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The 9th Life of Louis Drax

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The 9th Life of Louis Drax

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Summary

A neurologist treats a boy who has suffered a near-fatal fall on his birthday, and makes a startling discovery as he delves into the pattern of bizarre coincidences that have driven every aspect of the injured child's life. Thriller based on the novel by Liz Jensen, starring Jamie Dorman and Aiden Longworth

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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Trevor Johnston

Adapted from Liz Jensen's much-admired novel, this unusual drama sees the eponymous master Drax spending much of the film in a coma after falling off a cliff. With specialist medic Jamie Dornan and concerned mum Sarah Gadon at his hospital bedside, flashbacks take us through the boy's accident-prone life and somewhat turbulent backstory. Canadian youngster Aiden Longworth is a bright and engaging presence in the central role and Aaron Paul (of TV's Breaking Bad) is vividly effective as his errant father, which helps to carry you through an initially slow-building plot. There is lots to take on board before the sinister, slightly surreal whodunnit narrative really gets going and then it's delivered with hallucinatory intensity by director and horror specialist Alexandre Aja (Switchblade Romance, Mirrors). He milks the San Francisco setting for all it's worth with references to Hitchcock's Vertigo. It is an unlikely but ultimately absorbing tale, strongly performed, and with a genuine emotional undertow, not least because it sees screenwriter Max Minghella bring to fruition a project begun in 2004 by his late father Anthony.

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6.3/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameDr Allan PascalJamie DornanNatalie DraxSarah GadonLouis DraxAiden LongworthPeter DraxAaron PaulDetective DaltonMolly ParkerDr PerezOliver PlattDr JanekJulian WadhamViolet DraxBarbara Hershey

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Crew

rolenameDirectorAlexandre Aja

Details

Theatrical distributor

Soda

Released on

2016-09-02

Languages

English

Guidance

Swearing.

Available on

DVD

Formats

Colour

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