district 9 review
The 4x Academy Award nominated (including for Best Picture) District 9, directed by South African-born Neil Blomkamp, is thrilling, thoughtful and difficult to watch. Each element of the critically acclaimed film showcases Blomkamp’s precision as a director/writer and confident command of visuals, pacing and tone. From the gnarly body horror elements that would make David Cronenberg blush to the distinctive movements of the second-class citizen alien prawns, it all comes together into one of the best action/sci-fi/horror mash-ups of all time. The fantastically realized prawns and their relationship with humans serve as an unsettlingly raw allegory for the real-life history of apartheid in South Africa. The documentary style of the film never overstays its welcome and undercuts the true tragedy of District 9: its realism. It is increasingly easy to imagine how the films depiction of casual xenophobia, mercenaries for hire, and a military industrial complex hellbent on acquiring alien technology would play out similarly in real life. Films touching on such sensitive and charged topics typically provide the viewer with an easily relatable protagonist to latch onto. Not so with District 9. Our main character, played by newcomer-at-the-time Sharlto Copley, is a cog in the bureaucratic machine and hardly blameless in furthering the film’s exploration of hate and fear for “the other.” We still find ourselves rooting for him as the physical transformation (to put it lightly) he experiences is the stuff of nightmares and the emotional suffering of losing his wife and connection to humanity is no less impactful. The film is a modern science fiction classic. Just as with standard bearers Aliensand T2, every action beat and conflict stems from a complex but clearly laid out story with character motivations and actions that always make total sense. There is no action just for the sake of action. District 9 is genre film that escapes the orbit of its own genre roots and has great appeal even for those that don’t typically turn to science fiction. The VFX, actor performances, “ripped from the headlines” story and synapse shattering direction from Blomkamp combine to create a film that is a delight to re-visit.
I don’t give out too many 10’s. District 9 earns it. With the notable exception of its problematic portrayal of Nigerians as mystical cannibals, it may be a perfect film.