Wildest Sci-Fi of the 2000s Still Passes the Test of Time 

It can seem that the science fiction genre went through a crisis right after the success of the Wachowskis’ Matrix in the 2000s. If we ask you to name at least 2 gems of the genre that were made in that decade, it’d probably be a problem recalling them.

However, it’d be unfair to say there weren’t decent sci-fi films at all, as back in 2009 the world saw a 90%-rated gem that is still recalled by Reddit. It is even getting dubbed ‘absolutely brilliant’ by fans who claim it’s still a must-watch for every sci-fi veteran.

Set in Johannesburg in 1982, it starts off by showing that a giant extraterrestrial spaceship lands there all of a sudden. It turns out that aliens are forced to stop on Earth not to conquer humankind, but because they’re sick and out of sustenance.

The government decides to confine the uninvited guests to an internment camp, imprisoning them. The settlement gradually turns into a slum that bleeds people’s resources, and it causes anger of the locals, who claim the aliens must be relocated.

There are a great number of movies that speculate on people’s potential encounter with other civilizations, like Will Smith ’s Independence Day (1996) and Tom Cruise’s Edge of Tomorrow ( 2014), but the 2009 gem differs from all of them in a very inventive way.

This flick features aliens not as octopod or steel smooth humanoids, but as nasty and even helpless creatures, breaking the sci-fi canon. It certainly presents a unique vision of humans’ contact with alien civilizations, just like Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival (2015).

Besides, there is a deep social commentary hidden in the film. The truth is that it is partially inspired by the events of the apartheid era of racial segregation in South Africa.

Titled District 9 as an allusion to Cape Town’s ‘whites-only’ neighborhood District 6, it appears to be the directorial debut of sci-fi master Neill Blomkamp (Elysium, Chappie).

“So good, most of us are angry we didn't get a sequel,” claims Redditor @TrustInRoy.

And yes, it’s really sad we won’t find out what happens next.

If you still haven’t seen this gem, you should immediately put it on your watchlist, as District 9 is available on Prime.