‘The 9th Life of Louis Drax’ review: “Quirky and Atmospheric”

The 9th Life of Louis Drax Review: A dark and sometimes disturbing fantasy mystery that delves into the darker side of childhood.

The 9th Life of Louis Drax review by Kat Hughes, August 2016.

Based on the novel by Liz Jensen, The 9^th Life of Louis Drax tells the story of accident-prone young boy Louis Drax (Aidan Longworth). Have grown-up constantly the victim of life-threatening accidents Louis believes himself to be cursed. For as long as he can remember he’s had to be cautious about everything he does for fear that he might hurt himself. Then on his 9^th birthday he falls off a cliff into a ravine, but somehow miraculously manages to survive, albeit in a coma.

Our narrative tells what happens after the accident as the police try to get to the bottom of Louis’ accident. Soon after the fall occurred his father (Aaron Paul) disappears and his frantic mother (Sarah Gadon) is in no condition to talk. The task of unravelling everything and bringing Louis back from his coma falls to Doctor Allan Pascal (Jamie Dornan). As Pascal gets closer to both Louis and his mother things start to get really strange as it appears that Louis might be trying to communicate with Pascal from the otherside…

The 9^th Life of Louis Drax is a hard film to categorise. In this day and age Hollywood loves a movie that can fit into a box, but this is one film that can’t be easily pigeon-holed. Featuring elements of science-fiction, horror, fantasy, fairy-tale, mystery and film-noir, this is a rather unique film that needs to be experienced to fully appreciate. Director Alexandre Aja has crafted a film that is unlike anything else around at the moment. It’s the type of story that a younger Tim Burton might have tackled, but it’s very safe in the hands of Aja.

Aja burst onto the scene with Switchblade Romance and the remake of The Hills Have Eyes, but then sadly in more recent years, he seemed to have lost his spark. With The 9^th Life of Louis Drax we have a return to form.  Yes it’s not as bloodthirsty or brutal as his debuts, but it’s a definite return to his stranger roots. The fantasy sequences in the film showcase these roots perfectly. Offering a look inside Aja’s twisted mind, they are both beautiful and terrifying – Where the Wild Things Are by way of Pan’s Labyrinth.

The story firmly focuses on Louis and so the film is similarly all about Aiden Longworth. His voice narrates the tale; the audience seeing the world from Louis’ point of view. This vantage point affords the film an oddly whimsical slant as we see events through a child’s wild imagination. When he’s on screen Longworth proves that Jacob Tremblay isn’t the only youngster around who can act. Louis is a very complex young man and Longworth does an incredible job of bringing him to life. Louis is inquisitive, intelligent, cheeky, and just a little dark (his relationship with animals is a little concerning); Longworth wins the audience over almost immediately.

Louis is also a lot older than his young years, and at its heart this is a film about the maturity of children and the naivety of adults. Through this lens Longworth somehow manages to appear older and wiser than some of his grown-up co-stars. The best scenes though pair Longworth with Oliver Platt (who plays his therapist), they have a fantastic chemistry and dynamic that feels real.

Longworth does such a great job that his adult co-stars have their work cut-out for them. Platt, as already mentioned, manages to hold his own and offers a lot of heart and warmth to the story. Gadon plays the frail mother well and manages to make the most of her own story. Dornan too shows that there’s more to him than his Fifty Shades of Grey counterpart. Pascal goes on quite the journey and Dornan is more than capable of bring the audience along for the ride. Of all the older cast though, it is Aaron Paul that really stands out. After Louis he might be one of the more complex characters of the story and reaches to some new depths, making him almost unrecognisable for a significant portion of the film.

The 9^th Life of Louis Drax is a quirky and atmospheric film noir. It’s a stylish and sinister head-scratcher that will keep you hooked until its epic conclusion. Aja somehow manages to create a film that is equal parts heart-warming and haunting.

The 9th Life of Louis Drax review by Kat Hughes, August 2016.

The 9^th Life of Louis Drax arrives in selected UK cinemas on Friday 2^nd September.