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Fantasy drama

Nine Days (2021): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Nine Days (2021) movie poster

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.

IMDb rating
6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes
90%
worldwide gross
$967.7K
award nominations
2
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Nine Days (2021) movie poster
Released
Runtime
2h 4m (124 min)
Director
Edson Oda
Genres
Drama , Fantasy
Original language
English
Budget
$10M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

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
  • 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
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Cast & crew

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.

From the director

More from Edson Oda

More films directed by Edson Oda: Malaria and The Birth.

Full filmography
Ratings

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).

81 /100

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.

Plot

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

Read the full summary
Box office

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.

2021 box office

Worldwide gross

$967.7K

10% of its budget back

US & Canada
$694.8K
International
$272.8K
Budget
$10M
US & Canada 72% Rest of the world 28%
Awards

Nine Days Awards & Nominations

Nine Days earned 2 award nominations, including Best First Feature at the Spirit Awards 2021.

2 nominations1 ceremony

Videos

Nine Days Trailers & Videos

7 videos: 1 trailer, 2 clips and 4 featurettes.

All 7 videos
Official Trailer
  • 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
Quiz

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

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Where does arbiter Will reside?

Details

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
  • 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?

FAQ

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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