Set in an alternate reality where an alien spaceship appears over Johannesburg, South Africa, District 9 tells the story of extraterrestrial refugees stranded on Earth. Over 20 years, these aliens, derogatorily called “Prawns,

are forced into slums and subjected to harsh treatment, creating a ghettoized area known as District 9. The story follows Wikus van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley), a bureaucrat working for Multi-National United (MNU), a private corporation tasked with relocating the aliens to a new camp further from the human population.

During a routine operation, Wikus is exposed to a mysterious alien fluid that begins altering his DNA, turning him into one of the Prawns. As he struggles with his transformation, Wikus finds himself hunted by MNU, which seeks to exploit his unique hybrid abilities. He is forced to ally with an alien named Christopher Johnson who dreams of escaping Earth with his son. Their journey sheds light on the aliens’ plight, challenging viewers to confront questions of humanity, empathy, and prejudice.