--- title: "Elysium" year: 2013 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/elysium" fi1m_score: 60 critics_score: 62 critics_reviews: 20 published: "2026-09-19T09:45:45.775310+00:00" updated: "2026-09-19T09:45:57.403156+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Elysium (2013) Directed by Neill Blomkamp · 1h 49m · MPA R · Science Fiction, Action, Drama, Thriller **Fi1m score: 60** · Critics 62 from 20 reviews *In a sentence:* The rich have a machine that cures everything and the poor have Matt Damon with bolts in his skull > Neill Blomkamp builds a future in which the rich orbit the earth and the sick queue to reach it, and for forty minutes it is sharp, funny science fiction. Then everyone picks up a gun and the film forgets what it was for. ## Synopsis Los Angeles, 2154. The city is a sprawling slum policed by robots, and the rich have moved to Elysium, a wheel-shaped station in orbit where every villa has a machine that cures any illness. Max (Matt Damon), a parolee, builds those robots at the Armadyne factory until an accident leaves him with a lethal dose of radiation and five days to live. Spider (Wagner Moura), who smuggles the sick into orbit, offers him a shuttle seat in exchange for a job that means bolting an exoskeleton onto his body. On Elysium, Defence Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster) keeps a mercenary, Kruger (Sharlto Copley), on the ground to deal with people like him. Frey (Alice Braga), a childhood friend, now a nurse, has a daughter who is dying. ## Review Neill Blomkamp’s second film opens in Los Angeles in 2154 and then cuts to Elysium, a wheel-shaped station in orbit where the rich have lawns, pools and a machine in every house that cures anything. Max (Matt Damon) is a parolee with a factory job at Armadyne, building the robots that police him. The first forty minutes lay this out with wit and a proper sense of grievance. The second hour is a chase and a gunfight about nothing in particular, and the drop between the two is the whole of our complaint. Philip Ivey’s production design does most of the film’s thinking. Earth is corrugated iron, dust and queues; Elysium is Bel Air in the sky, colonnaded villas and clipped hedges. Trent Opaloch shoots the ground handheld in sunlight that bleaches everything, and the station with a still camera, as if for a property brochure. The robots are the best joke: Max’s parole officer is a painted plastic head that offers him pills when his voice rises, and when two police droids break his arm at a bus stop, the film has said all it needs to about who the machines are for. Sharlto Copley has the time of his life as Kruger, an Afrikaans mercenary kept on Earth by the station’s defence secretary, Delacourt (Jodie Foster), to do what she cannot be seen to order. He has a beard, a cloak, a katana and a laugh, and treats every killing as Saturday sport. The film needs him, because Foster has chosen an accent from nowhere and delivers her lines as if reading them off a teleprompter. Delacourt shoots down shuttles full of sick people and ought to frighten us; we spent her scenes wondering where she was from. Giorgio Armani and April Ferry share the costume credit, and Delacourt’s suits are the most convincing thing about her. The plot mechanism is where the writing gives up. Max takes a lethal dose of radiation at the factory and goes to Spider (Wagner Moura), who smuggles people to the station, for a ticket. Spider wants whatever is in the head of Armadyne’s owner, John Carlyle (William Fichtner), and fits Max with a steel exoskeleton to get it. Once the data is stolen the film has to keep explaining what it is, and Blomkamp reaches instead for flashbacks, Young Max (Maxwell Perry Cotton), a nun and a promise, cut in whenever the story wants a feeling it has not earned. Frey (Alice Braga), a nurse with a sick daughter, exists so that Max has someone to save who is not himself. Two things got to us, both early. The accident is staged plainly: a door jams, a supervisor tells Max to go in and clear it, the door shuts behind him and a machine counts down. Then the exoskeleton goes on in a shed with a drill, bolts into the skull and nothing you could call an anaesthetic, and we watched it through our fingers. Once everybody on the station is shooting, we were watching two men in metal frames hit each other in a garden and could not say what was at stake beyond a hard drive. We were not bored so much as unbothered, and the film keeps insisting the fate of the species is on the line. Lee Smith and Julian Clarke cut the fights in shaking close-up, and since Max and Kruger wear near-identical scaffolding it is often a few seconds before we know who was hit. The robots come apart handsomely; the humans come apart in ways that earn the 15. Ryan Amon’s score is brass and wordless choir turned up loud, telling us to feel the size of things when Ivey’s pictures had already done it. [*District 9*](https://film.one/film/district-9) (2009) was smaller and had a shape: one man, one change, one idea about who counts as a person. *Elysium* states its idea well in the first reel and then restates it, louder, while the guns go off. It runs 109 minutes and stops being about anything around the hour mark, so take the first half as science fiction and the second as a shooting gallery with unusually good robots. *Fi1m score 60, published 19 September 2026.* ### Reviews we read (20) - **Variety**, Scott Foundas (75/100, inferred): Blomkamp delivers a less dazzling but absorbing and intelligent, socially conscious bit of futurism on a larger scale than District 9, with scrappy ingenuity intact. The director proves a superb storyteller with a master’s sense of pacing and juicy characters. [Read](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/film-review-elysium-1200569714/) - **Empire**, Kim Newman (70/100, inferred): Blomkamp delivers a gritty, politically uncompromising sci-fi satire with strong world design, visceral action and bold themes on immigration and medicine, though characterisation remains simplistic and the story grows conventional in the action sequences. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/elysium-review/) - **Evening Standard** (70/100, inferred): Blomkamp creates a disturbingly familiar future nightmare with masterful world-building and striking contrasts between the two societies; the conventional blockbuster plot and heavy-handed messaging about healthcare and inequality detract from its potential. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/elysium-film-review-8781353.html) - **Slant Magazine**, Chris Cabin (65/100, inferred): Blomkamp moves closer to muscular, subversive genre territory with exhilarating fight scenes and inventive set pieces but waters down the cynicism with overly thick pathos and a too-safe, righteous hero. It praises the action and visual style while complaining that the earnestness dulls the impact compared to District 9. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/elysium/) - **Little White Lies**, Adam Woodward (4/3/3): The critic finds the film a confident but not fully ambitious follow-up to District 9 that confirms Blomkamp as an expert genre director, with strong action, effects and social themes but ideas and emotions that don't quite level up from the debut. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/elysium) - **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (60/100, inferred): Blomkamp’s cautionary dystopian shocker about a war of all against all is grimly fatalistic yet benefits from the director’s talent for making the familiar seem excitingly new and his light touch with jokes amid the ugliness. The film visualizes the worst effectively but ultimately feels constrained by big-studio conventions. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/09/movies/elysium-sends-matt-damon-into-a-dystopian-future.html) - **Time Out**, Tom Huddleston (3/5): The review calls it a messy, poorly structured Hollywood committee product that lacks the vitality of District 9 despite superb effects and some intense action sequences, ultimately feeling bland despite its bold concept. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/elysium) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (55/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's initial dystopian premise and satirical take on class and inequality but finds that it loses focus and distinctiveness once it shifts into conventional action and violence. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/22/elysium-review) - **Vulture**, David Edelstein (55/100, inferred): It is a more than decent formula sci-fi action picture with some gruesome effects but lacks the witty, handmade quality of District 9 and leans into dumb melodrama instead of sharp satire. It praises the premise and a few effects while criticizing the heavy-handed plotting, caricatured performances, and bludgeoning action. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2013/08/movie-review-elysium-david-edelstein.html) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (50/100, inferred): The film launches with vivid visuals and a pointed political haves-and-have-nots context but tailspins due to conventional action and script problems in the final act. It praises the effects and early dystopian world-building while complaining about generic gun battles and mawkish sentimentality. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/elysium-film-review-597355/) - **The Independent** (50/100, inferred): The film excels at creating two contrasting, visually detailed worlds but suffers from a plot that is simultaneously too busy and too simple, with too many characters and insufficient characterisation; the action devolves into a relentless series of chases and explosions. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/film-review-elysium-15-8780046.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (40/100, inferred): Elysium is something of a disappointment, an epic that has gone over to the dark side without realizing it and lapses into a standard good-guy-versus-bad-guy showdown despite strong early visualization and Damon’s presence. The socio-political concerns grafted onto the sci-fi framework are less electric than in District 9 and the combining of genre and theme not as adroit. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-elysium-movie-review-20130809-story.html) - **HeyUGuys**, Jon Lyus (5/5): The critic praises the film's visual splendor, social commentary on class divide, and engaging performances, calling it the best sci-fi film of the year and an exciting, thrilling experience. They single out the world-building and direction for praise. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/elysium-review/) - **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (B+): The critic lauds the brainy sci-fi with strong action, impressive visuals, and thoughtful themes on inequality, calling it one of the most satisfying summer films, while noting minor issues with corny flashbacks and contrivances. They single out the grounded action sequences and relatable world-building for praise. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-neill-blomkamps-elysium-starring-matt-damon-jodie-foster-20130801/) - **Den of Geek**, Ryan Lambie (4/5): Blomkamp delivers another visually stunning and thematically bold sci-fi action film about wealth inequality and immigration. The critic singles out the detailed world-building, explosive action sequences, and Sharlto Copley's memorable villainous performance as strengths. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/elysium-review/) - **Digital Spy**, Emma Dibdin (60/100, inferred): The film offers a plausible, detailed future vision and strong lead performance from Matt Damon but feels more generic in its action and plotting than District 9. The critic singles out the lived-in world-building and body-horror elements for praise amid the mixed verdict. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a505023/elysium-review-digital-spy-verdict/) - **Eye for Film**, Tony Sullivan (60/100, inferred): The critic notes the film's fantastic special effects and grounded action but complains about repetitive plotting, lack of depth, and a rushed finale, ultimately hoping it succeeds to allow Blomkamp more big-budget films as it feels important amid lesser blockbusters. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/elysium-2013-film-review-by-tony-sullivan) - **The Wrap**, Alonso Duralde (60/100, inferred): The critic finds that Blomkamp delivers strong action sequences and visual effects in this dystopian sci-fi but overplays the social metaphors and subtext, while also criticizing Jodie Foster's performance. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/elysium-review-bang-go-guns-ka-boom-go-metaphors-107396/) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (C): The critic finds the film delivers on its promise initially with thoughtful social commentary in a well-drawn sci-fi world but then loses focus in loud action scenes that undermine character development and the message. Praises the first act's world-building and social structure but complains about shaky camerawork, plot shortcuts, and Jodie Foster's accent. [Read](https://collider.com/elysium-review/) - **The Skinny**, Josh Slater-Williams (★★): Elysium's social commentary on healthcare and immigration is undermined by thin characters, underdeveloped world-building, and a rushed narrative. The critic singles out the impressive special effects and art direction as the film's main strengths. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/elysium) ## Details - **Director:** Neill Blomkamp - **Director:** Neill Blomkamp - **Writer:** Neill Blomkamp - **Cinematography:** Trent Opaloch - **Editor:** Julian Clarke, Lee Smith - **Music:** Ryan Amon - **Production design:** Philip Ivey - **Costume design:** April Ferry, Giorgio Armani - **Producer:** Simon Kinberg, Neill Blomkamp, Bill Block - **Cast:** Matt Damon as Max; Jodie Foster as Delacourt; Sharlto Copley as Kruger; Diego Luna as Julio; Wagner Moura as Spider; Alice Braga as Frey; William Fichtner as John Carlyle; Jose Pablo Cantillo as Sandro - **Runtime:** 1h 49m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 9 August 2013 - **Genres:** Science Fiction, Action, Drama, Thriller - **Budget:** $115 million - **Box office:** $286 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIBtePb-dGY ## Where to watch in the US - Netflix: streaming - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $6.99, uhd - Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-19.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *District 9* (2009), Fi1m 81: Blomkamp’s first film, made for less and thinking harder about who counts as human — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/district-9.md) - *Children of Men* (2006), Fi1m 85: A collapsing near-future Britain, shot on the move, where the politics never stop for the action — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/children-of-men.md) - *Snowpiercer* (2013), Fi1m 80: Bong Joon-ho puts the class system on a train and fights it carriage by carriage — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/snowpiercer.md) - *Brazil* (1985), Fi1m 83: Gilliam’s bureaucratic nightmare, funnier and stranger than any dystopia built since — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/brazil.md) - *Sleep Dealer* (2008): A Mexican border story in which the labour crosses the wire and the bodies stay behind --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/elysium