The film is set in Johannesburg, South Africa, where an alien spaceship comes to a halt and hovers over the city. The ship remains stationary for months, prompting authorities to board it. Inside, they find malnourished and sickly extraterrestrial beings, who are subsequently relocated to a government-run camp called District 9.
The story follows Wikus van de Merwe, a mid-level bureaucrat working for Multinational United (MNU), a private military company tasked with managing the aliens, derogatorily referred to as “prawns” due to their appearance. Wikus is assigned to oversee the relocation of the aliens from District 9 to a new camp, District 10, located farther away from the city.
During the relocation process, Wikus is exposed to an unknown alien substance, which begins to alter his DNA, causing his arm to mutate into an alien appendage. This transformation attracts the attention of MNU, which sees Wikus as a valuable asset for unlocking the secrets of alien technology.
As Wikus becomes a fugitive from MNU, he seeks refuge in District 9, where he forms an unlikely alliance with an intelligent and compassionate alien named Christopher Johnson. Christopher possesses a canister of fluid that could potentially reverse Wikus’s mutation and restore him to human form.
Wikus and Christopher hatch a plan to retrieve the canister from MNU headquarters, which is heavily guarded. Along the way, they encounter resistance from MNU forces and encounter numerous obstacles. Despite the challenges, they ultimately succeed in obtaining the canister.
In the film’s climax, Wikus sacrifices himself to allow Christopher and his son to escape in their spaceship, which Christopher has been repairing in secret. As the ship ascends into the sky, Wikus is confronted by MNU forces, who fatally shoot him. However, Wikus’s sacrifice allows Christopher to reach the mothership, where he hopes to find a way to reverse the effects of the alien substance on Wikus and return him to his human form.
The film concludes with a documentary-style epilogue, which reveals that MNU has been disbanded and that District 9 has been shut down. The fate of Wikus remains unknown, but it is suggested that Christopher’s efforts may eventually lead to his recovery.
“District 9” is praised for its thought-provoking themes, innovative storytelling, and impressive visual effects. It serves as a powerful allegory for real-world issues such as apartheid, discrimination, and corporate exploitation.