Spoiler alert! This gritty R rated movie is set in Johannesburg, Africa where a huge spaceship has become stationary and is now hovering over the city. Government officials cut a hole in one of the passages that opens up to reveal thousands of aliens in poor condition. These aliens, or “prawns,” are placed in a temporary camp called District 9. Over 20 years pass with the aliens on our planet and District 9 becomes a slum.

Directed by Peter Jackson, this fantastic Sci-Fi film, starring Sharlto Copley, displays the struggles of poverty, greed, oppression, propaganda and conflicts between different cultures. It leaves you winded and fasting for more. Unfortunately, we’ll probably have to wait 3 years for a sequel because at the end of the film a prawn named Christopher says, “I will be back in 3 years to come get you,”.

This film is not just some movie you and your friends sneak into; it’s not just some movie you go to for a hot Saturday night. This movie forces you to experience emotion in a way that you can feel and almost smell in the air as everyone in the crowd is rooting for Wikus (pronounced Vikus). At the end of the film, viewers feel ashamed for the actions of the government and certain individuals.

You may remember watching a movie called ET when you were young and didn’t mind the laughable script. District 9 is a modern day ET times a million, however, there aren’t any one-liners such as “ET phone home,” but there are amazing special effects and crazy alien weapons that do things like shoot clouds of lightning at buildings.

The movie is set up like a documentary in the beginning but later transitions to look and feel like any other movie (as far as camera shots and filming go). Wikus becomes a fugitive and has to run from his father-in-law. Ugh. In-laws! And the very company he was working for, MNU, is trying to track him down and perform experiments on him. Wikus befriends an alien named Christopher and helps him re-build a navigation system for the mother-ship.

Depending on the way one might look at the movie, the ending could either be a happily-ever-after, or it could just be another great tragedy. It’s sad either way you look at it, but it all depends on the viewer’s values, life style, and perception of the government.