@@ErnestAllen Media's *job* is to tell stories that get eyeballs and turn a profit unfortunately. Means usual capitalist rules of cheapest possible sourcing of materials applies. It sure is nice when they DO put in the extra effort, but expecting them to play by different rules to the rest of the commercial world is setting yourself up for disappointment. If you want higher standards than profit, you need a different system, and that's not "the medias fault", it's our fault as customers and citizens.
Yes. I remember not caring much for this movie when it first came out but I was quite young and didn't understand it. I fucking love it now though for many different reasons.
It feels like a documentary because deep down, most everyone knows this is how governments would treat aliens if they didn't wipe us out. Its all about money and profit. This movie really makes you think. Love it and thanks Cassie for watching. I know it was hard for you.
Well, part of it’s realism is because during this time in South Africa they had a massive influx of refugees from the war in Mozambique - and these folks were housed in camps in SA. Some of the interview footage with regular people, they actually asked ‘what should we do with the Mozambican immigrants?’ and then filmed the response as if it was a comment on ‘prawns’. So you’re absolutely correct - the movie is a social commentary about how we treat other people.
Not only governments but everyone. And not only money but power. I think the movie showed that too. And thats why its kind of hard to know how one should precisely react to the movie in any given time. One should also note that governments in of themselves dont really do weapons research. Or highly specialized biological experiments. Big companies/businesses do, a lot. And some universities etc. Many bio labs for example are businesses. Can be funded and run by various ways for sure, but in theory still private. Governments mainly just buy those weapons from the companies/businesses that have developed them and who promise/sell on what the weapons can do/perform. They are bought for their armies to test/evaluate in practice. And the army can then suggest/demand further development or fixes to the weapons. So even the army doesnt really develop weapons per se. It just mainly tests/evaluates them. And after that it is then decided whether to buy such weapons for the army in larger quantity. At least it would be wise to test them really well in practice first. So the movie didnt left me the main idea of governments being always bad and evil. For me the idea of there being a reaction to every action seems what the movie was about essentially. But thats just my interpertation.
District 9 was such a success because it had a great story and VFX and was made by a South African crew outside of the Hollywood Machine. It's what happens when creativity isn't hampered by focus groups and studio execs. The movie was a gut punch when it came out. Nothing like it since.
"DISTRICT 9" is without question one of the MOST relevant and substantially meaningful pieces of Sci-Fi cinema to come out in decades! There also really hasn't been anything quite like it since... Such a pleasure to see a film that carries this kind of weight AND is this entertaining! THIS is what you get when true artists are permitted to put real love and thought into their work without being hamstrung by "money people" and other outsiders with different interests who don't have even the capability to see, understand or care about the filmmaker's vision! Truly a rarity!
I completely agree. I remember seeing it when it came out and I was floored. I’ve always believed that if a movie can make you laugh, cry, and feel scared/thrilled, it’s a great movie. District 9 did all of the above in a way no movie has since. Add in the ties to apartheid and it’s easily one of the five best movies I’ve ever seen. Additionally, the audience engaged with it so intensely. When he told Christopher to go, you could hear people crying, and when he caught the rocket, everyone went nuts. Everything about the movie is perfection. It’s sad, beautiful, and violent all at once and is a masterpiece of a film. It’s 100 times better than Avatar and it’s sad it didn’t get the publicity that Avatar did.
@@TheProfessorExplains You are COMPLETELY and UTTERLY correct on EVERY point!!! I can't think of a film that's come out since that's had THIS kind of relevance to real-world life for so many people in such a fantastic and entertaining manner! THIS is what TRULY GREAT science fiction is all about! Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!
Genius. He was on Joe Rogan's podcast not too long ago, and I'm waiting for his Vampire movie he's making. It's a shame Disney ruined his chances of directing the Alien sequel that ignores all Alien films after 2, kind of like what Halloween 2018 did.
I dunno...I think he's more of a one-trick pony and he expended his best creative energy on this film - his movies since District 9 have had a considerable decline in quality (Elysium = mediocre. Chappie = Bad. Demonic = Awful) . Reminds me of M Night Shyamalan after the Sixth Sense...
Two weeks before the film had even released, Blomkamp was already talking about a sequel, and had said that he would go ahead with a follow-up if District 9 was successful. After its release, he continued to talk about the project, though there was no official announcement until 2021, when he revealed on Twitter that he was moving ahead with the script for District 10. He also announced that Copley was writing the film alongside him.
what was great about it is he said he didnt want to make a sequel just to make it. he also said he wanted to make it coincide with what was going on in the world. also the next one wasnt gonna be in SA and wouldnt be about wikus or christopher. so maybe that will change or a third film bc that is a story we want. to see what happens when they come back.
And since that announcement in 2021 it has been canceled, and then continued again. Im a bit worried its going to be stuck in dev hell forever. Though I suppose no sequel is better than a potentially bad sequel. (Im sure it could be good, but yknow how sequels can be)
@@Tigermania I feel like those rumors have been around since this came out. So i don't know how much i believe them. But... Then again, Freddy vs Jason rumors were around forever too and that eventually came out. So who really knows anymore.
@@Ishai1hopefully it doesn't get scrapped like the aliens project he was supposedly working on. Then it may be Blomkamps best film since .....district 9
@@cowsagainstcapitalism347 Yes. Go look up the REAL District 9. Might be called District 6. Lots of poor blacks were moved like this to a new area. It really happened, just no aliens.
This is one of the most visceral, disturbing, and fascinating films I’ve ever seen. You can’t even describe it to people who haven’t seen it it’s such a unique experience. It is honestly shocking how real this movie feels, and I thin a large part of that is due to the believability of this hypothetical situation. One can easily believe that this would be the human response to this situation.
It IS the human response to this situation. It's an allegory for how the South-Africans treat immigrants. A lot of the interviews where people are being racist towards the prawns was them actually talking about real human immigrants in their country.
The whole movie is an allegory to Apartheid. I lived in South Africa in the mid '70s and have even visited Soweto. The District 9 ghetto is not a set, it was a real place left over from the past segregation of 'coloured" people from the real immigrants (white Europeans).
I saw you were watching this and said to myself, "she isn't ready" lol I don't know if anyone can really be ready for this insanity. Such a unique take on the alien invasion trope with some body horror too. This movie is a gem that few people know about
@@lacustina6560Nah, it wasnt very popular when it came out either. It was released in a busy year for movies and ended up being overshadowed quite a lot.
@@ZeallustImmortal it made $200 million on a $30 million budget, got great reviews, and was nominated for a best picture Oscar. Not bad for a movie that "wasn't very popular".
It’s weird because I remember watching this and being horrified by the reality of it. I still am. The fact that anything near this existence is extremely real for millions of people is what makes this movie effective. We know this goes on amongst humans but we need to see it this way to somehow really feel it.
@@uberbeeg Yeah. But look what happened to South Africa when the apartheid ended. They wanted to keep them out to save the country from collapse. I have friends leaving South Africa for Europe because it's too dangerous to stay, and they're still so brainwashed they don't want to admit why their country is dangerous. They don't deserve to live in Europe to be honest.
was glad i saw it in theaters. actually went alone cause no one wanted to see it and thought it was going to be a stupid alien movie that was gonna flop. i won in the end seeing how it didnt
I was disappointed when I realized this movie was being done in a documentary style. Then by the end, it's one of my favorite sci-fi flicks of all time. I love the action, I love the characters, I love the elements of reality they included. It's just a really well put together idea.
I went into this movie completely blind. I was with a couple of friends for a birthday and they brought me along. I didn't know it was about aliens...zippo. I remember seeing the docu style and thinking, "huh, this is an interesting choice...but i guess were all a bit geeky so im down for it". The way it transformed genres and became what it was...I've never had a movie going experience like it. Absolute legend of a movie. IMO Blomcamp has never quite caught the magic in the bottle that D9 is since.
You can tell most of the budget was spent in the second half, but in a good way. Doing it documentary style both helps with budget, and sets a specific tone.
You should be in shock Cassie. To this day I think this is one of the best movies I've ever seen. Everything about it is surprising, mesmerizing, terrifying, heart wrenching, and touching at the same time. Sharlto Copley plays the part of Wikus so masterfully. And I really feel it's one of Blomkamp's best films ever. He directed and wrote it while Jackson produced it. Have you ever felt so many feeling for a group of big shrimp before?
This was an incredible film, and take on the sci-fi genre. It really is an exploration and commentary on apartheid, especially in South Africa. About the terrible things humans are capable of doing to each other, especially when we've completely dehumanized a group of people (represented by the aliens). About greed and the military industrial complex. As Wikus changes from human to alien, he also changes from oppressor to oppressed, and eventually in the end finds more humanity in himself than he had at the beginning.
The movie was inspired by the refugees from Zimbabwe, not by apartheid. The interviews in the movie where people talk about the aliens are actually real people, not actors, talking about the Zimbabwean refugees.
@@DavidMeddowsTaylor It's both. "The inspiration for the film came from tensions between native South Africans and Zimbabwean refugees, explored in director Neill Blomkamp's short film _Alive in Joburg,_ as well as the actual relocation of over 60,000 residents of District 6 in Cape Town in the 1970s. (...) In 1966, the *apartheid* government declared it (i.e. District 6) a whites-only zone."
Your anti apartheid propaganda doesn't really hold ground any more. Now that south Africa and Rhodesia have been turned into third world countries what ever so called "rainbow nation" myth that was generated hasn't held up. South africans are burning other black immigrants calling them "foreigners" on the street. They weren't doing that under apartheid and their was always jobs for blacks who are now they are starving. It the rape capital of the world for God sake. Now it on the verge of civil war due to the lack of energy. The whites were right to be separate from blacks.
District 9 was a masterclass of tapping into human emotion all over the board with unique filmmaking style. Your reactions were spot on cause I know I was on edge the whole time I watched that transformation
Aside from the believably evil corporations, there's a realism to the portrayal of so many of the human characters. Wikus acts like I imagine a lot of average people in his position would, relatively unconcerned with the aliens' situation and lacking compassion when they resist in any way. He's not a bad person, he's just caught up in his job and his own problems and doesn't take the time to think about their experience. In a way, that's what a lot of us do for other humans every day. It can be hard to put yourself in someone else's shoes. But deep down, Wikus is a good person and he does the right thing at the end, as I imagine a lot of people would.
Totally agree. The reaction itself kind of suggesting that would be the case as well. She was horrified only when wikus was treated badly, she did not comment on the aliens and how horrible life they have because of humans, even killing their kids. Maybe it was just editing but the reactions was only when humans were treating badly
We just lived through what people do to each other. How do you feel when people decide not to take the COVID vaccine. Do you lack compassion? Rhetorical question of course, but you can see how things work.
I remember when this all came together, Neill Blomkamp was making a name for himself with his short films, especially Alive in Joburg which garnered a lot of attention and is basically the concept for this film, it got the attention of Peter Jackson who facilitated his entry into making feature films and man what a debut, he brought something nobody had ever seen before.
I hope she sees this comment. I don't see anyone else mentioning Alive in Joberg (which I encourage everyone check out also here on youtube) so so good.
I had the exact same reaction! I left the theater and literally said "I'm not sure I enjoyed that...." Watched it again on DVD and now it's one of my all time favorites.
@ Bradley that’s exactly what I thought! I saw it in theatre. I simultaneously loved and hated this movie. I’ve watched it a couple times since, and obviously a lot older now. It is still jarring to watch, but it is a great movie for sure.
Have you considered "Alien Nation" (1988)? With James Caan and Mandy Patinkin, police detectives in a society that has integrated aliens that got stranded on earth. They later made a TV series and a few made-for-tv movies with Gary Graham and Eric Pierpoint. Another alien and human film that came to mind is "Enemy Mine" (1985) with Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr., terrans at war with the dracs in space, the two protagonists get stranded on a certain planet and have to work together to survive the harsh environment. Both movies are pretty good :D
This movie felt real because it was based on true events, particularly 1970s South Africa during Apartheid in Cape Town, District 6. They just swapped out the residents with Aliens for the movie. When Christopher said he would come back in 3 year I and so many people were so excited for a sequel. But it never happened and should! GREAT MOVIE!!!!!
District 9 was directed and written by Neil Blomkamp, who also made 2 other movies (Elysium, Chappie) tackling many of the same dystopian themes, though neither hit as hard as District 9. Both also star Sharlto Copley (Wikus) in very different roles.
Vastly underrated movie. Sharlto Copley (Wickus) is a great actor. He played Murdock in "the A-Team" (2010) and was the voice of "Chappie" (2015). Two movies you might be interested in 😉.
I went to see this in theaters with my brother who does not like movies but came because he wanted to hangout. To this day, it is one of the only few films he actually loves.
Brave Cassie to watch this! We're all proud of you for adventuring into this one. It's a truly unique and gripping experience. So many other movies you can say "Oh it's like that other movie but a few differences." Not District 9, it's a beast all its own. Nothing quite like it that I've ever seen before or since.
The perspective of a post event documentary does so much for the immersion and believability of the movie. It's one of my top 5 sci-fi movies of all time
This movie was one of the biggest surprises I have ever experienced in the theater, because a mate and I went into it almost completely "blind". We had just seen the poster - no trailers and no commercials about it. It is a masterpiece, and definitely one of the best sci-fi movies of the past 2 decades, if not of all time.
District 9 is an absolute masterpiece. What a believable story, could happen, we don't know the dynamics of what is goin on out there.... felt very sorry for them all. What a situation.
12:14. "Human life, guys." That's the whole point. The minute they found out he was part alien, he was literally de-humanized in their eyes. This is probably the most literal allegory there is.
There's an earlier film that had similar themes called Alien Nation. In that film, an alien spacecraft carrying slave labor is stranded on Earth. It's inhabitants are integrated into society. But they face much discrimination. A human police detective who hates the aliens gets partnered with an alien who just became a detective. It's not as graphic and has a good amount of humor. The movie spawned a short lived TV series and several TV movies. It's a fun movie. It's stars James Caan and Mandy Patinkin.
@@gerstelb I liked that show too, I remember feeling sorry for them, one, because of the bigotry, & two because of all the planets to land on, they landed on the one that is two thirds water, "saltwater" (to them, saltwater is like acid)
@@jean-paulaudette9246 I think the issue with film selection for reactors is that they generally pick movies that are widely available so that their audiences can watch as well. Some are more adventurous, but that's why you see the same picks across so many channels. It's a shame since there are some truly fantastic 'hidden gems' out there.
@@Nekotaku_TV I guess I wasn't using my imagination. I feel like it would be cool if christopher comes back and helps Wikus return human to meet his wife, or maybe he will seek revenge on her father- head of MNU, sparking a conflict between prawn and man.
A movie that could only really have been made by a South African. And would you believe this was actually Shalto Copley's (Wikus Van De Merwe) first serious acting role. He was used by Neill Blomkamp in the pitch for the movie and the studio insisted that he actually be the lead in the actual movie. I think you would also quite like *Chappie* as well.
"That's what I mean, they could have done this all along?" No, they couldn't have done it all along, that's why they didn't. The "command module" (the buried "ship") is what did it. Christopher had to spend 20 years collecting the fluid to make the command module work. Without the fluid getting put in the command module, the mothership just sits there. Once the command module had fluid, Christopher's kid could control anything connected to it. Which includes both the mothership, and any alien exosuit. The reason why they didn't do it sooner is just because they didn't have any fluid to power the command module.
This is one of those movies that feels real. Every time I watch it I get this sick feeling in my gut because I feel like I am watching someone based on real life.
I think I've watched like, a million of your reactions, but this has to be my favorite one. Even if it's not your preferred genre of movie, your reaction was so genuine to the realism of the storytelling and filmmaking that it makes me think you branching out to more unorthodox movies to what you're used to is not just great entertainment for your viewers, but helps your channel expand too!
I love this film. The music, the documentary style that transitions into sci-fi then goes back to documentary seamlessly. The "hero" who's seriously flawed. The aliens who are the complete opposite of what you would usually expect in a sci-fi film. My only nit-pick would be the overuse of shaky cam. Other than that, District 9 is **chef's kiss**
I truly love that this movie exists, with countless movies out there, any time there is a film as good and 'unique' as this they can be far more memorable than the other 99% of movies. A lot of layers to this movie as well, it's perhaps in my top 10 movies of all time even though I've only watched it a few times.
One major reason for me that makes this one of the greatest SciFi movie is how alien the aliens were. Most movies make aliens just humans in costume or beasts/animals. Here you don't understand the motivations and thoughts or even structure of their culture.
it's an incredible film. not just the details they created in the background & story universe of it all, but the fairly obvious social commentary of racism, classism & intolerance. given the fact is set in South Africa, a nation which until fairly recently was under Apartheid rule, it's even more genius on behalf of the filmmakers by creating this film as a way to discuss their country's troubled history & do it in a way that will reach a global audience. also of note, the fact that as our protagonist became more alien physically, he gained back his humanity. the acknowledgement of the power of propaganda, politics, the power of media & the military industrial complex. everything about this film is amazing. the writing, the casting, the SFX. it's a masterpiece.
So glad you watched this and weren’t completely grossed out by it. I saw this in theaters and was enthralled from beginning to end, it’s one of the most unique, amazing, well excited sci fi films ever made. It does what sci fi does so well, allows us to see humanity and how we treat others through a sharper lens. In this case, by abstracting other people into monstrous looking aliens. At the beginning, the prawns are hideous, terrifying, repulsive creatures… by the end, we see they are subjugated, displaced, brutally mistreated people. It’s powerful stuff. The trope of the unlikely hero is everywhere in storytelling, but this one is so back and forth with the character of Wikus that I think it earns it. He is largely not heroic and mostly self centered. He only agrees to help Christopher when he learns there’s something in it for him, a return to his normal life, and then turns on Christopher when he realizes it will take three years for him to make good on his promise… because Christopher needs to help the 1.8 million other prawns and not just Wikus. He finally makes the choice to sacrifice himself to let them escape and becomes a better person in the end, but it’s always left up in the air if he will make that turn.
Oh Cassie, how I love you reactions! "Oh My Gosh", "Eew". You are so cute! You're the best movie reaction person on UA-cam. There, I said it... Distric 9 was a breakthrough in the SciFi genre. Clever storyline regarding "Illegal Imigration", brilliantly told throught documentry style and "reported news". Just different. Very entertaining.
I saw this movie in theaters, opening night. It was sooooo unique and unlike anything I had seen before. It’s one of those movies that just stays with you for a long time. So looking forward to the sequel now that it’s finally being made.
Blomkamp is actually in the middle of writing the script for the sequel. Years of waiting and speculation and finally he announced himself there's gonna be another. It's such a good film.
This was such a unique Sci-fi movie and I loved the fact that they shot it documentary style. Originally this was supposed to be a Halo movie, but that fell apart, so I wasn't sure what to expect to see when I found out this is what they made instead. This quickly became one of my favorite sci-fi movies and still is today. If you loved this style the only other movie that I recommend is Cloverfield.
Lol…when i saw this pop up i couldn’t believe it. This will be interesting…edit: ok, I am totally impressed with her reaction. I thought the story and visuals would be a bit beyond her liking…i stand corrected and its just one more example of why she is one of my favorite reaction channels. Cassie, if you’d like to see Vikus in a more happy/funny role you should really watch the A-Team remake. Its an excellent movie and i love his character in it.
Easily one of my favorite movies. Neil Blomkamp is an awesome director. Also worth a watch by him is Elysium and Chappie. Similar feel to both of them. Sharlto Copley the lead actor Wikus is also in both of them.
yeah there was really never a movie like this before or since.. i remember when it came out, it was mind blowing for me. the special effects blended so well with the documentary style and the alien tech was so cool and well done. but yeah this movie is also a pretty scathing commentary on human nature (a running theme in Blomkamp's movies) and contains heavy references to south africa's history of apartheid
This was originally going to be a Halo movie, based on the video game with Peter Jackson producing and Neill Blomkamp directing. When that movie ended up not being made, the two decided to make this instead. They even reused some of the props that were meant for Halo.
It was actually the studio not trusting Blomkamp with their big budget IP movie and Jackson telling him to make a long version of his short movie "Alive in Joburg" as a "prove it" movie. At least that's the story the two of them have been telling since it came out.
@@Ishai1 It's weird because Neill Blomkamp and Peter Jackson (Weta Digital) did do the Halo Landfall 7 minute live action trailer for Halo 3 release in 2007, which was very good and I'd have thought would have sold them on it.
@@huemungy3212 Oh hell yes! Landfall is god tier amazing but the TV Show.... what a joke.... only watched trailer and some clips from youtube and I need to puke every time
One thing that needs mentioning is that even the name Wikus van der Merwe is an in-joke. Basically, where other countries have Irish or Polack jokes, South Africa has van der Merwe jokes.
Excellent choice! The most memorable movie-going experience of my youth was this film right here. Neil Blomkamp is an amazing director. You should also check out “Chappie” and “Elysium”. Two other films he’s made. Chappie is probably a bit too inappropriate for a reaction, but you should still check it out! It’s actually beautiful.
Peter Jackson produced the film, but the director is Neill Blomkamp and it definitely bears his personal style (with the extreme grittiness and graphic violence). "Elysium is also a really good movie by him.
Not sure if you've noticed or care, but District 9 made a good job of portraying sci-fi weapons: 1. A proper gauss rifle that shoots in bursts instead of being a glorified sniper rifle. 2. A point & click anti-personnel exploder - you never see it comming, there's no way to dodge it. 3. A directional blast grenade that makes a perfect enterance hole in a concrete wall. Also given how it's visualised it's reasonable to assume that it can do it with materials far stronger than concrete. 4. And finally an exoskeleton armour suit to house all of it while providing believable amount of protection. It's not an Iron Man suit that can take a tank shot without visible damage, but it makes it the more believable and scarier given the assortment of weapons it carries. And there's a whole bunch of others shown during the lab test scene that are also well portrayed for what they are.
This is one of the best science fiction movies ever. So incredibly well done that, as you said, it makes it feel real or that it's exactly how it would happen.
If I recall, I think the reason that the aliens didn't just use their weaponry from the start was because the majority of them weren't intelligent and/or capable enough to do so. If you remember, Wikus said about Christopher when he first met him, "This one is a bit sharper." They had a very insect-like caste system, with only a few of them being scientists or engineers, while most of the prawns in the district were more the lay workers or what-have-you. That, and they sold a bunch of their weapons to the African gang in exchange for food, as that was more crucial to their survival at the time. That's my assumption, anyway.
So glad you watched this Cassie👍 This movie is great but definitely unsettling at times. The character Wikus takes us on quite a roller coaster of a ride. He starts out rather cruel and indifferent to the Aliens situation. You would think with what he went through Wikus would have more empathy for the Aliens. Even when he helped the Aliens it still seemed more about himself. I feel terrible for him but still not sure how to feel about his character. Did he start to have empathy for the Aliens or were all his actions just about self preservation? I'm not sure. I want to believe he cared. In the end he became literally one of them. I'm very sad for his wife who must be so confused and her father is a liar and heartless corporate (greed) monster. They use cruelty for profits with the Aliens and Wikus They make zero attempt to help Wikus There are many layers to this movie. Its full of social commentary grounded in bleak realism. It's not just on how we might treat Aliens but how terrible we often treat our fellow humans/refugees
@@DoubleMonoLR Yes I definitely noticed that. Agree That's why I said "I want to believe he cared" I could have made it more clear but my comment was already very long.
They hold up CRAZY good to this day. Weta Digital outdid themselves and set a CRAZY high bar on this one. Very few movies even come close to this level of integration with reality.
I think you're as good as any "professional" film critic. Your wrap-ups after the films are clear, concise and flow directly from your reaction to the film, not some intellectual formulations or attempt at cleverness. I've seen other reactors, clearly gripped by an unpleasant or challenging film, try to minimize or explain away how effective it was afterward.
"At first, you don't like these aliens. They seem to be bad. Hurting people. But then, as you watch, you have empathy for them. They have thoughts. They have feelings. They have babies. They have to live in these horrific, terrible conditions. Everyone is taking advantage of them on every level." "The world that they put me in was real, and disturbing and SO immersive." This reviewer is both super-empathetic, and super-intelligent. One of the best reaction channels on UA-cam. FIVE GOLD STARS for EXCELLENCE.
So one of the more wild concepts with this movie, is the idea that the "prawns" did not look that way originally and whatever they escaped from their homeworld turned them into that.
I love Cassie's reactions to films, but this one really stands out. You can tell she was totally immersed from the start, even with some of the more disturbing imagery. Seemed awestruck the whole time, which made it even better. Fantastic film, fantastic reaction.
Holy Cow, Cassie watching District 9? Getting adventurous!
I was thinking, "hmph, now we're getting interesting" 🤔😁
Definitely wouldn't recommend this for her.
I agree. That's why I suggested she should watch STARSHIP TROOPERS too.
Wow. This is a great film and great reaction. I just never expected to see this on this channel:)
Yeah right, super brutal and heartbreaking
"It feels so unfair when the media can say whatever they want, and everyone believes them. That's scary."
Truer words have never been spoken.
Literally still happening to this day. Probably even worse now.
Media was just reporting what they'd been told, wasn't them making up the lies.
@@Ylyrra And therein lies the problem. The media's job is to discover and report the truth. Not to "just report what they'd been told".
@@ErnestAllen Media's *job* is to tell stories that get eyeballs and turn a profit unfortunately. Means usual capitalist rules of cheapest possible sourcing of materials applies. It sure is nice when they DO put in the extra effort, but expecting them to play by different rules to the rest of the commercial world is setting yourself up for disappointment.
If you want higher standards than profit, you need a different system, and that's not "the medias fault", it's our fault as customers and citizens.
It happens everyday. You shouldn't be surprised.
As Vikus became less human physically, he became more human emotionally.
Yes. I remember not caring much for this movie when it first came out but I was quite young and didn't understand it. I fucking love it now though for many different reasons.
Yes it's a clever movie with a deep message that is easy to miss
also known as Empathy.
We are the aliens
The real aliens are the friends we made along the way.
It feels like a documentary because deep down, most everyone knows this is how governments would treat aliens if they didn't wipe us out. Its all about money and profit.
This movie really makes you think. Love it and thanks Cassie for watching. I know it was hard for you.
Well, part of it’s realism is because during this time in South Africa they had a massive influx of refugees from the war in Mozambique - and these folks were housed in camps in SA.
Some of the interview footage with regular people, they actually asked ‘what should we do with the Mozambican immigrants?’ and then filmed the response as if it was a comment on ‘prawns’.
So you’re absolutely correct - the movie is a social commentary about how we treat other people.
"Its all about money and profit." Its all about capitalism...
Not only governments but everyone. And not only money but power. I think the movie showed that too. And thats why its kind of hard to know how one should precisely react to the movie in any given time. One should also note that governments in of themselves dont really do weapons research. Or highly specialized biological experiments. Big companies/businesses do, a lot. And some universities etc. Many bio labs for example are businesses. Can be funded and run by various ways for sure, but in theory still private.
Governments mainly just buy those weapons from the companies/businesses that have developed them and who promise/sell on what the weapons can do/perform. They are bought for their armies to test/evaluate in practice. And the army can then suggest/demand further development or fixes to the weapons. So even the army doesnt really develop weapons per se. It just mainly tests/evaluates them. And after that it is then decided whether to buy such weapons for the army in larger quantity. At least it would be wise to test them really well in practice first. So the movie didnt left me the main idea of governments being always bad and evil. For me the idea of there being a reaction to every action seems what the movie was about essentially. But thats just my interpertation.
"how they *would"? This movie is literally based on how South Africa treated refugees from various African civil wars in the last 30+ years lol
This is how we treat people now. Right now.
District 9 was such a success because it had a great story and VFX and was made by a South African crew outside of the Hollywood Machine. It's what happens when creativity isn't hampered by focus groups and studio execs. The movie was a gut punch when it came out. Nothing like it since.
Great movies come from all over the world. That being said "Hollywood" isnt some Borg collective entity that controls all aspects of movies.
This is how i feel about the Oats Studios stuff. If yo haven't seen that stuff check it out.
And it's in South Africa because it's a criticism of Apartheid
@@dre3k78 Yeah, the CIA and the Isreali's are the Borg collective, not just "hollywood"
Nothing like it since, indeed. Sadly.
"DISTRICT 9" is without question one of the MOST relevant and substantially meaningful pieces of Sci-Fi cinema to come out in decades! There also really hasn't been anything quite like it since... Such a pleasure to see a film that carries this kind of weight AND is this entertaining! THIS is what you get when true artists are permitted to put real love and thought into their work without being hamstrung by "money people" and other outsiders with different interests who don't have even the capability to see, understand or care about the filmmaker's vision! Truly a rarity!
I completely agree. I remember seeing it when it came out and I was floored. I’ve always believed that if a movie can make you laugh, cry, and feel scared/thrilled, it’s a great movie. District 9 did all of the above in a way no movie has since. Add in the ties to apartheid and it’s easily one of the five best movies I’ve ever seen.
Additionally, the audience engaged with it so intensely. When he told Christopher to go, you could hear people crying, and when he caught the rocket, everyone went nuts. Everything about the movie is perfection. It’s sad, beautiful, and violent all at once and is a masterpiece of a film. It’s 100 times better than Avatar and it’s sad it didn’t get the publicity that Avatar did.
@@TheProfessorExplains You are COMPLETELY and UTTERLY correct on EVERY point!!! I can't think of a film that's come out since that's had THIS kind of relevance to real-world life for so many people in such a fantastic and entertaining manner! THIS is what TRULY GREAT science fiction is all about! Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!
Neill Blomkamp is an incredibly unique director. He's so good at immersing you so much that it feels real the whole time.
Yes I agree
My dream Halo movie/show would be a collab between Blomkamp, Nolan, and Jackson.
Genius. He was on Joe Rogan's podcast not too long ago, and I'm waiting for his Vampire movie he's making. It's a shame Disney ruined his chances of directing the Alien sequel that ignores all Alien films after 2, kind of like what Halloween 2018 did.
I dunno...I think he's more of a one-trick pony and he expended his best creative energy on this film - his movies since District 9 have had a considerable decline in quality (Elysium = mediocre. Chappie = Bad. Demonic = Awful) . Reminds me of M Night Shyamalan after the Sixth Sense...
He was good on one movie and that's it
Two weeks before the film had even released, Blomkamp was already talking about a sequel, and had said that he would go ahead with a follow-up if District 9 was successful. After its release, he continued to talk about the project, though there was no official announcement until 2021, when he revealed on Twitter that he was moving ahead with the script for District 10. He also announced that Copley was writing the film alongside him.
what was great about it is he said he didnt want to make a sequel just to make it. he also said he wanted to make it coincide with what was going on in the world. also the next one wasnt gonna be in SA and wouldnt be about wikus or christopher. so maybe that will change or a third film bc that is a story we want. to see what happens when they come back.
And since that announcement in 2021 it has been canceled, and then continued again. Im a bit worried its going to be stuck in dev hell forever. Though I suppose no sequel is better than a potentially bad sequel. (Im sure it could be good, but yknow how sequels can be)
The part where Christopher promises Wickus he will return....what a great movie moment.
Well there are rumors of a District 10 in development.
@@Tigermania I feel like those rumors have been around since this came out. So i don't know how much i believe them.
But... Then again, Freddy vs Jason rumors were around forever too and that eventually came out. So who really knows anymore.
Nah there won't be a district 10
Story told
@@mattkrause1573 it's in the works, they're writing it, they hope to make it in a couple of years
@@Ishai1hopefully it doesn't get scrapped like the aliens project he was supposedly working on.
Then it may be Blomkamps best film since .....district 9
This is not how people treat aliens, this is how people treat each other.
This is how Dutch South Africans treat Native South Africans.
Isnt that the point of the film? How humans treat other groups of humans as "alien".
@@cowsagainstcapitalism347 Yes. Go look up the REAL District 9. Might be called District 6. Lots of poor blacks were moved like this to a new area. It really happened, just no aliens.
@@dre3k78 tribalism. Its in our DNA to protect group survival.
@@dre3k78 Yes, that was a core concept of the film.
This is one of the most visceral, disturbing, and fascinating films I’ve ever seen. You can’t even describe it to people who haven’t seen it it’s such a unique experience. It is honestly shocking how real this movie feels, and I thin a large part of that is due to the believability of this hypothetical situation. One can easily believe that this would be the human response to this situation.
Especially when you know it was made in South Africa.
This is the human response to similar situations we already have
It IS the human response to this situation. It's an allegory for how the South-Africans treat immigrants. A lot of the interviews where people are being racist towards the prawns was them actually talking about real human immigrants in their country.
The whole movie is an allegory to Apartheid. I lived in South Africa in the mid '70s and have even visited Soweto. The District 9 ghetto is not a set, it was a real place left over from the past segregation of 'coloured" people from the real immigrants (white Europeans).
This actually happened. With poor blacks instead of aliens.
I saw you were watching this and said to myself, "she isn't ready" lol
I don't know if anyone can really be ready for this insanity. Such a unique take on the alien invasion trope with some body horror too. This movie is a gem that few people know about
Maybe the newer generation? This movie was big when i was in highschool and it was released. Everyone in school was talking about it for weeks
@@lacustina6560 yeah maybe. It was the talk of most movie discussions but has quickly faded it seems
@@kalandkarazor-el3088 yes because at that time there were many good movies coming out, but this movie was far from underate. Everyone loved it
@@lacustina6560Nah, it wasnt very popular when it came out either. It was released in a busy year for movies and ended up being overshadowed quite a lot.
@@ZeallustImmortal it made $200 million on a $30 million budget, got great reviews, and was nominated for a best picture Oscar. Not bad for a movie that "wasn't very popular".
It’s weird because I remember watching this and being horrified by the reality of it. I still am. The fact that anything near this existence is extremely real for millions of people is what makes this movie effective. We know this goes on amongst humans but we need to see it this way to somehow really feel it.
Very inspired by South Africa's aparthied era.
If you can watch schindlers list and not feel it then thats on you.
@@88balloonsonthewall70 Cry me a river....
What people are you specifically talking about?
@@uberbeeg Yeah. But look what happened to South Africa when the apartheid ended. They wanted to keep them out to save the country from collapse.
I have friends leaving South Africa for Europe because it's too dangerous to stay, and they're still so brainwashed they don't want to admit why their country is dangerous.
They don't deserve to live in Europe to be honest.
One of the greatest science fiction movies ever made. Was surprised on how good this movie is....and freakishly realistic.
was glad i saw it in theaters. actually went alone cause no one wanted to see it and thought it was going to be a stupid alien movie that was gonna flop. i won in the end seeing how it didnt
I was disappointed when I realized this movie was being done in a documentary style. Then by the end, it's one of my favorite sci-fi flicks of all time. I love the action, I love the characters, I love the elements of reality they included. It's just a really well put together idea.
Yeah they nailed it. So well done.
I went into this movie completely blind. I was with a couple of friends for a birthday and they brought me along. I didn't know it was about aliens...zippo. I remember seeing the docu style and thinking, "huh, this is an interesting choice...but i guess were all a bit geeky so im down for it". The way it transformed genres and became what it was...I've never had a movie going experience like it. Absolute legend of a movie. IMO Blomcamp has never quite caught the magic in the bottle that D9 is since.
He's making District 10 he says. Disappointingly he keeps putting other projects first.
Yes. I usually don't like documentary style movies, but this one was amazing!
You can tell most of the budget was spent in the second half, but in a good way. Doing it documentary style both helps with budget, and sets a specific tone.
You should be in shock Cassie. To this day I think this is one of the best movies I've ever seen. Everything about it is surprising, mesmerizing, terrifying, heart wrenching, and touching at the same time. Sharlto Copley plays the part of Wikus so masterfully. And I really feel it's one of Blomkamp's best films ever. He directed and wrote it while Jackson produced it. Have you ever felt so many feeling for a group of big shrimp before?
The key was the facial expressions.
This was an incredible film, and take on the sci-fi genre. It really is an exploration and commentary on apartheid, especially in South Africa. About the terrible things humans are capable of doing to each other, especially when we've completely dehumanized a group of people (represented by the aliens). About greed and the military industrial complex. As Wikus changes from human to alien, he also changes from oppressor to oppressed, and eventually in the end finds more humanity in himself than he had at the beginning.
The movie was inspired by the refugees from Zimbabwe, not by apartheid. The interviews in the movie where people talk about the aliens are actually real people, not actors, talking about the Zimbabwean refugees.
@@DavidMeddowsTaylor It's both.
"The inspiration for the film came from tensions between native South Africans and Zimbabwean refugees, explored in director Neill Blomkamp's short film _Alive in Joburg,_ as well as the actual relocation of over 60,000 residents of District 6 in Cape Town in the 1970s. (...) In 1966, the *apartheid* government declared it (i.e. District 6) a whites-only zone."
Your anti apartheid propaganda doesn't really hold ground any more. Now that south Africa and Rhodesia have been turned into third world countries what ever so called "rainbow nation" myth that was generated hasn't held up.
South africans are burning other black immigrants calling them "foreigners" on the street. They weren't doing that under apartheid and their was always jobs for blacks who are now they are starving. It the rape capital of the world for God sake. Now it on the verge of civil war due to the lack of energy.
The whites were right to be separate from blacks.
Such a brilliant movie that really talks about our society and how we treat people we don’t understand. It will always hold up in my opinion.
Intense social commentary in this movie, great flick
District 9 was a masterclass of tapping into human emotion all over the board with unique filmmaking style. Your reactions were spot on cause I know I was on edge the whole time I watched that transformation
Aside from the believably evil corporations, there's a realism to the portrayal of so many of the human characters. Wikus acts like I imagine a lot of average people in his position would, relatively unconcerned with the aliens' situation and lacking compassion when they resist in any way. He's not a bad person, he's just caught up in his job and his own problems and doesn't take the time to think about their experience. In a way, that's what a lot of us do for other humans every day. It can be hard to put yourself in someone else's shoes. But deep down, Wikus is a good person and he does the right thing at the end, as I imagine a lot of people would.
Not everyone has the gift of empathy .
Totally agree. The reaction itself kind of suggesting that would be the case as well. She was horrified only when wikus was treated badly, she did not comment on the aliens and how horrible life they have because of humans, even killing their kids. Maybe it was just editing but the reactions was only when humans were treating badly
We just lived through what people do to each other. How do you feel when people decide not to take the COVID vaccine. Do you lack compassion? Rhetorical question of course, but you can see how things work.
He was definitely a horrible person when we first meet him. Look how joyous he was when he was killing thier unborn.
I aggree, Vilkus last stand in the end is in my opinion one of the finest ones in sci fi movies.
I remember when this all came together, Neill Blomkamp was making a name for himself with his short films, especially Alive in Joburg which garnered a lot of attention and is basically the concept for this film, it got the attention of Peter Jackson who facilitated his entry into making feature films and man what a debut, he brought something nobody had ever seen before.
I hope she sees this comment. I don't see anyone else mentioning Alive in Joberg (which I encourage everyone check out also here on youtube) so so good.
@@Momo_0_o what is it about
Such an underrated and unique style for a sci-fi movie. I remember the first time I saw it and wasn't sure if I liked it or not.
idk it's just a good body horror movie
Not only a great sci-fi but also a disturbing commentary on the human race in the way we treat each other.
I think I was a little to young to enjoy it. But I tried it again like 5 or 6 years after it came out and I was like “this is really good”
I had the exact same reaction! I left the theater and literally said "I'm not sure I enjoyed that...." Watched it again on DVD and now it's one of my all time favorites.
@ Bradley that’s exactly what I thought! I saw it in theatre. I simultaneously loved and hated this movie. I’ve watched it a couple times since, and obviously a lot older now. It is still jarring to watch, but it is a great movie for sure.
Have you considered "Alien Nation" (1988)? With James Caan and Mandy Patinkin, police detectives in a society that has integrated aliens that got stranded on earth.
They later made a TV series and a few made-for-tv movies with Gary Graham and Eric Pierpoint.
Another alien and human film that came to mind is "Enemy Mine" (1985) with Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr., terrans at war with the dracs in space, the two protagonists get stranded on a certain planet and have to work together to survive the harsh environment.
Both movies are pretty good :D
Loved Enemy Mine
"That was a trip, I'm in shock!"
Everyone's reaction also when District 9 came out ;)
Most definitely. This was a mind-blowing film.
This movie felt real because it was based on true events, particularly 1970s South Africa during Apartheid in Cape Town, District 6. They just swapped out the residents with Aliens for the movie. When Christopher said he would come back in 3 year I and so many people were so excited for a sequel. But it never happened and should! GREAT MOVIE!!!!!
District 9 was directed and written by Neil Blomkamp, who also made 2 other movies (Elysium, Chappie) tackling many of the same dystopian themes, though neither hit as hard as District 9. Both also star Sharlto Copley (Wikus) in very different roles.
chappie was waaay underrated. hugh made a great villian, hope he has a role in district 10 as a villian. cant always be the good guy
Vastly underrated movie. Sharlto Copley (Wickus) is a great actor. He played Murdock in "the A-Team" (2010) and was the voice of "Chappie" (2015). Two movies you might be interested in 😉.
I went to see this in theaters with my brother who does not like movies but came because he wanted to hangout. To this day, it is one of the only few films he actually loves.
Sharlto Copley was absolutely phenomenal in this movie. The movie itself was phenomenal as well. One of my favorite movie theater experiences ever.
One of the greatest Sci-Fi films ever. Horribly underrated. Shame we never got a sequel…but maybe for the best.
I think there is a sequel in the works.
"Horribly underrated" Bro, it got nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. There is no underrating this movie.
@@BatFan1 4 Oscars iirc. Definitely not underrated.
I am terrified to imagine what a sequel would consist of. I am going to hug my dog and forget that you asked me to think about that.
@@BatFan1 well decorated by nominations but it's definitely fly under the radar for most people
Brave Cassie to watch this! We're all proud of you for adventuring into this one. It's a truly unique and gripping experience. So many other movies you can say "Oh it's like that other movie but a few differences." Not District 9, it's a beast all its own. Nothing quite like it that I've ever seen before or since.
Yep. When you think of Alien Nation, it was about the issues of INTEGRATION. District 9 is all about the premise for SEGREGATION.
I remember seeing this at the theater with my wife and the both of us being blown away by it.
The perspective of a post event documentary does so much for the immersion and believability of the movie. It's one of my top 5 sci-fi movies of all time
Peter Jackson didn't direct it. It was directed by Neill Blomkamp who also directed Elysium.
Another decent movie, Elysium. Wouldn't mind at all Cass watching that one
And Chappie. And Oats Studios.
It was produced by Peter Jackson so she probably misremembered it.
This movie was one of the biggest surprises I have ever experienced in the theater, because a mate and I went into it almost completely "blind". We had just seen the poster - no trailers and no commercials about it. It is a masterpiece, and definitely one of the best sci-fi movies of the past 2 decades, if not of all time.
I saw it in the theater when it was released. Such an AMAZING film.
District 9 is an absolute masterpiece. What a believable story, could happen, we don't know the dynamics of what is goin on out there.... felt very sorry for them all. What a situation.
lol I don't think I've ever seen Cassie react to something the way she did at 23:40 but there was something hilarious about it.
lol that noise she made! She's so innocent - the internet must rally to protect her at all costs!
lol
also 25:06...like, what is that.. ahah
I personally love her reaction at 25:40.
It was like she got punched in the guts lol.
12:14. "Human life, guys." That's the whole point. The minute they found out he was part alien, he was literally de-humanized in their eyes. This is probably the most literal allegory there is.
There's an earlier film that had similar themes called Alien Nation. In that film, an alien spacecraft carrying slave labor is stranded on Earth. It's inhabitants are integrated into society. But they face much discrimination. A human police detective who hates the aliens gets partnered with an alien who just became a detective. It's not as graphic and has a good amount of humor. The movie spawned a short lived TV series and several TV movies. It's a fun movie. It's stars James Caan and Mandy Patinkin.
Enemy Mine is also a sort of very easy version of this theme as well, with Dennis Quad and Lou Gossett, Jr.
Although it seems to be an unpopular opinion, I rather liked the TV series.
@@gerstelb I liked that show too, I remember feeling sorry for them, one, because of the bigotry, & two because of all the planets to land on, they landed on the one that is two thirds water, "saltwater" (to them, saltwater is like acid)
@@stegwise SO underrated! Enemy Mine is one of my long favorites, and no one does reaction videos for it.
@@jean-paulaudette9246 I think the issue with film selection for reactors is that they generally pick movies that are widely available so that their audiences can watch as well. Some are more adventurous, but that's why you see the same picks across so many channels. It's a shame since there are some truly fantastic 'hidden gems' out there.
They are FINALLY working on District 10, and I’m so excited
Wait really? How is that even going to play out? Lol
@@mattyice2099 What do you mean? There's a lot they can do, Christopher promised to come back in 3 years.
@@Nekotaku_TV I guess I wasn't using my imagination. I feel like it would be cool if christopher comes back and helps Wikus return human to meet his wife, or maybe he will seek revenge on her father- head of MNU, sparking a conflict between prawn and man.
A movie that could only really have been made by a South African. And would you believe this was actually Shalto Copley's (Wikus Van De Merwe) first serious acting role. He was used by Neill Blomkamp in the pitch for the movie and the studio insisted that he actually be the lead in the actual movie.
I think you would also quite like *Chappie* as well.
Shalto Copley was amazing as Murdock in the A-Team. Really brought the crazy.
To each their own but I didn't like Chappie. The protagonists really didn't do it for me.
Go to sleep!
No man. Then she’ll see those idiots known as die antwoord, fok nee man.
And the film was made as a 'low Budget movie'!
"That's what I mean, they could have done this all along?"
No, they couldn't have done it all along, that's why they didn't. The "command module" (the buried "ship") is what did it. Christopher had to spend 20 years collecting the fluid to make the command module work. Without the fluid getting put in the command module, the mothership just sits there. Once the command module had fluid, Christopher's kid could control anything connected to it. Which includes both the mothership, and any alien exosuit. The reason why they didn't do it sooner is just because they didn't have any fluid to power the command module.
Please add Children of Men to your list, It’s a similar feel I’ll be at no aliens but very real, grounded Syfy movie
One of my favorites!
Been asking for months.
one million times yes!!!
The fact that they look that alien & we care about them as a people is a triumph in movie making!
This is one of those movies that feels real. Every time I watch it I get this sick feeling in my gut because I feel like I am watching someone based on real life.
That's because it was drawing from real events, such as apartheid South Africa.
I think I've watched like, a million of your reactions, but this has to be my favorite one. Even if it's not your preferred genre of movie, your reaction was so genuine to the realism of the storytelling and filmmaking that it makes me think you branching out to more unorthodox movies to what you're used to is not just great entertainment for your viewers, but helps your channel expand too!
District 9 is so well executed as a movie
District 9 is one of the top 10 movies I ever seen. Maybe top 5. Completely underrated and brilliant performances by actors I've never heard of.
"... the media in that movie can just say whatever they want and everybody believes them."
Welcome to 2022.
I love this film.
The music, the documentary style that transitions into sci-fi then goes back to documentary seamlessly.
The "hero" who's seriously flawed. The aliens who are the complete opposite of what you would usually expect in a sci-fi film.
My only nit-pick would be the overuse of shaky cam. Other than that, District 9 is **chef's kiss**
Such innocence in this reaction.
Human life doesn't mean diddly when there is profit to be made.
Part of why this film is so popular and unique even 12 years later. It depicts humanity as it really is, the little bits of good and all the bad.
I truly love that this movie exists, with countless movies out there, any time there is a film as good and 'unique' as this they can be far more memorable than the other 99% of movies. A lot of layers to this movie as well, it's perhaps in my top 10 movies of all time even though I've only watched it a few times.
One major reason for me that makes this one of the greatest SciFi movie is how alien the aliens were. Most movies make aliens just humans in costume or beasts/animals. Here you don't understand the motivations and thoughts or even structure of their culture.
Incredible that this was Sharlto Copley's first film - the director had worked with him on VFX projects - and that he improvised all his dialogue.
I still can't believe you watched it!!! That's awesome!
I'm so happy that you watched this film. The allegory is strong with this one. What a great reaction!
it's an incredible film. not just the details they created in the background & story universe of it all, but the fairly obvious social commentary of racism, classism & intolerance. given the fact is set in South Africa, a nation which until fairly recently was under Apartheid rule, it's even more genius on behalf of the filmmakers by creating this film as a way to discuss their country's troubled history & do it in a way that will reach a global audience. also of note, the fact that as our protagonist became more alien physically, he gained back his humanity. the acknowledgement of the power of propaganda, politics, the power of media & the military industrial complex. everything about this film is amazing. the writing, the casting, the SFX. it's a masterpiece.
Nominated for 4 Oscars including Best Picture.
The best SF is satire. It holds a mirror to society in a way that other genres find difficult without being preachy. This is a prime example.
I didn't expect to see you react to this movie, today is a great day ❤️❤️❤️❤️
This film has many social readings. It is one of those stories that everyone should see and reflect on all the aspects involved in these events
In my opinion, the best sci fi movie of the 21st century so far
So glad you watched this and weren’t completely grossed out by it. I saw this in theaters and was enthralled from beginning to end, it’s one of the most unique, amazing, well excited sci fi films ever made. It does what sci fi does so well, allows us to see humanity and how we treat others through a sharper lens. In this case, by abstracting other people into monstrous looking aliens. At the beginning, the prawns are hideous, terrifying, repulsive creatures… by the end, we see they are subjugated, displaced, brutally mistreated people. It’s powerful stuff.
The trope of the unlikely hero is everywhere in storytelling, but this one is so back and forth with the character of Wikus that I think it earns it. He is largely not heroic and mostly self centered. He only agrees to help Christopher when he learns there’s something in it for him, a return to his normal life, and then turns on Christopher when he realizes it will take three years for him to make good on his promise… because Christopher needs to help the 1.8 million other prawns and not just Wikus. He finally makes the choice to sacrifice himself to let them escape and becomes a better person in the end, but it’s always left up in the air if he will make that turn.
Oh Cassie, how I love you reactions! "Oh My Gosh", "Eew". You are so cute! You're the best movie reaction person on UA-cam. There, I said it... Distric 9 was a breakthrough in the SciFi genre. Clever storyline regarding "Illegal Imigration", brilliantly told throught documentry style and "reported news". Just different. Very entertaining.
This film was so well done.
And, of course, it's a commentary on humanity.
I saw this movie in theaters, opening night. It was sooooo unique and unlike anything I had seen before. It’s one of those movies that just stays with you for a long time. So looking forward to the sequel now that it’s finally being made.
Blomkamp is actually in the middle of writing the script for the sequel. Years of waiting and speculation and finally he announced himself there's gonna be another. It's such a good film.
So who's idea was it to scar Cassie for life?
Scars add character. These are good scars.
This was such a unique Sci-fi movie and I loved the fact that they shot it documentary style. Originally this was supposed to be a Halo movie, but that fell apart, so I wasn't sure what to expect to see when I found out this is what they made instead. This quickly became one of my favorite sci-fi movies and still is today.
If you loved this style the only other movie that I recommend is Cloverfield.
Lol…when i saw this pop up i couldn’t believe it. This will be interesting…edit: ok, I am totally impressed with her reaction. I thought the story and visuals would be a bit beyond her liking…i stand corrected and its just one more example of why she is one of my favorite reaction channels. Cassie, if you’d like to see Vikus in a more happy/funny role you should really watch the A-Team remake. Its an excellent movie and i love his character in it.
This movie is a masterpiece on so many levels.
Easily one of my favorite movies. Neil Blomkamp is an awesome director. Also worth a watch by him is Elysium and Chappie. Similar feel to both of them. Sharlto Copley the lead actor Wikus is also in both of them.
Neill Blomkamp's short films on UA-cam are also great.
Yes chappie and Elysium definitely a must.
Yes!!!
@@paulcampbell8278 I want a full length version of Zygote so BAD.
yeah there was really never a movie like this before or since.. i remember when it came out, it was mind blowing for me. the special effects blended so well with the documentary style and the alien tech was so cool and well done. but yeah this movie is also a pretty scathing commentary on human nature (a running theme in Blomkamp's movies) and contains heavy references to south africa's history of apartheid
This one’s pretty brutal
This is one of the best science fiction films of all time. It tears me apart every time I watch it.
This was originally going to be a Halo movie, based on the video game with Peter Jackson producing and Neill Blomkamp directing. When that movie ended up not being made, the two decided to make this instead. They even reused some of the props that were meant for Halo.
It was actually the studio not trusting Blomkamp with their big budget IP movie and Jackson telling him to make a long version of his short movie "Alive in Joburg" as a "prove it" movie. At least that's the story the two of them have been telling since it came out.
@@Ishai1 It's weird because Neill Blomkamp and Peter Jackson (Weta Digital) did do the Halo Landfall 7 minute live action trailer for Halo 3 release in 2007, which was very good and I'd have thought would have sold them on it.
@@Asethet as a proof of concept, landfall was better than the entire halo tv show.
@@huemungy3212 Oh hell yes! Landfall is god tier amazing but the TV Show.... what a joke.... only watched trailer and some clips from youtube and I need to puke every time
I'll take things that didn't happen for 800, Ken.
One thing that needs mentioning is that even the name Wikus van der Merwe is an in-joke. Basically, where other countries have Irish or Polack jokes, South Africa has van der Merwe jokes.
Excellent choice! The most memorable movie-going experience of my youth was this film right here. Neil Blomkamp is an amazing director. You should also check out “Chappie” and “Elysium”. Two other films he’s made. Chappie is probably a bit too inappropriate for a reaction, but you should still check it out! It’s actually beautiful.
One of the most underrated sci-fi movies ever. I’d love to see a second part.
Christopher is 11 years late and counting.
Peter Jackson produced the film, but the director is Neill Blomkamp and it definitely bears his personal style (with the extreme grittiness and graphic violence). "Elysium is also a really good movie by him.
Not sure if you've noticed or care, but District 9 made a good job of portraying sci-fi weapons:
1. A proper gauss rifle that shoots in bursts instead of being a glorified sniper rifle.
2. A point & click anti-personnel exploder - you never see it comming, there's no way to dodge it.
3. A directional blast grenade that makes a perfect enterance hole in a concrete wall. Also given how it's visualised it's reasonable to assume that it can do it with materials far stronger than concrete.
4. And finally an exoskeleton armour suit to house all of it while providing believable amount of protection. It's not an Iron Man suit that can take a tank shot without visible damage, but it makes it the more believable and scarier given the assortment of weapons it carries.
And there's a whole bunch of others shown during the lab test scene that are also well portrayed for what they are.
Brave of you to stick with this movie. You've never actually chickened out on a movie even when it really scared you like "The Shining". Good for you!
I love how she just sits, stunned, right from the first scene lol. Not surprised, such a completely original movie
This is one of the best science fiction movies ever. So incredibly well done that, as you said, it makes it feel real or that it's exactly how it would happen.
If I recall, I think the reason that the aliens didn't just use their weaponry from the start was because the majority of them weren't intelligent and/or capable enough to do so. If you remember, Wikus said about Christopher when he first met him, "This one is a bit sharper." They had a very insect-like caste system, with only a few of them being scientists or engineers, while most of the prawns in the district were more the lay workers or what-have-you. That, and they sold a bunch of their weapons to the African gang in exchange for food, as that was more crucial to their survival at the time. That's my assumption, anyway.
So glad you watched this Cassie👍 This movie is great but definitely unsettling at times. The character Wikus takes us on quite a roller coaster of a ride. He starts out rather cruel and indifferent to the Aliens situation.
You would think with what he went through Wikus would have more empathy for the Aliens.
Even when he helped the Aliens it still seemed more about himself.
I feel terrible for him but still not sure how to feel about his character.
Did he start to have empathy for the Aliens or were all his actions just about self preservation?
I'm not sure. I want to believe he cared. In the end he became literally one of them.
I'm very sad for his wife who must be so confused and her father is a liar and heartless corporate (greed) monster. They use cruelty for profits with the Aliens and Wikus
They make zero attempt to help Wikus
There are many layers to this movie.
Its full of social commentary grounded in bleak realism. It's not just on how we might treat Aliens but how terrible we often treat our fellow humans/refugees
@@DoubleMonoLR Yes I definitely noticed that. Agree
That's why I said "I want to believe he cared" I could have made it more clear but my comment was already very long.
The director/creative in behind this also did Elysium (Matt Damon) and Chappie. Both are EXCELLENT as well.
i havent seen this movie in 10 years wow. It is just as amazing
12 years later this movie still hasn't left me!
This movie was like nothing else when it came out. So realistic, great story, pathos, comedy.
One of the greatest Sci-Fi Movies ever! Neill Blomkamp did such an amazing Job and Copley is an amazing Actor! I love this Movie so much!
Now that is amazing CGI, climbed out the uncanny valley and even watching this reaction I forgot the aliens are just a special effect.
They hold up CRAZY good to this day. Weta Digital outdid themselves and set a CRAZY high bar on this one. Very few movies even come close to this level of integration with reality.
It works because the aliens are so, well, alien that they never get anywhere near the uncanny valley. Great execution, though.
I think you're as good as any "professional" film critic. Your wrap-ups after the films are clear, concise and flow directly from your reaction to the film, not some intellectual formulations or attempt at cleverness. I've seen other reactors, clearly gripped by an unpleasant or challenging film, try to minimize or explain away how effective it was afterward.
Im so happy this movie is slowly being picked up by reactors. Definitely deserves the attention.
"At first, you don't like these aliens. They seem to be bad. Hurting people. But then, as you watch, you have empathy for them. They have thoughts. They have feelings. They have babies. They have to live in these horrific, terrible conditions. Everyone is taking advantage of them on every level."
"The world that they put me in was real, and disturbing and SO immersive."
This reviewer is both super-empathetic, and super-intelligent. One of the best reaction channels on UA-cam. FIVE GOLD STARS for EXCELLENCE.
“There are SOME good people on earth!” Great quote.
So one of the more wild concepts with this movie, is the idea that the "prawns" did not look that way originally and whatever they escaped from their homeworld turned them into that.
I love Cassie's reactions to films, but this one really stands out. You can tell she was totally immersed from the start, even with some of the more disturbing imagery. Seemed awestruck the whole time, which made it even better. Fantastic film, fantastic reaction.