Elysium
A desperate laborer launches a violent mission from ruined Earth to breach an orbital paradise and challenge its system of class-based survival.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- visceral
- oppressive
- propulsive
- science fiction marathon
- action movie night
What critics said
Critics found the film visually accomplished and action-packed, with timely dystopian ideas, but less cohesive and less incisive than Neill Blomkamp's earlier work.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The split between impoverished Earth and the privileged Elysium station directly critiques capitalism, immigration control, and unequal access to healthcare.
The pristine Stanford torus above ruined Earth makes social hierarchy physically visible throughout the film.
Max's failing health and dependence on advanced medical technology connect personal survival to the struggle over who controls healthcare.
Elysium's clean luxury is set against overcrowded Earth, scavenged technology, armed raids, and decaying infrastructure.
Films like Elysium, and why
District 9
shared dystopian science fiction, class conflict, militarized inequality, and visceral action
Snowpiercer
shared cyberpunk world-building, anti-capitalist themes, and a protagonist fighting an oppressive system
In Time
shared near-future social stratification, health inequality, and high-concept action thriller structure
Children of Men
shared bleak future setting, revolutionary resistance, and critique of authoritarian control
Movie Details
- Director
- Neill Blomkamp
- Release Date
- 2013-08-07
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (9837)
Cast
- Matt Damon
- Jodie Foster
- Sharlto Copley
- Diego Luna
- Wagner Moura
- Alice Braga
- William Fichtner
- Jose Pablo Cantillo
- Faran Tahir
- Maxwell Perry Cotton
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, fuboTV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Elysium about?
- A desperate laborer launches a violent mission from ruined Earth to breach an orbital paradise and challenge its system of class-based survival.
- What is Elysium like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Elysium as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Elysium violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Elysium as brutal.
- What did critics think of Elysium?
- Critics found the film visually accomplished and action-packed, with timely dystopian ideas, but less cohesive and less incisive than Neill Blomkamp's earlier work.
- Which films are like Elysium?
- Films with a similar feel include District 9, Snowpiercer, In Time, and Children of Men.
- How long is Elysium?
- Elysium runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch Elysium?
- In United States, Elysium streams on Netflix, fuboTV.
