9 Souls

In a crowded cell one of the prisoners, the Counterfeit King, says he has hidden the key of the universe somewhere and then kills himself. A hole is found in the wall. Nine men escape. They set off in a stolen van and start looking for the key. As the journey goes on each of them calls at his own past: one wants to see his sister, one goes to his father's grave, one looks for a son he never met. The key is a pretext. Toshiaki Toyoda's film starts as an escape story and turns into a series of farewells. The narrative moves abruptly between comedy and weight and gives each of the nine his own section. The outcome keeps narrowing. Yoshio Harada and Ryuhei Matsuda are in the cast. The film is among the most cited works of Japanese independent cinema of the 2000s. Who it's for: Viewers who like Japanese independent cinema, road films, and narratives with large ensembles. Who it's not for: There are many characters and some are not introduced enough. The final section is also very dark.