District 9 (2009)
★★★★ — District 9 (2009)
Neill Blomkamp's feature debut arrived via one of the more unusual routes in modern blockbuster history. Peter Jackson (who serves as producer here through his WingNut Films company) had originally hired Blomkamp to direct a big-budget Halo adaptation, but that project collapsed in 2006 when the studio deal fell apart. Jackson, still backing the South African-born director, suggested he expand his own 2005 short film "Alive in Joburg" instead, and the result is District 9. Shot largely on location in Johannesburg, including in an actual demolished shanty town, the film was made for a relatively modest $30 million, a figure that looks remarkable against its $210 million worldwide gross. It arrived at a moment when found-footage and mockumentary aesthetics were gaining serious traction in genre cinema, and it gave first-time lead Sharlto Copley, a friend of Blomkamp's with no prior acting credits, his breakthrough.
F***ing Prawns A gritty, inventive take on the alien invasion genre that manages to blend sci-fi thrills with powerful social commentary. Set in Johannesburg, this is as much a story about xenophobia and segregation as it is about aliens and that’s what makes it special. It’s essentially a sci-fi apartheid allegory, and it doesn’t pull its punches. The documentary-style camerawork grounds the whole thing in realism, and Sharlto Copley gives a standout performance as the bumbling bureaucrat turned reluctant hero. The effects still hold up remarkably well, and the "prawn" design is genuinely unsettling. It’s rough, raw, and full of energy a rare piece of genre filmmaking that actually has something to say. A great piece of South African cinema.
Rating: ★★★★ | Year: 2009 | Watched: 2025-04-15
Where to watch (UK)
Rent: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Buy: Apple TV Store · Rakuten TV · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies
Physical: Amazon UK
Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.
Related on Movies With Macca
More with Sharlto Copley: Oldboy (2013)
More from New Zealand: What We Do in the Shadows (2014) · Mortal Engines (2018) · King Kong (2005) · 'Aho'eitu (2015)
More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More science fiction: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) · Fantastic Planet (1973) · Nightmare City (1980) · The Long Walk (2025)
