11 Years Ago Today, This $102M Movie Ended an Unofficial Sci-Fi Trilogy That Started With a Masterpiece

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On March 6, 2015, director Neill Blomkamp’s Chappie premiered in theaters. The film is a sci-fi title revolving around the titular robot portrayed by Sharlto Copley. Though it’s a standalone movie that tells a self-contained story, some moviegoers view it as the finale of an unofficial sci-fi trilogy Blomkamp helmed earlier in his career, as it came on the heels of fellow sci-fi films District 9 and Elysium. The trilogy got off to a rousing start, but it unfortunately became a case of increasingly diminishing returns as it went on.

District 9 Is the Best Movie of Neill Blomkamp’s Unofficial Sci-Fi Trilogy

As indicated, District 9, Elysium, and Chappie are not narratively connected to each other. They don’t even appear to take place in the same universe (like Duncan Jones’ Moon and Mute). However, it became easy to view this trio as an unofficial trilogy because they have a lot in common. Not only are the settings all very similar, they also explore similar themes, covering political and social topics such as class relations, racism, and immigration. In many respects, the three films complement one another by exploring important humanitarian issues from different perspectives. They strive to be the best kind of sci-fi stories, holding a mirror up to our world while rendering it through high concepts like an alien ship hovering over Johannesburg or a robot learning the meaning of life.

Blomkamp immediately announced himself as a filmmaker to watch with the release of District 9, which remains his greatest achievement 17 years later. Widely acclaimed, District 9 was a sizable box office hit (earning $210.8 million worldwide against a $30 million production budget) and received numerous accolades (including a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars). The film was praised for its stunning visual effects, mature storytelling, and compelling performances (Copley in particular was the highlight). What made District 9 so great is that it worked as both an apartheid metaphor and as just an exciting sci-fi thriller with high stakes. It was arguably the best sci-fi film of 2009, the same year that gave us Star Trek and Avatar.

The only downside to District 9 being a modern masterpiece is that it raised the bar for Blomkamp to impossibly high levels. In his subsequent features, Blomkamp failed to capture the same lightning in a bottle. Elysium isn’t bad, per se (64% Rotten Tomatoes score), but it was hamstrung by its obvious messaging and predictable plot machinations. Even Blomkamp himself expressed regret over the storytelling approach years later. Things further turned for the worse when Chappie premiered in 2015. It has the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score and box office haul of Blomkamp’s trilogy, struggling to effectively execute a premise that was bursting with potential. Chappie was so disappointing because it served as a reminder that while Blomkamp is capable of coming up with interesting ideas, he can’t always convey them on screen.

Chappie marked the end of an era for Blomkamp. His next features, Demonic and Gran Turismo, wouldn’t arrive until the early 2020s, and they both were a stark departure from the socially conscious sci-fi that defined the early part of his career. It’s unfortunate Blomkamp wasn’t able to fully build on District 9‘s success and establish himself as one of his generation’s leading voices in genre filmmaking. District 9 was such a fresh and exciting work, but with the next two films, it felt like Blomkamp was desperately trying to recreate the formula (social commentary + sci-fi angle) and the recipe just got stale, causing audiences to lose interest. He still has an eye for sharp visuals and is passionate about the craft, so perhaps one day he’ll bounce back and return to his old District 9 form.

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