Elysium

In the year 2159, humanity lives split between a gleaming orbital habitat called Elysium and a ruined, overcrowded Earth. Max, a factory worker with a life-threatening condition, ends up accepting a dangerous plan that might get him onto the space station and change who can access its life-saving technology. Powerful officials on Elysium, led by Secretary Delacourt, enforce strict anti-immigration rules, while mercenary Kruger tracks down anyone who threatens the status quo. Max forms uneasy alliances with rebels like Spider and Julio, and his actions trigger violent confrontations and moral reckonings as the film asks who gets to survive in this future.

Directed by Neill Blomkamp and released in 2013, Elysium stars Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley and Diego Luna. The movie followed Blomkamp's move from the indie hit District 9 to a larger-scale original science fiction picture with high production values.

The film reached mainstream audiences worldwide and performed well enough at the box office to increase Blomkamp's visibility, proving his style could carry a big-budget studio release without franchise support.

Elysium sparked conversations about economic inequality, immigration policy and unequal access to healthcare, with its stark visual contrast between a pristine orbital ring and a ravaged Earth becoming an often-cited image in debates about future urbanism and social stratification.

Critical response was mixed, with a user vote average of 6.513/10. Reviewers frequently praised the production design, visual effects and action sequences, while some found the storytelling heavy-handed and the political message too blunt. The film focuses on themes of class division, techno-elitism, corporate power and who gets to benefit from advanced medical technologies, asking uncomfortable questions about responsibility and sacrifice in an unequal future.