Thanks to the fine folks at BSI I was able to attend the first showing of 9, a film I’d been excited about for months since the trailer first premiered.  I am happy to now bring you a spoiler free review.

9 is a soliloquy on the end of the world.

It is a story of a dystopian future where the last embers of life begin to fade. Each moment captured on screen is hauntingly beautiful, yet terrifyingly dark.

Make no mistake, this is not a story for children.

Whereas most apocalyptic stories focus on the last of humanity journeying towards salvation, 9 is a story that promises no such haven.  Instead, the ragdolls merely hope to survive.     Humanity is a ghost.   The war between men and machines has ended with only a few machines left. But in the last days of humanity, a scientist breathed life into 9 cybernetic ragdolls, each possessed of a defining aspect of the human soul.  Fear.  Creativity.  Brilliance. Kindness. Inspiration. Bravery.  Anger.  And curiosity.  And yet none are one-dimensional.  Each is capable of an idealized aspect of humanity that we ourselves seem all too often incapable of showing.

9 leads them against the last of the machines and impossible odds.  I won’t pretend it makes complete sense. It doesn’t. Nor will I say all your questions will be answered.  At best you will only see enough pieces of the puzzle to stir your sight into one cohesive vision… just enough to appreciate this world.  And when it’s over, you may find yourself wondering how we will be remembered.  Will we be the destroyers 1 sees us as? Or will we be seen with remorse and gratitude as 9 seems to find?

I can neither recommend nor dissuade you from this film.  While I’m glad I saw it, I’m not entirely certain how I feel about it as a whole.   It is certainly one of the most visually stunning films in recent memory.  And perhaps one of the more depressing.  See it for yourself and form your own opinion.

9 opens in theaters on Wednesday; September 9th.

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