District 9 (2009)

District 9 parents guide

What we could confirm fits an R: brutal violence and frequent strong language.

Scare

Mildly scary

A few tense or eerie moments.

Jump scares

A couple

One or two sudden jolts.

Gore

Graphic gore

Blood and wounds shown clearly.

Violence

Brutal violence

Our top level for violence.

Sex and nudity

None flagged

It is rated R, so treat our zero as unconfirmed.

Language

Strong

Frequent strong profanity or slurs.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

Is District 9 scary?

Only a little. District 9 has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.

How gory is District 9?

Graphic gore and brutal violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.

What is District 9 rated, and is it OK for kids?

Rated R, and it earns it: brutal violence, frequent strong language and graphic gore. Not one for kids.

What is District 9 about?

Thirty years ago, aliens arrive on Earth. Not to conquer or give aid, but to find refuge from their dying planet. Separated from humans in a South African area called District 9, the aliens are managed by Multi-National United, which is unconcerned with the aliens' welfare but will do anything to master their advanced technology. When a company field agent contracts a mysterious virus that begins to alter his DNA, there is only one place he can hide: District 9.

Cast and crew

More like District 9

• A Clockwork Orange (1971)Properly scary · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastatingA bleak, satirical crime story unfolds as a young man's violent free will clashes with state control.
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• Black Mirror (2011)Dark satire · bleak · full attention · strong violenceEach standalone story explores the chilling, darkly comedic consequences of technology on human society.
• Fight Club (1999)Gritty · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastatingAn insomniac and a soap salesman unleash primal aggression, igniting a darkly comic, surreal spiral toward oblivion.
• Joker (2019)Bleak · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastatingA measured descent into madness unfolds as a comedian's dark satire fuels Gotham's gritty, bleak chaos.
• Alien (1979)Terrifying · graphic gore · strong violence · emotionally heavyA commercial spaceship crew answers a distress signal, unleashing a chilling, gritty, and atmospheric nightmare.
• The Originals (2013)Dark satire · gritty · full attention · brutal violenceMillennia-old vampires reclaim their city with darkly comic vengeance in this gritty, suspenseful, epic drama.
• Watchmen (2009)Dark satire · gritty · full attention · brutal violenceCostumed vigilantes investigate a murder and uncover a sinister plot in a darkly comic alternate 1985.

District 9 is on our Found footage, Aliens, Dystopias, Best Picture nominees and 2000s lists.

More like this feeling

Prompts we typed into CouchRot, and the lists that share its tags.

• “a fun halloween movie, not too scary”
• “scary but not gory”
• “a movie that will make me cry”

Lists with the same feel: Most violent and Dark.