District 9 (2009)

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:

Neill Blomkamp

Writers:

Neill Blomkamp, Terri Tatchell

Stars:

Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 30 wins & 110 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sharlto Copley	...	Wikus Van De Merwe
Jason Cope	...	Grey Bradnam - UKNR Chief Correspondent / Christopher Johnson
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

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.

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Plot Keywords:

alien | 21th century | human turns into a creature | alien weapon | shirtless male | 

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Taglines:

You are not welcome here.

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for bloody violence and pervasive language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [France]

Country:

South Africa USA New Zealand Canada

Language:

English Nyanja Afrikaans Zulu Xhosa Southern Sotho

Release Date:

14 August 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sector 9

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$37,354,308, 16 August 2009, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$115,646,235

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$210,819,611

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures, Block / Hanson, WingNut Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A large number of actual South African weapons were used in the film. Quite a few of them were designed by Tony Neophytou and are marketed by Denel. This includes the NTW-20 20mm anti-materiel rifle, white painted CR-21 bullpup assault rifles and a Neopup PAW-20 hand-held grenade launcher. Kobus uses this when he shoots the battle suit in the back.

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Goofs

When the soldiers first cut their way into the alien's ship, the plug they remove from the wall has edges that are the wrong shape to fit the hole it came from.

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Quotes

Wikus Van De Merwe: [talking to a prawn in District 9] We drinking a little bit here, eh?
[the prawn vomits at Wikus's feet]

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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.

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Connections

Featured in Nostalgia Critic: Is Weird the New Brilliant? (2016)

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Soundtracks

Bhambatha
Performed by Zola
Written by Zola (as Bonginkosi Dlamini), Kabelo Ikaneng and Thabiso Tsotetsi
Courtesy of Ghetto Ruff Records

User Reviews

A South African Futuristic Greek Tragedy

After "District 9" was over, I had to run from the theater to the hotel and take a long, long shower. "District 9" is a first. We've never seen anything quite like it. A metaphor for a world that's becoming faster and faster a huge melting pot where nothing truly melts. The have and the have not. New ghettos, new forms of life and we have to learn to live with it or, or what? Neill Blomkamp, the 30 year old director, is someone who's exploded into the film scene and I'm sure he'll stay for a long time to come. A commercial director with a refined artistic mind. Accessible without being condescending a real find and who found him? Peter Jackson. A man that I suspect is creating a Hollywood overseas, a Hollywood for the thinking man. I urge you to see "District 9" and get used to those aliens, they stand for something that is already here.