IMDb > District 9 (2009)
District 9
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District 9 (2009) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 29 | slideshow) Videos (see all 47)
District 9 (2009) -- A TV trailer for District 9
District 9 (2009) -- A clip from the movie District 9.
District 9 (2009) -- Featurette: A look at the film
District 9 (2009) -- This is District 9 footage from Comic-Con with Sharlto Copley.
District 9 (2009) -- An online training experience for District. To participate, you will need an initialization image [available for download here: http://multinationalunited.com/training/] as well as a webcam and audio speakers.
IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 23% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Neill Blomkamp
Writers:
Neill Blomkamp (screenplay) &
Terri Tatchell (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for District 9 on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 August 2009 (USA) more
Genre:
Action | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller more
Tagline:
You are not welcome here.
Plot:
An extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth suddenly finds a kindred spirit in a government agent who is exposed to their biotechnology. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
NewsDesk:
(1439 articles)
Screeners update: Campaign DVDs shipped to Oscar voters
 (From Gold Derby. 29 November 2009, 10:32 AM, PST)
Panic Attack Director Federico Alvarez Lands a Film at Ghost House
 (From FirstShowing.net. 29 November 2009, 7:54 AM, PST)
User Comments:
The first science fiction masterpiece in years more (813 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Sharlto Copley ... Wikus Van De Merwe
Jason Cope ... Grey Bradnam - UKNR Chief Correspondent

Nathalie Boltt ... Sarah Livingstone - Sociologist
Sylvaine Strike ... Dr Katrina McKenzie
Elizabeth Mkandawie ... Interviewee

John Sumner ... Les Feldman - MIL Engineer

William Allen Young ... Dirk Michaels
Greg Melvill-Smith ... Interviewer

Nick Blake ... Francois Moraneu - CIV Engineer Team
Morena Busa Sesatsa ... Interviewee
Themba Nkosi ... Interviewee
Mzwandile Nqoba ... Interviewee
Barry Strydom ... Interviewee

Jed Brophy ... James Hope - Police Officer
Louis Minnaar ... Piet Smit
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for bloody violence and pervasive language.
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
112 min
Country:
USA | New Zealand
Language:
English | Nyanja | Afrikaans
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS
Certification:
USA:R (certificate #45478) | UK:15 | New Zealand:R16 | Ireland:15A | Australia:MA (2009) | Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | South Korea:18 | Canada:18A (British Columbia) | Finland:K-15 | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) (cut) | India:A | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:15 | Iceland:16 | Mexico:B15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Argentina:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | Brazil:14 | South Africa:16LV
Filming Locations:
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa more
Company:
TriStar Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
After the feature film based on the Halo (2001) (VG) video game series which was to be directed by Neill Blomkamp fell through, producer Peter Jackson went to Blomkamp and offered him $30 million to make whatever he wanted. The result was this film. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: Early in the film there are shots of "aliens not welcome here" signs around the city. One sign begins "These public premises an the amenities thereof..." - the "d" on "and" is missing. more
Quotes:
Christopher Johnson's Son: How many moons does our planet have?
Christopher Johnson: Seven.
Christopher Johnson's Son: This planet only has one. I can't wait to see our planet again... it's bigger than this one, isn't it?
Christopher Johnson: [turns off holographic atlas of what seems to be the Alien home planet] Enough.
Christopher Johnson's Son: We go home now?
Christopher Johnson: Not home, no. This is where we must go.
[shows his son an MNU brochure outlining "Sanctuary Park Alien Relocation Camp" aka District 10]
Christopher Johnson: See that tent there? That might be ours.
Christopher Johnson's Son: I want to go home!
Christopher Johnson: We can't go home. Not anymore.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: (#8.33)" (2009) more
Soundtrack:
Hijack Stories more

FAQ

Why did the humans let the Prawns bring all their weapons down, including the Mech suit?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is "District 9" based on a book?
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
1075 out of 1312 people found the following comment useful.
The first science fiction masterpiece in years, 13 August 2009
10/10
Author: NonSequitur_1 from Australia

I do not give out ratings of 10 lightly, but here it is - the first film in years that has been deserving of the rating.

Neill Blomkamp brings to screens a fantastic, gritty, realistic piece of science fiction with District 9. Not since Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner", John Carpenter's "The Thing", or James Cameron's "Aliens" have we seen a science fiction film with a vision of this caliber. After viewing District 9, it will be clear to one and all why Peter Jackson put so much faith in Blomkamp and took him under his wing as protégé.

Abandoning the usual settings of Hollywood sci-fi and placing us in the harsh slums of South Africa, we are given an original piece of work which takes risks in the way it tells its story. Not only does it go against the expectations of audiences who have been trained to expect mediocrity from their sci-fi, it goes above and beyond the call of duty to provide us with spectacle as well as something to ponder after we've downed our popcorn.

There is, thankfully not an overused, overexposed celebrity in sight, and every unknown face in the film gives a solid performance. The aliens themselves, brilliantly realized with top notch CGI even manage to make us feel something, only rivaled by Gollum from "Lord of the Rings".

District 9 has so much to like. It's spectacular, darkly funny, entertaining and thoughtful all at the same time, and it's all done on a meager $30m budget. There is true talent on show here. If only there were more films like this, the world of cinema would be a more interesting place.

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