Caitlin Cronenberg has fun making Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire, Alanna Bale and Peter Gallagher kill each other in this thriller that could be described as an apocalyptic social comedy.
We know that the planet is on the verge of catastrophe. It is therefore no surprise when, in this imaginary world, the television news tells us that governments have collectively decided to eliminate 20% of the population. We must therefore count on the civic-mindedness and self-sacrifice of those who volunteer for this sacrifice.
This is how Charles York (Peter Gallagher), a former renowned journalist, and his wife Dawn (Uni Park) invite Charles’ four children to dinner. In the magnificent family home, Jared (Jay Baruchel), Rachel (Emily Hampshire), Ashley (Alanna Bale) and Noah (Sebastian Chacon) learn that their father and stepmother have decided to sacrifice themselves for the common good.
Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire and Alanna Bale in “Human.”
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ENTRACT FILMS
But now, if Charles complies (yes, the pun is intended), Dawn does not comply, which poses a problem with the authorities. Because the Department of Citizen Strategy (DOCS) absolutely needs two corpses, as Bob (Enrico Colantoni, enjoyable in this role of obtuse and psychorigid civil servant) obstinately points out. The latter therefore leaves it to the York offspring to kill each other, as he tells them, as naturally as possible.
Michael Sparaga’s script is biting, both cruel and realistic, reminiscent of certain moments of the pandemic. A keen, sometimes cynical, often touching and always hilarious observation of the worst failings of human nature (and of the privileged), “Humain” offers some similarities with It is the end by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, Zombieland or The cabin in the woods. We will nevertheless criticize Caitlin Cronenberg for not pushing this interesting madness further… which we cannot hold against her since it is her very first feature film.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Human will make moviegoers laugh yellow from April 26.
