History Film / District9

* [[AliensInCardiff Aliens In Johannesburg]]: {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in the first ten minutes of the film, where the sick, malnourished aliens had the misfortune to make first contact with the South African city, and notes when the ship first appears over the city that it wasn't some place like New York City, London, or Chicago. [[FantasticRacism And cue the thinly-veiled apartheid parallels.]]

* AlternateHistory: In the universe of the film, aliens arrived on Earth above South Africa in 1982, and have been living in a slum outside Johannesburg ever since. Despite the past 28 years of history being different for South Africa, advances in technology have not changed due to the alien's tech being biologically encoded to their DNA, meaning humans cannot use it.

** The police brutality perpetrated by the [[PsychoForHire MNU soldiers]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DurbanSign1989.jpg the "No Non-Human Loitering" signs]], and even the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_Six title of the film itself]] are all [[UsefulNotes/TheApartheidEra decidedly unsubtle]], with chilling effect.

* PoesLaw: As part of the {{Mockumentary}} section of the film, local South Africans on the street are shown giving largely xenophobic opinions on the prawns. Those ultra-racist comments made by locals that "they have to go?" ''Not actors.'' The filmmakers got these sequences by asking locals for their opinions on ''Nigerian'' immigrants, without a single mention of science fiction. The fact that no-one noticed until Blomkamp pointed it out is probably what led him to make ''{{Film/Elysium}}'' his next picture, where he hit that anvil ''even harder'' than he hit the ones in this film.

* ProductPlacement: Wikus' Sony Vaio laptop, right in the foreground of the the first shot in the movie!

** The police brutality perpetrated by the [[PsychoForHire MNU soldiers]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DurbanSign1989.jpg the "No Non-Human Loitering" signs]], and even the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_Six title of the film itself]] are all [[UsefulNotes/TheApartheidEra decidedly unsubtle]], with [[SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped chilling effect]].

* NotSoDifferent: MNU and the Nigerian gangsters. They both want Wikus for the same reason. Given ''just'' how advanced the alien technology is, it's entirely possible that the scientific approach would wield equal results, that is to say: none at all.

** Piet Smit claiming that his daughter's marriage to Wikus wasn't a factor in choosing him as field commander for the relocation effort (immediately after we see his parents proclaim that he "wasn't very smart").

* RealityEnsues: A sword that cuts both ways in the final battle. [[spoiler: Wikus might have a MiniMecha that's vastly superior to anything the mercenaries can throw at him, but he's also a NonActionGuy with no combat training, so he spends most of the time running away, and the mercenaries eventually manage to disable it by fighting strategically and pumping it full of [[MoreDakka round after round after round]] of small arms fire, heavy impacts and explosive ordinance. No matter how good the aliens' technology is, it's not invincible and eventually it breaks, an outcome that's doubly likely when piloted by someone like Wikus who doesn't know how to use it. Up until that point, though, Wikus still makes mincemeat of the MNU guys because relative inexperience is irrelevant when guys with small arms ordinance and light body armor are going up against a two-legged WalkingTank that fires ''lightning bolts'', manipulates gravity and can [[LudicrousGibs pop people like water balloons]] with a single hit.]]
** Wikus [[TooDumbToLive learns very quickly]] why you should always wear a protective safety mask when working with dangerous chemicals in an unsanitary environment and alien technology you don't understand how to operate.
** Arguably, the film's whole premise is an example. How would FirstContact go with a heavily-armed (not to mention [[WhatMeasureIsANonCute ugly]]) alien race that's advanced enough to travel to our planet but not organized enough to be an [[AlienInvasion invasion force]]? Judging from our history, it would go [[DeconstructedTrope rather]] [[FantasticRacism poorly.]]
** Although his [[spoiler:revealing MNU's vile genetic experiments to the public]] was [[ScrewTheRulesImDoingWhatsRight obviously a good thing]], Wikus' sidekick Fundiswa [[spoiler:[[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished goes to prison anyway]] because he broke into their computer system to get the information, which is against the law.]] HeroInsurance does not exist in real life, and just because you did something illegal for clearly altruistic reasons doesn't mean you won't be charged with a crime.

* AlienSpaceBats: The aliens landed in 1982. Technology, on the other hand, hasn't changed, due to the alien's technology being completely inoperable by humans, and denying any attempt at reverse-engineering. In addition, MNU solely focused on weaponry, instead of more peaceful tech.

* AsYouKnow: Mainly averted except when CJ, on the last day of his 20 year magic juice collection program, explains the entire thing [[TheWatson to his prawn friend, who probably should know better]]. (Then again, considering how lacking in insight most of the aliens are without their leaders, this might not be his first time having to explain everything over again in minute detail.)

* EvilVersusEvil: A massive fight occurs between the evil MNU mercenaries and the evil Nigerian gangsters. Both want to use [[spoiler:Wikus' corpse]] so that they can activate prawn weaponry, although the gangsters are considerably less scientific about it.

* FiveSecondForeshadowing: After capturing him in the climax, Koobus tells Wikus "I see why everyone wants a piece of you." Moments later, [[spoiler:a group of prawns surround Koobus and, well, let's just say they ''all'' "[[EatenAlive want a piece of him.]]"]]

* ForTheEvulz: Koobus's only real motive is that he loves to kill prawns.

* {{GIFT}}: Christopher is infinitely more fiery on his blog.

* GRatedDrug: Cat food. Practically the only G-rated thing in the whole film.
* GreaterScopeVillain: [[spoiler: The MNU CEO. [[BigBad Smit]] and [[TheDragon Koobus]] ultimately answer to him (or to one of his subordinates), but his only appearance in the film is part of a brief news clip. MNU as a whole and particularly its upper management and presumably its board of directors would count too; District 9 is but one of their countless concerns.]]

* HumanShield: Wikus uses a scientist as one, threatening to [[EyeScream cut out his eyes with a scalpel]] if the others attack him.

* InWorkingOrder: Averted, and a major plot point. Humans can't seem to find a way to operate the alien weapons. The only way you can do this is [[spoiler:for someone to turn into an alien, which MNU tries to exploit when Wikus is halfway through his metamorphosis]].

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Wikus is extremely callous towards the prawns at the beginning, but we do see that he's quite in love with his wife. Eventually he manages to crack open his humanity toward the prawns as well.

* AlternateHistory: The aliens landed in 1982. Technology, on the other hand, hasn't changed, due to the alien's technology being completely inoperable by humans, and denying any attempt at reverse-engineering. In addition, MNU solely focused on weaponry, instead of more peaceful tech.

** To a much greater extent Prawns and humans. [[AllThereInTheManual Christopher's blog]] shows that there are plenty of prawn bigots and extremists as well, a discovery that deeply shakes Christopher.

[[AlternateHistory In 1982]], a massive flying saucer came to a halt above the city of Johannesburg, UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica. After three months of complete silence, the government had the ship boarded. Surprisingly, most of the aliens turned out to be confused, timid and starved. They were "drones" -- working class aliens, incapable of surviving or piloting their starship on their own, and their leaders had mysteriously disappeared.

* SequelHook: Christopher ''will'' be back. The aliens are living in District 10 by the end of the movie, so there's your title right there.

* VillainousValour: Obesandjo might be a psychopathic cannibal, but you need some serious balls to laugh at the hero when he's just blown a hole through the wall of your cabin and is currently aiming a ''[[{{BFG}} very large gun]]'' at your head.

** Wikus drops a very telling line when Christopher points out that he's been served an illegal eviction notice and the MNU has no legal right to evict him and his child.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Some good-natured ribbing has been directed at the almost [[BloodyHilarious cartoonishly exaggerated]] effects of the prawn lightning weapons on enemies, in that they don't so much ''destroy'' their targets as [[LudicrousGibs paint the walls with them.]] While there is obviously no weapons technology we possess in real life that has anywhere close to that kind of destructive capacity, and especially not one that shoots targeted blasts of electricity, the closest thing anyone has yet thought of to the prawn "lightning guns" - [[FrickinLaserBeams high-power laser weapons]] - ''would'' have very gory effects on a living target, and not cauterize the wound [[RealityIsUnrealistic as one would expect]], since the heat from the beam would boil the water in the target area, causing it to expand and rip the surrounding flesh apart as violently as any knife wound or high-velocity bullet.

* ArmorIsUseless: Against the alien weapons, Korbus and his goons might as well be wearing nothing. They either explode instantly from the lightning gun or the portable RailGun tears right through them.

* MeaningfulName: ''Christ''opher ''J''ohnson - just switch the order of his initials. "Christopher" is also the patron saint of travelers. "Van de Merwe" is a generic name given to characters who are the butt of ethnic jokes against Afrikaaners. Dr. Moraneau's name, the MNU head doctor who attempted to fuse human babies with alien DNA, is very reminiscent of [[Literature/TheIslandOfDoctorMoreau Dr. Moreau]]. The African King Cricket is an insect considered a pest in urban settings and its primary means of defence if threatened is to spray an unpleasant black faecal gloop over the threat. It is known as the ''Parktown Prawn''. [[note]]According to TheOtherWiki, the Parktown Prawn is attracted, in large numbers, to cat food and will do anything to get it[[/note]]

* AlienInvasion: [[spoiler:Speculated to happen when Christopher returns.]]

* AllThereInTheScript: Because it's not spelled out in dialogue (and the condition of [[spoiler:the body]] is so severely mutilated), first-time viewers are unlikely to pick up on the fact that [[spoiler:the dissected prawn corpse Christopher sees in the MNU labs isn't just any old prawn - it's his friend, Paul, who Koobus killed during the eviction.]]

* AndThenJohnWasAZombie: And then [[spoiler:Wikus was a prawn]].
* ApologeticAttacker: Wikus, when he is forced to [[spoiler: kill an alien as part of a weapons test]].
* AppliedPhlebotinum: The mysterious alien "fluid," which powers all of their technology, [[spoiler:and apparently can turn humans into aliens]]. WordOfGod says it's meant to repair things, which probably would apply to medical aid as well.

* DirtyCoward: [[spoiler:Despite being in a heavily armed and armored MiniMecha that's far more advanced than anything the humans can operate, Wikus' first instinct is to ''run away'' from the MNU troops, telling them "[[KickTheDog they can have the prawn]]" and begging them to leave him alone. It's not until he hears them preparing to shoot Christopher over the radio that he [[HeelRealization recognizes his own cowardice]] and [[ConscienceMakesYouGoBack turns back.]] ]]

* EvilutionaryBiologist: Dr. Moraneau, the MNU head doctor. WordOfGod states those things in the jars were his attempts at fusing human babies with alien DNA.

* JitterCam: At least in the beginning.

* NoSell: Although they're not immune to point-blank headshots, the prawns are more-or-less ImmuneToBullets, which naturally makes the humans even more nervous around them. One MNU mook even shoots a couple of prawns from a distance of about thirty feet away with a machine gun during the mass eviction, and they don't do much more than flinch or stumble backwards, more in surprise than in pain.

* SceneryGorn: District 9 itself is positively ''disgusting'' to look at. (Even more horrifying, most of these scenes were filmed in an actual temporary housing settlement in Joburg.)
* SerkisFolk: The aliens are completely computer-generated. The deleted scenes on the DVD (only one of which has CGI added in, by the way) also reveal that Jason Cope played pretty much every single grown alien in the film that got more than five seconds of screen time. Blomkamp describes the animation process as "rotomation," a portmanteau of rotoscopy and animation. Basically, Cope was digitally erased from the footage and his performance was referenced by the animators, but not actually recorded move-for-move.

* SirSwearsALot: Wikus. The F-word is dropped 137 times.

* SuperStrength: Not that extreme, but the prawns are still strong enough to literally toss people around like ragdolls and rip them a grown man to pieces with their bare hands...er, claws. Considering how they're universally malnourished, starving, and most likely disease-ridden, it gives you a hint at how strong they must be when they're in perfect health.

* TheyWalkAmongUs: Well, they ''would'' walk among us, except that we have [[SarcasmMode ever so kindly]] moved them into a [[FantasticRacism horrible filthy militarized ghetto.]]

* EstablishingCharacterMoment: We get two for Wikus. His JerkAss attitude when evicting the shantytown is mostly a front he puts on for the camera to impress his MNU bigwigs, but it does indicate that his main concern is always looking out for #1. Later we see him freak out when [[spoiler:forced to kill an innocent prawn]], showing that as self-centered as he is, Wikus is no monster

* TranshumanTreachery: Inverted; [[spoiler:in South African Alien Apartheid, humans betray YOU]]!