also known as
-
- 9 Days
- 靈魂候選人
- Εννιά ημέρες
- 九天
- Nove Dias
- 9 nap
- Lelkek lelke
- เก้าวัน
- 나인 데이즈
- 나인데이즈
- Девять дней
- Kilenc nap
+11 more Show fewer
- Chín Ngày
- תשעה ימים
- Dziewięć dni
- Dokuz Gün
- Nueve días
- Свидетелство за живот
- Deviņas dienas
- Дев’ять днів
- ナイン・デイズ
- Nouă zile
- تسعة أيام
Seen Nine Days?
Movies Like Nine Days
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Nines, Nine Months and Nine Lives.
Nine Days FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Nine Days, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Nine Days?
Nine Days runs 2 hours 4 minutes (124 minutes).
When was Nine Days released?
Nine Days was released on July 30, 2021.
Who directed Nine Days?
Nine Days was directed by Edson Oda.
More films by Edson Oda Who is in the cast of Nine Days?
Nine Days stars Winston Duke as Will, Zazie Beetz as Emma and Benedict Wong as Kyo, among 19 credited actors.
How much did Nine Days make at the box office?
Nine Days grossed $967,662 worldwide ($694,849 domestic, $272,813 international) on a budget of $10 million.
How is Nine Days rated?
Nine Days has 6.8/10 on IMDb, 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, 72 on Metacritic and 68% on TMDB.
Was Nine Days nominated for any awards?
Nine Days received 2 nominations across 1 ceremony.
Does Nine Days have a post-credit scene?
No. Nine Days has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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