Humane

I recently watched the Canadian film 🇨🇦 Humane (2024) on Shudder. The storyline follows a global agreement for a 20% population reduction and a wealthy family caught in the middle of the crisis. Some members of the family support the plan, some oppose it, and they even discover that some of them are volunteering to participate. As the process for collecting volunteers unfolds, things take an interesting turn.

This film is directed by Caitlin Cronenberg in her directorial debut, and stars Jay Baruchel (Goon), Emily Hampshire (Schitt's Creek), Peter Gallagher (American Beauty), Colm Feore (Chicago), with a cameo by David Cronenberg (The Fly).

The premise feels like a unique spin on The Purge, with dialogue, perspectives, and circumstances that don't seem far-fetched, which adds to the film's entertainment value. The cast is well-chosen and fun to watch, and the action scenes are great, featuring plenty of slashing, stabbing, and fighting. There are lots of intense moments with stabs, slices, and cuts. While I did find some of the decision-making frustrating at times, it didn't overly detract from the film.

In conclusion, Humane doesn't really bring anything new to the genre but is still worth a watch. I'd give it a 6.5-7/10 and recommend seeing it at least once.

After stumbling upon many negative reviews around here, I felt compelled to share my thoughts with my first review. This film doesn't quite hit the lows that many claim, nor does it reach the heights promised by its premise.

The core issue is rather straightforward: the script (skillfully executed by Michael Sparaga) leans heavily into satire, however, it appears that not everyone involved in the production fully embraced this idea. The film oscillates between moments of absurdity, humor, thriller, and straight-up horror, leading to a somewhat disjointed direction. While there are occasional flashes of comedic bullseyes, the constant comparison to David Cronenberg's esteemed body horror of work is inevitable, despite the absence of substantial horror elements (barring a few graphic close-ups in the third act).

The movie would have greatly benefited from leaning further into its satirical elements rather than focusing primarily on horror and suspense. This failure to fully embrace its comedic side left me feeling somewhat confused. Is it a left-wing nightmare? A mockery of right-wing extremes? Probably neither. This imbalance, favoring horror over absurdist hilarity, likely contributed to the dissatisfaction of many viewers. When the socio-political message becomes too apparent in any form of art, there's a risk of either angering or boring the audience.

Still, if viewed as a satire, the movie with its one-location concept offers an entertaining experience. It serves as a commendable directorial debut and showcases a standout performance by Enrico Colantoni, who knows exactly what kind of movie he's in.

The concept of this movie is pretty good, government needs to reduce population so pays people to be euthanised. Rich guy invites family round to tell them he's enlisted to do this. All kinda makes sense and can go along with the general idea.

The rest of the movie makes absolutely no sense whatsoever, the company that come and do it, the behaviour of the family, every action, further development of the original concept, decisions of everyone involved, nothing works. There is that single original concept, and thats it.

But actually that single thing was kinda enough to keep watching and see how it plays out, to its inevitable dissatisfying ending.

Nice idea. Ok to watch, could have been waaay better in every single way.

Fantastic that it's directed by Caitlin Cronenberg related to some legends. I wanted to see sooner glad it's available on Shudder, shocked by the low ratings the movie is brilliant and smooth amazing concept! Odd how there's a service to enlist in being killed by injection or for one the family to decide. I love the character Bob he's fantastic all around. Unique to see Jay in horror genre I don't think he has before or at least very little. I barely knew much about the movie it's quite satisfying, probably under appreciated for the acting or maybe something else a lot of it is so good I really like Humane.

Caitlin Cronenberg makes her directorial debut with Humane (2024), a film set in a near-future where overpopulation has led to drastic government measures-including voluntary euthanasia. A wealthy family gathers for dinner, only to see their night descend into chaos as they confront uncomfortable truths about their privilege and morality.

The premise is fascinating and full of potential for sharp social commentary, but the execution leaves much to be desired. At just under 100 minutes, the film still feels slow, struggling to sustain tension throughout. While the script aims for dark humor and suspense, it often lands in an awkward middle ground where neither element fully takes hold.

Performances are a highlight, with Jay Baruchel and Emily Hampshire delivering strong work. They bring some energy to an otherwise uneven narrative, but the characters as a whole lack the depth needed to make their dilemmas fully compelling. The production design and cinematography do a decent job of building an eerie atmosphere, but visually, the film never quite elevates beyond its small-scale setting.

Humane is an ambitious debut that doesn't fully deliver on its promise. Caitlin Cronenberg shows flashes of directorial skill, but the film's sluggish pacing and underdeveloped character arcs make it a frustrating watch. With a sharper script and a more dynamic approach, it could have been a gripping thriller, but as it stands, it remains a missed opportunity.