A new shade of Jamie Dornan

CEBU, Philippines - The supernatural movie “The 9th Life of Louis Drax” sees a boy who has survived eight near death experiences…but will he survive his ninth?

Louis Drax, played by Aiden Longworth, is prone to accidents. Not just little accidents but big, scary and potentially fatal accidents. In fact, he’s had a major accident in each of his eight years. He’s been crushed, poisoned, electrocuted, frozen, broken, and drowned. And yet, for some strange reason, he does not die. Neither his parents nor his psychiatrist seem able to unravel the mystery of Louis.

While celebrating his ninth birthday with his mother, Natalie (Sarah Gadon), and father, Peter (Aaron Paul), Louis has his most serious accident yet. Falling over the edge of a cliff into the ice cold water below, Louis is dead before he even reaches the hospital. It seems this accident was his last. Or was it?

After two hours in the morgue, Louis inexplicably begins to stir. He becomes the patient of celebrated pediatric neurologist, Dr. Allan Pascal (50 Shades of Grey’s Jamie Dornan), who is determined to uncover the truth of Louis’ bizarre existence. But Dr. Pascal’s growing attraction to Natalie Drax is a complication he was not prepared to deal with. And Peter, who has mysteriously vanished, is a potentially dangerous threat to them all.

Directed by Alexandre Aja, “The 9th Life of Louis Drax” is a tale told from inside the brain of a sleeping boy with his fragile mother, a father cloaked in shadow and a doctor trying to put the pieces together. The movie is based on the bestselling novel of the same title by Liz Jensen.

Between the complex cast of characters, mysterious plot, and beautiful visual landscape, “The 9th Life of Louis Drax” is a unique blend of beauty and thriller. Taking audiences on a ride unlike anything they’ve experienced before, the film concludes with a surprising reveal no one will imagine.

Aja says: “What’s really original about ‘The 9th Life of Louis Drax’ is that the twist is not the usual twist. It’s an emotional one. It’s the twist that turns the story from pure psychological thriller to an overwhelming emotional drama. And that’s something you don’t usually see.”

Bringing to mind films like “Vertigo,” “Gone Girl,” and “Pan’s Labyrinth,” Aja saw a story with many levels. He says, “There is something very, very, very sophisticated in all the layers that you can find in ‘The 9th Life of Louis Drax.’ You don’t know if you’re following the love story with the doctor who’s falling in love with the mother of his patient or if you’re following the story of that mother that wants to save the kid or if you’re following the love story between the violent husband and his son.”

Uncover the mystery in “The 9th Life of Louis Drax” (localized title “Supernatural: The 9th Life of Louis Drax”) when it opens tomorrow in Philippine cinemas from Pioneer Films. (FREEMAN)