District 9

Science fiction set in Johannesburg. A ship stopped over the city twenty-eight years ago. Inside was a sick and starving population; they were brought down and placed in a camp at the edge of the city. The camp turned into a slum. There is crime, there are gangs, and the population has reached a million and a half. A company wants to move them outside the city. An officer is assigned to go to every door and collect signatures for the eviction. Wikus is that officer. He works at his father-in-law's company and has just been promoted. In one shack a black fluid sprays onto his face. From there the film is a transformation. Wikus's body changes, the company turns him into an experiment, and he escapes into the camp. What the narrative is interested in is not aliens but separation: the film speaks directly to South Africa's own history and the language of camps, permits and evictions is familiar. Wikus is not sympathetic at the start. He laughs while burning eggs, and the narrative only changes him when he has no choice. The form is mixed. The film opens as a fake documentary, proceeds through interviews and security footage, and then moves into straight narrative. The lead actor was not a professional and much of his dialogue is improvised; he came to the project as the director's friend. The production grew out of a short film. The director had been preparing a video game adaptation, and when it was cancelled the producer suggested he shoot his own story. The budget was very small by the standards of the genre and the film took many times that worldwide; it was also nominated for Best Picture. Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope and David James are in the cast. Neill Blomkamp directed. Who it is for: anyone who wants hard, dirty science fiction with an idea. Who it is not for: anyone sensitive to violence; the film is realistic and direct.