93 Days

A riveting ensemble thriller drawn from headlines of only two years ago, Steve Gukas's 93 Days tells the story of the courageous health care workers who faced the prospect of an Ebola outbreak in Africa's largest country.

When a foreign civil servant lands in Lagos on a flight from Liberia with a high fever, the first, hopeful response is that it's only malaria. But Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh (Bimbo Akintola) of the First Consultant Hospital knows the man is afflicted with something far more serious. Despite opposition from colleagues, officials, and the man himself, she denies his release. Once the man is confirmed as Nigeria's index case of the Ebola virus, Adadevoh, her team, the Nigerian government, and the World Health Organization scramble to deal with a potential doomsday scenario.

As the battle to contain the virus hurtles along at a swift pace, 93 Days keeps itself grounded in compelling characters. Besides Adadevoh, a dedicated mother and wife, there is also Dr. Benjamin Ohiaeri (Danny Glover), who is on the verge of retirement when the virus hits, and Dr. Ada Igonoh, who is hoping to conceive a child despite this time of peril. Dr. Igonoh is played by TIFF Rising Star Somkele Iyamah-Idhalama, who conveys exceptional emotional range, from resolve to terror. Working on a grander scale than most Nigerian features, Gukas directs Iyamah-Idhalama and the rest of his cast to deeply affecting performances, gracefully shifting from big-picture stakes to intimate views of the professionals who helped keep their nation safe.

CAMERON BAILEY