“District 9” is an alien movie about humans. It’s about how humans can be racist, cruel and, all too often, inhuman. Fans of producer Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy may find some of the scenes in it hard to stomach. Fans of his “Bad Taste”-era work will relish them. But ultimately the film contains a thoughtful, moving message at its core that should hopefully appeal to both groups.

The film takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa, where a horde of malnourished aliens resembling prawns are discovered aboard a UFO. The aliens are placed in a refugee camp called District 9, which over the years turns into a dire slum. Soon enough, humans start to get sick of the scavenging, unsightly creatures and demand that they be corralled somewhere else. The man in charge of moving them is a bumbling employee of private contractor Multi-National United named Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley). It’s only when van der Merwe gets infected with an alien virus that he discovers first-hand just how brutish his own species can be.

One could read any number of allegories into South African writer-director Neill Blomkamp’s tale set in his hometown. Apartheid is an obvious reference, but as mentioned, the film takes aim at humans in general, and it could have been set anywhere. Fortunately, there’s also a kernel of hope buried in the film’s story. It may come wrapped in pretty gruesome packaging, but it’s a hell of a lot more than what you’ll find in any other horror/action/sci-fi offering this year.

4/5 Stars by John Robertson.

USA/New Zealand. Directed by Neil Blomkamp. Starring Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, David James, Mandla Gaduka. Category IIB, 113 minutes. Opening Oct 1.