Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
A psychologist who begins working with a young boy who has suffered a near-fatal fall finds himself drawn into a mystery that tests the boundaries of fantasy and reality.
The 9th Life of Louis Drax is a reasonably well-crafted psychological mystery with an intriguing supernatural-tinged premise drawn from Liz Jensen's novel. The concept of a boy with a history of near-fatal accidents slipping into a coma while a psychologist probes the truth is genuinely compelling, and the film maintains atmospheric tension through much of its runtime. The performances from Jamie Dornan, Sarah Gadon, and Aidan Longworth are serviceable if not outstanding, with Longworth's narration adding an eerie charm. Visually it has some striking moments but never elevates to truly memorable cinematography. The novelty is moderate — the blend of dark fairy tale logic with psychological thriller is distinctive enough, but the territory of unreliable narratives and child-in-peril mysteries has been well-trodden. The ending is where the film falters most significantly, resolving its carefully constructed ambiguity in a somewhat unsatisfying and rushed way that undercuts the mystery's buildup.