District 9 [Blu-ray] (2009)

Exciting but contemplative. Slick but grimy. Intense but purposeful. Fatiguing but captivating. District 9 is a film of two words, both literally and figuratively. In the literal sense, it features protagonists and antagonists from two planets struggling to co-exist on Earth. Figuratively, the film incorporates plenty of fast-paced action and glossy visuals inside a world that's wholly depressing and subconsciously reflective of the human condition and human history; District 9's juxtaposition of shiny special effects and slick filmmaking consistently clashes with the alien-inhabited slums of Johannesburg, South Africa, where tragedy unfolds upon tragedy and where everyone -- human and alien alike -- is on some level both hero and villain, culminating in several days of upheaval that promise to forever alter the course of human and alien events.