Member review

Thought-provoking, emotionally-charged and riveting, “District 9” is a perfect sci-fi film. It masterfully balances multiple genres within a captivating story, featuring multi-faceted characters that inhabit a complex world. “District 9” made me gasp, cringe and cheer without ever losing sight of its powerful parable of prejudice and racial hierarchy. This isn’t just an exciting action movie with political subtext sprinkled over it, it’s one of the best films I’ve seen this year so far!

The cast of “District 9” did a phenomenal job bringing such complicated characters to the screen. Aside from the computer-generated prawns, almost none of the characters in the movie are endearing initially; they range from well-meaning yet naïve to abhorrent monsters. This subtlety grounded the film in reality, as I felt as though I was watching real people’s lives unfold against a fantastical backdrop.

The highlights for me were Sharlto Copley as the protagonist Wikus Van De Merwe and David James as Koobus Venter, the despicable antagonist. Copley is absolutely incredible here. Although I didn’t warm to his character at first, his desperation to save himself from a horrific fate and his newfound comprehension of the prawn’s suffering made for a fascinating, richly woven arc. The journey of a blinded individual who gradually puts others needs before their own is not exactly new, but it’s rendition in “District 9” was totally absorbing. On the flipside of Copley’s nuanced, measured turn, David James delivers a suitably vile, disgusting performance devoid of likeable attributes. His character is as arrogant, vicious and sadistic as they come and, without giving anything away, I was extremely pleased to see him get his comeuppance!

It astounds me that “District 9” was Neil Blomkamp’s first feature film. The movie is constructed so efficiently, with no unnecessary scenes or wasted time. Every moment pushes the characters forward, whilst expanding the society and culture that make the story so fascinating (both thematically and visually). The decision to shoot “District 9” as a mockumentary was an ingenious one, the technique grounded the otherwise over-the-top ideas in reality, making the characters more authentic. Even when the film subtly moves into more traditional territory (removing the interview segments), it retains the gritty, handheld shaky-cam cinematography. Although I generally don’t appreciate shaky-cam in movies (the “Jason Bourne” franchise and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” are the only exceptions), I must applaud “District 9” for creating visceral, nerve-shredding set-pieces that were still easy to follow. The CGI is also excellent, which is very impressive considering that the film only had a budget of 30 million dollars.

Whilst we’re on the subject of action, it’s worth noting that the action sequences in “District 9” are absolutely incredible. This film gave me everything I want in a sci-fi action movie, stunning sequences, gorgeous visuals and engrossing themes. The shootouts are true, edge-of-your-seat stuff and the finale is simply superb. I love the fact that in this sombre, heavy-going and often difficult to watch film, we’re still gifted with outstanding action filled with inventive weaponry and a jaw-dropping mech suit! “District 9” is similar to “The Matrix” and “Minority Report” in this respect, it features just the right amount of adrenaline-pumping action within a spellbinding story that appeals to both hard-core action fans and viewers who prefer more ponderous films.

Thematically, “District 9” is just as relevant, if not more so, than it was upon its initial release. Although not subtle in any way, using the struggle of the alien prawns as a metaphor for the lives of black people in apartheid South Africa was poignant and deeply depressing to watch. Especially in light of recent events, it’s a disheartening reminder that humans still haven’t learnt to accept others, but despite the emotional intensity of the film, I was satisfied with how it wrapped up.

To summarise, I loved “District 9.” The movie ticked all the right boxes for me, its story was engaging, its characters multi-dimensional and its action breath-taking. What with the profound subject matter and grotesque body horror, “District 9” can be a tough watch, but it’s such a fulfilling experience it’s definitely worth sticking with!