5 Plot Point Breakdown: District 9 (2009)

Screenplay Genre: Sci-Fi / Drama / Action

Movie Time: 112 minutes

1. INCITING INCIDENT

Wikus (Sharlto Copley), an executive of the private military company MNU, has been delegated the task of relocating the aliens from District 9 by fooling them into signing an illegal eviction notice. While probing the shack of one of the aliens, Christopher Johnson (Jason Cope), he finds a container that sprays black alien liquid in his face. (00:23:09)

2. LOCK IN (End of Act One)

After being infected by the black alien liquid and showing signs of illness (from fingernails falling off to black vomiting), Wikus ends up in the hospital, where the doctor cuts open the bandage on Wikus’ arm to reveal his transformed alien hand. (00:37:02)

3. FIRST CULMINATION (Midpoint)

On the run and desperate for help, Wikus runs into the shack of District 9 resident Christopher Johnson, who explains to Wikus that he could fix him if he had the canister that was confiscated, which propels Wikus toward a new objective: find the canister. (00:55:31)

4. MAIN CULMINATION (End of Act Two)

After successfully acquiring the black liquid canister from the MNU lab, Wikus and Christopher race back to the shack where they start up the ship that Christopher has been secretly building. Christopher tells Wikus that he must first fly to his home planet to bring help back to Earth (a 3 year process) so that he can save the rest of the District 9 residents before he can fix Wilkus. Out of frustration, Wikus knocks Christopher aside and takes off in the ship himself only to be shot down moments later. The District 9 arms dealers/gangsters apprehend him and take him to their leader. (01:23:04)

5. THIRD ACT TWIST

Wikus jumps into a war machine in order to pave the way for Christopher to make his last attempt at an escape, but when MNU forces surround Wikus, he can only take so many of them out before he is left wounded on the ground with MNU military leader Koobus Venter (David James) approaching, ready to take him out. (01:39:09)

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