Directed by Caitlin Cronenberg and written by Michael Sparaga, in the wake of an environmental collapse that is forcing humanity to shed 20% of its population, a family dinner erupts into chaos when a father’s plan to enlist in the government’s new euthanasia program goes horribly awry. Starring: Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire, Peter Gallagher, Enrico Colantoni, Sebastian Chacon, Alanna Bale, Sirena Gulamgaus, Uni Park, Blessing Adedijo and Martin Roach.
While undoubtedly bearing the name Cronenberg is going to be a big benefit entering the world of horror, it’s perhaps also a misdirection when viewers approach Humane. Going into this with her father’s legacy and brother’s recent filmography in mind, will put you at a disadvantage. As always with horror, it’s best to go in with an open mind because what you’ll find is much more akin to Knives Out than body horror. Misguided expectations could potentially be a killer for what is actually a hugely enjoyable film.
Starting with the most obvious factor that helps to make Humane so entertaining is the cast, it’s absolutely brilliant work from casting director Deirdre Bowen, who has now worked with the entire Cronenberg filmmaking family. Jay Baruchel is right on point with capturing the classic entitled and egocentric white male, he gives the audience everything they could want. All while wrapped in a very purposefully chosen turtleneck which is the cherry on top of his douchebag persona.
While Emily Hampshire gives us the chip on her shoulder, brash and uber-confident outside, yet there may be a flash of lightness lingering under the surface but it has a mighty challenge to break through her spiky exterior. Hampshire is wonderful at digging into the darkness and hopefully has a long and delightfully messy journey into the world of horror ahead of her. Sebastian Chacon gives us the kinder presence, a gentle soul and Alanna Bale does a great job of portraying the idea of growing up in a bubble, not quite aware of real world consequences.
However, perhaps the less expected stars of the show are Enrico Colantoni and Sirena Gulamgaus. Colantoni captures such a sadistic presence while his exterior is so friendly and bubbly, it’s an excellent mix and incredibly fun to watch. Gulamgaus brings a ferocity and rebellious nature which when put at odds with Colantoni’s Bob, makes for fantastic viewing. Topping things off with Peter Gallagher, Uni Park, Blessing Adedijo and Martin Roach, put simply it’s a dream cast.
All of those are more than enough reason to watch Humane but they’re not the only strengths because the writing and direction are also superb. Again, it leans towards that Knives Out style of throwing a family to the wolves and letting all of their sibling rivalry and insecurities take hold. Caitlin Cronenberg packages that in a slightly spooky, very tense atmosphere that’s gripping to watch.
Cronenberg also gets the progression and pacing perfectly, it holds your attention excellently and it’s in the ninety-minutes sweet spot. Michael Sparaga brings through an edge of dark comedy which works brilliantly and ties everything together. Although the ending doesn’t quite land the laugh it was going for, the way that it’s edited feels strange and unsatisfying but it’s a minor bum note to otherwise a sincerely enjoyable and fun experience.
Humane fits nicely into collection of ‘eat the rich’ style cinema that we’ve seen blossom over the last few years. It’s not hard to imagine our world coming up with a detestable and prejudiced program to kill off poor people, immigrants and criminals so it’s easy to slide right into this story and then be carried away by its exceptional cast. It’s tense, dark and fun, it has a surprisingly good sense of humour and it feels as though they struck the right chord of entertainment versus politics, not getting too hung up on the latter. Humane has snuck in under the radar to become one of this year’s best horror films.
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