Out Now: District 9

It's not often that a film made by South African filmmakers makes it into the global movie market. But District 9 appears to be an exception.

The movie tackles the idea of aliens "living among us" in a new light to other science fiction films that have gone before us. Forgiving the clique, there is a slightly more realistic element to it in terms of how the human race would deal with the arrival of aliens (contrary to the generic Holywood alien movies that lead us to believe that all extra-terrestrials are only here to kill us and destroy the planet for no adequetely explained point or advantage).

After an alien ship arrives above the city of Johannesburg the people of Earth fear a forthcoming invasion. However, after three months of hovering above the city and no hint of its purpose the vessel is boarded.

After discovering a group of aliens who appear to have survived some sort of plague onboard the ship the South African Government takes the step of rehoming the survivors in a refugee camp which later becomes known as District 9.

20 years later, tensions between the aliens and humans begin to reach boiling point. Things are made even worse when the government turns over control of the slum to a private company known as MNU.

The company appoints one of its officers, Wikus, to start relocating the aliens to a new refugee camp some miles away known as District 10. But during the inspection of an alien residence Wikus messes with a device which shoots black liquid into his face.

It is not long afterwards he is seeking their help after his arm begins to mutate and his own company come after him.

District 9 is shot in a documentary like style reminiscent of the Blair Witch Project. Although not really scary, the film does take on a paranoid atmosphere which leaves one questioning whether the aliens are merely harmless refugees or infact are a threat.

District 9 is in cinemas now.