Every now and then, a film comes along that wasn't on my radar, but nevertheless turns out to be an instant classic. "District 9", produced by Peter Jackson and directed by Neill Blomkamp, was just such a film.
It had been a challenging time, and so I welcomed the opportunity to go out and see a movie with a friend, who isn't into science fiction or fantasy, but appreciates a good film, regardless of the genre.
Like most good science fiction, "District 9" deals with matters of the human condition. In this case, it's themes of racism and xenophobia, filmed against the backdrop of apartheid in South Africa.
An alien spacecraft suddenly appears in the skies over Johannesburg, back in 1982. The plot then fast forwards twenty years into the future, which is when most of the action takes place.
I thought there were similarities to the 1980s TV miniseries "V", which was a bit of a pop culture phenomenon when it came out. Perhaps that's one of the reasons the film resonated with me.
There has been occasional word that a sequel (or even a prequel) is being planned, but I don't know of anything definite in the works. That's too bad, because "District 9" is a story worth returning to.
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