One of the Best Films of 2009 Features Frightening Aliens

Rating: 8/10 (1 November 2010)

District 9 has shown us that a first-time writer-director can make a great film if he has the talent. A mysterious alien spaceship flies over South Africa and freezes in midair. After a while, several people inspect it and find prawns, shellfish-like aliens whose appearance will remain in your mind forever. Agents of MNU steal their advanced weaponry to use for their own benefit. Eventually, one of those agents has his DNA contaminated with that of the prawns. He begins to turn into one, losing teeth and growing claws. Wikus, the name of the worker, escapes to the one safe place for him now: District 9, where the other prawns are kept. The prawns then make a deal with him that if he can help them fix their spaceship, they will find a cure for him. The movie is terrifying throughout. Gory as it is, it is never gratuitous and many people will be impressed by the semi-documentary aspect of the film. The ending is emotional and, thankfully, refuses to take the route of satisfying and pleasing. Not only is this an unbelievably original sci-fi flick, but it also mixes politics and aliens in an effective way. The gore can be over-the-top, but once you get past it, District 9 proves to be a wonderful addition to the sci-fi genre.