MOVIEmeter
Top 5000
Up 32 this week

District 9 (2009)

8.0
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 8.0/10 from 344,216 users   Metascore: 81/100
Reviews: 1,175 user | 435 critic | 36 from Metacritic.com

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.

Director:

Watch Trailer
0Check in
0Share...

User Lists

Related lists from IMDb users

a list of 446 titles created 28 May 2011
 
a list of 964 titles created 10 Mar 2012
 
a list of 36 titles created 5 months ago
 
a list of 703 titles created 03 May 2011
 
a list of 636 titles created 4 months ago
 

Connect with IMDb


Share this Rating

Title: District 9 (2009)

District 9 (2009) on IMDb 8/10

Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

Take The Quiz!

Test your knowledge of District 9.
Top 250 #221 | Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 52 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

Equilibrium (2002)
Action | Drama | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.6/10 X  

In a Fascist future where all forms of feeling are illegal, a man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system.

Director: Kurt Wimmer
Stars: Christian Bale, Sean Bean, Taye Diggs
Action | Drama | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.7/10 X  

After Skynet has destroyed much of humanity in a nuclear holocaust, a group of survivors led by John Connor struggles to keep the machines from finishing the job.

Director: McG
Stars: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington, Moon Bloodgood
Deep Impact (1998)
Action | Drama | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6/10 X  

Unless a comet can be destroyed before colliding with Earth, only those allowed into shelters will survive. Which people will survive?

Director: Mimi Leder
Stars: Robert Duvall, Téa Leoni, Elijah Wood
Impostor (2001)
Sci-Fi | Thriller | Action
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6/10 X  

Originally a 30 minute portion for an anthology film, Impostor was retooled into a full length feature film. Based on the Philip K. Dick short story of the same name, it follows the lead ... See full summary »

Director: Gary Fleder
Stars: Gary Sinise, Madeleine Stowe, Vincent D'Onofrio
No Escape (1994)
Action | Drama | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.9/10 X  

A soldier convicted for murdering his commanding officer is dumped and left to die on a prison island inhabited by two camps of convicts.

Director: Martin Campbell
Stars: Ray Liotta, Lance Henriksen, Stuart Wilson
The Abyss (1989)
Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.6/10 X  

A civilian diving team are enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and face danger while encountering an alien aquatic species.

Director: James Cameron
Stars: Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Michael Biehn
RoboCop (1987)
Action | Crime | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.5/10 X  

In a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally-wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg with submerged memories haunting him.

Director: Paul Verhoeven
Stars: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy
Face/Off (1997)
Action | Crime | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

A revolutionary medical technique allows an undercover agent to take the physical appearance of a major criminal and infiltrate his organization.

Director: John Woo
Stars: John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen
Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.2/10 X  

When terrorists threaten nuclear catastrophe, the world's only hope is to reactivate decommissioned Universal Soldier Luc Deveraux. Rearmed and reprogrammed, Deveraux must take on his ... See full summary »

Director: John Hyams
Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Andrei Arlovski
Aliens (1986)
Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.5/10 X  

The planet from Alien has been colonized, but contact is lost. This time, the rescue team has impressive firepower, but will it be enough?

Director: James Cameron
Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Carrie Henn, Michael Biehn
Action | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.1/10 X  

A robotic assassin from a post-apocalyptic future travels back in time to eliminate a waitress, whose son will grow up and lead humanity in a war against machines.

Director: James Cameron
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton
Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.8/10 X  

In 1962, the United States government enlists the help of Mutants with superhuman abilities to stop a malicious dictator who is determined to start world war III.

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Stars: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Kevin Bacon
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
Sylvaine Strike ...
Elizabeth Mkandawie ...
...
...
Greg Melvill-Smith ...
...
Morena Busa Sesatsa ...
Themba Nkosi ...
Mzwandile Nqoba ...
Barry Strydom ...
...
Louis Minnaar ...
Edit

Storyline

In 1982, a massive star ship bearing a bedraggled alien population, nicknamed "The Prawns," appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty-eight years later, the initial welcome by the human population has faded. The refugee camp where the aliens were located has deteriorated into a militarized ghetto called District 9, where they are confined and exploited in squalor. In 2010, the munitions corporation, Multi-National United, is contracted to forcibly evict the population with operative Wikus van der Merwe in charge. In this operation, Wikus is exposed to a strange alien chemical and must rely on the help of his only two new 'Prawn' friends. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

alien | prawn | refugee | government | ghetto | See more »

Taglines:

Support non-human rights. Everyone deserves equality. See more »


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for bloody violence and pervasive language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

| |  »

Release Date:

14 August 2009 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Sector 9  »

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£2,288,378 (UK) (4 September 2009)

Gross:

$115,646,235 (USA) (30 October 2009)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

| |

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

As part of the marketing campaign in North America and the United Kingdom, posters were put up in major cities on bus stops, the sides of buildings, etc. designating areas that were restricted for humans only, with a number to call (866.666.6001 in the US, 0207 148 7468 in the UK) in order to report non-humans. The title of the film was generally not included, although the URL address for the film's official website was. See more »

Goofs

In the scene where the MNU workers first walk up to Christopher Johnson's shack in order to evict him, the radio operator identifies the shack as "Yankee Foxtrot Five Three Zero," or YF530. However the number on the shack itself is FY530. See more »

Quotes

Wikus Van De Merwe: Oh! I haven't shown you a picture of my wife! Here she is, my angel. I tell people she actually looks like an angel, you see here? The white looks like a halo on her head. Can you see that? She's my angel, you're picking that up on your cameras there! They probably won't keep that in the film but...
See more »

Crazy Credits

The end credits are back to front, with the actors names on the left and character names on the right. As opposed to most films where its the other way round. See more »

Connections

Spoofed in District 69 (2010) See more »

Soundtracks

"Bhampa"
Performed by Pro (as PRO)
Written by Linda Mkhize, Kamohelo Bako (as Kamogelo Bako), Kiernan Forbes and Ntokozo Mazibuko
Courtesy of TS Records
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
This should not be missed!
10 August 2009 | by (Australia) – See all my reviews

Just got home from a preview of District 9. We had seen the previews and were intrigued to see just what the film would be like.

The film style was very much documentary like with lots of sound byte style comments settings the scenes and giving commentary all through the film. These in my opinion took it from being what could have been just another "aliens vs humans" film and elevated into the realms of social commentary. The aliens are presented almost as animals yet you rapidly start to sympathize with them and tune into their desperation.

If it wasn't for the alien space ship in the background and the poor being alien in every sense, you would think this was a movie about any slum and the people who prey on the inhabitants.

Like other films which cover the worst that humans can do, there is a brutal violence present and the directory has not shied away from depicting it. This is not a film you want to watch after a big meal. Just ask my girlfriend. She thought she would have to leave half way through.

In all, this is a film we worth every cent to see. Right up until the end you are never sure what's going to happen next. The characters are believable and the style of the film just adds to it. This could have happened, and in fact may happen.

For a first effort, Neill Blomkamp has created one of the best SciFi for a while, his future work will be well worth paying attention to.


553 of 767 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
The movie sucks and didn't deserve to be in the Top 250 Screep_5
Good movie but 130+ f words ! vide1
The CGI, for 30,000,000 dollars was.... terryperring104
would people really do that? reuben-huntingtron
The funniest scenes were.... Rectangleyes
Tractor beam (plot hole?) WillyBee
Discuss District 9 (2009) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page

Create a character page for:
?