Netflix Puts the Matt Damon Sci-Fi Film Its Director Regretted Behind a Wall

Netflix is streaming Elysium, Neill Blomkamp’s 2013 science-fiction film starring Matt Damon, but the movie is blocked for ad-tier users in February as one of nearly 140 titles restricted over rights-related issues. Damon plays a hustler in a dystopian future where the wealthy live on a luxurious space station while others remain on Earth.

The cast also includes Wagner Moura, Diego Luna, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga and Jodie Foster. Produced on a reported budget of $115 million, it grossed around $285 million worldwide. Critical reaction was muted: Elysium holds a 64% score on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics' consensus reads, "After the heady sci-fi thrills of District 9, Elysium is a bit of a comedown for director Neill Blomkamp, but on its own terms, it delivers just often enough to satisfy." The film has been described as the movie that began Blomkamp's fall from grace.

Blomkamp later admitted, "I almost want to go back and do it correctly... I just didn’t make a good enough film is ultimately what it is...

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