District 9 ending explained: What happens to the alien population and Wikus?

District 9 is regarded as an innovative science fiction film from the early 2000s. It marks the feature film directorial venture of Neill Blomkamp, who co-wrote it with Terri Tatchell. Blomkamp adapted the story from his short film called Alive in Joburg which was made in 2006. The film stars Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, and David James among others.

District 9 was released on August 14, 2009, by Sony Pictures Releasing and received a strong response at the box office along with critical acclaim. It also earned several Oscar nominations, including for Best Picture and Best Editing. Over the years, the film has managed to become a talking point and people continue to explore its ending in particular.

Here's the film's official synopsis,

In a future Earth in which aliens are isolated in a remote ghetto, a government agent finds himself banished there.

What is the plot of District 9?

District 9 starts in 1982 when an alien spaceship drops in Johannesburg, South Africa. The government decides to capture the alien life inside the ship inside a camp. Most of the aliens are unwell and suffering from diseases. The storyline then jumps 20 years, and we see the authorities are now shifting the camp to another location.

Christopher Johnson is one of the aliens among the crowd who plans to escape Earth with his son. He meets Wikus van de Merwe, who is a man supervising the operation. The rift between humans and aliens continues with the latter being labeled as dirty by humans.

How does District 9 end?

Towards the end of District 9, Wikus comes across a liquid of aliens, which leads him to slowly become an alien. The found footage film showcases Wikus going inside District 9 as he notices his alien transformation. Both Christopher and his son CJ decided to help him. The government has allotted District 10 to move the aliens there. While the aliens get a new home, the poor treatment of them by human beings continues.

Wikus starts as an empathetic man who cares for alien life. He is employed with the weapons company that is heading the eviction of aliens. After he starts transforming into an alien, Wikus realizes that his company will be performing tests on him. Living inside District 9 makes him realize the plight of aliens. In the end, he gives up on his life to make sure Christopher and CJ manage to escape Earth safely.

As the two escape, we see that Wikus has become an alien. Despite his transformation, he makes sure to gift his wife something. While the ending is heartbreaking, it's also hopeful from the alien's perspective because the two manage to escape. However, the other aliens are not that lucky and they will continue to live a captive life in the new district.

The makers manage to talk about xenophobia and segregation of the people through this alien story. The fact that the film's title is derived from a real-life South African district is no coincidence. That place was a part of Cape Town during the time of apartheid.

Talking to CinemaBlend, Sharlto spoke about how viewers think his character starts off as a goofy person but ends up becoming the hero. He said,

"I can see that people would see it that way, I certainly didn't consciously think about it like that. I approached it from a perspective of a very insecure person who's trying to hide those insecurities, trying to look like he's in control of everything, thinks he's more popular than he really is. Then he goes through the process of all of that being stripped away from him. You see what characters are when you start putting them through stuff. if there's any heroic side of him, that comes out."