Step 1: Believe the hype. As a sci-fi thrill ride – and a provocative commentary on xenophobia – District 9 is definitely all that it’s cracked up to be.
Step 2: If you are an alien race and must make an unscheduled stop on Earth to fix a broken-down space ship, try not to do it in Johannesburg. You will NOT be welcomed. Unfortunately, one particular group of aliens learn this the hard way. Set in an alternate universe, it’s been 20 years since a gigantic space ship got stuck over the South African city, filled with aliens in some sorry shape – starving and defenseless. These aren’t your typical invading, War-of-the-World aliens, nor are they the cute, cuddly E.T. types. These aliens are known affectionately as “Prawns” because they look like six-foot tall insect-like crustaceans. Not pretty – and apparently 
not very intelligent. They have been herded into a slum called District 9 because the humans don’t know what else to do with them – but they are getting harder to control.
Step 3: Enter Multi-National United, or MNU, a private corporation whose job it is to keep things in line with the aliens – and not in a kind and humane way – while also secretly trying to figure out how to use their weaponry since they only work with alien DNA. Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley), a bureaucratic optimist, is sent into District 9 to begin relocating the aliens to a more secure concentration camp but inadvertently becomes the very key to unlocking this secret technology. He suddenly becomes public enemy No. 1 and has to take refuge in the one place he detests the most: District 9.
Step 4: Create a buzz. District 9 started garnering attention earlier on in the year with a clever viral marketing campaign, using billboards, bus benches, signs in 
bathrooms with a silhouette of an alien with a big X on it, reading “Non-Humans Banned!” As well, there was a huge internet push. What the hell was this? Of course, now we know, but making it seem real was a brilliant idea.
Step 5: Then, work the no-name angle. First-time director/co-writer Neill Blomkamp has been basically shepherded by producer Peter Jackson and has been allowed the freedom to create his vision. District 9 goes for the mockumentary style with jerky, hand-held camera shots and stars a mostly South African cast, including Blomkamp’s longtime friend Copley, who makes his stellar acting debut. The aliens, too, look incredibly real, which apparently was done with both CGI and prosthetics. All along the way, it’s the authenticity that draws you in – while the adrenaline-filled action sequences keep you on the edge of your seat.
Step 6: Discuss among yourselves. Here’s your topic: Why Johannesburg? The parallels will be 
drawn between District 9 and the South Africa’s history on apartheid, but film is much more universal than that. It’s about being oppressed, wherever you are, and that’s a deep emotion that can be felt by everyone. The sensitivity and thoughtfulness found in District 9 sets it apart from any other alien movie in which the creatures are dead ugly, and the action intense. You root for those shrimp heads all the way.
Level of difficulty in watching District 9: As easy as opening a can of cat food – which, by the way, is the Prawns’ favorite thing to eat. Gives them a major high … pretty much the same way the film does.