Tag: District 9

District 9 Year: 2009 Rating: R Length: 112 minutes / 1.87 hours The best kind of science fiction uses fantastical elements to hold a harsh mirror up to the ills of society. One of the best examples of this is Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 (2009) being an analog for apartheid in South Africa. Sure, it has fun sci-fi elements like the alien weapons and technology, but at its core there’s a solid commentary about racism and the caste system that does nothing to fix it. That it’s still relevant today just speaks to the strength of its message—one that needs no sequel or follow-up movie. District 9’s story benefits from the visual effects used to put these bug-like aliens smack dab in the middle of refugee camps in Johannesburg. The aliens look so realistic, and the CGI is sharp and crisp in a way that even modern films have since failed to replicate. Even the transformation of Wikus (Sharlto Copley) into the “prawn” form seems...