Enrico Colantoni is an underrated treasure of an actor. He has great range, a unique look (for an actor), and a solid track record of shining in whatever part he plays – large or small. So, when I saw that he was in Caitlin Cronenberg’s Humane, that was enough to convince me it was worth checking out. And Jay Baruchel is always enjoyable in his roles too. As you may know, I’m deep in the trenches of my challenge to watch and review 31 new-to-me horror films this month. This is my 26th. Let’s get into it, shall we?
In a post ecological collapse society, resources are scarce. The government has instituted rationing and a voluntary “relief” program through the Department of Citizen Strategy (DOCS). Those who volunteer to enlist in the program are euthanized and their heirs get a payout. The folks who enlist are typically low income. But not all of them. The York family is well off. The patriarch is a television personality. The matriarch is a successful chef/restaurateur. They live in a beautiful house and seemingly have everything they could want. So, it comes as a shock to their adult children (and one grandkid) when they announce at a family dinner that they have enlisted. When DOCS arrives, they find that one of the elders has gotten cold feet and fled. Unfortunately, they aren’t leaving until they get that second “volunteer” and neither are the rest of the Yorks. That leads to a night of tension, self-preservation, and backstabbing.
The Cronenberg name carries a lot of weight among genre fans. Caitlin’s dad, David, pushed the boundaries of body horror so much that his name has become synonymous with the subgenre. Body horror is often described as Cronenbergian. (the term is even used as a gag on Rick and Morty) Caitlin’s brother, Brandon, has shown that he is more than capable of holding his own in body horror with Infinity Pool, Possessor and Antiviral. All outstanding. All this to say that if you’re going into this film expecting Caitlin to carry on with the family business (body horror), then you will be disappointed. Humane is a fairly straightforward family drama with the stakes raised commendably with the framing of the post-apocalyptic bureaucracy intent on killing someone. These characters go from unlikeable (with exceptions) to despicable as the “volunteer” deadline approaches and their basest instincts for self-preservation take over. Old grievances, petty jealousies, and past sins all come to light. The result is a somewhat thrilling slice of somewhat violent interpersonal conflict. Using “somewhat” twice was not a typo. The film didn’t reach the levels of thrill or violence to really get my heartrate up. I found myself a little bored with the heel turns and ad hoc truces. It’s not a complete wash though. It was fun to hate a propaganda spewing Baruchel and Emily Hampshire’s (Stevie!) cutthroat Elizabeth Holmes type businesswoman. And of course Colantoni is a joy once again!
The Final Cut: Humane is a moderately entertaining family drama with some mystery and violence that may appeal to horror fans. A few engagingly hateable characters push it half a notch above “meh”.
No Real Danger 