Humane

How do you sully the Cronenberg name? Well, this is a start.

Maybe that's too harsh, as "Humane" is a passable movie going experience, but it does pale next to what poppa David and brother Brandon have unleashed lately.

After a career in photography Caitlin Cronenberg joins her family of filmmakers with this auspicious eco-thriller debut, and it does look great. It has that. It also has the spunky yet amateurish charm of the early Cronenberg films, where horror sprinkled with macabre comedic touches is the payoff of to quickly ignored and outlandish plotlines. The set up to "Humane", a voluntary 20% euthanasia program to combat climate change, is great. Even better, a well to do family gathers for a squabbling dinner only discover that one of them will be "volunteered" before the night is over. Greater! Jay Baruchel turns in another stellar performance, this time as the fast talking, back-tracking, squirming son who is squeamish about walking the walk he's talking. Greatest!

The rest of the movie is a sibling rivalry gone extreme exercise, as the kids are literally at each others' throats. Spoiler: things get bloody. Sounds, er reads good on paper, but the execution is just not up to the task. The plot holes are too egregious to ignore, and the action not engrossing enough to forgive the sketchy story line. A thriller without the thrill. Perhaps filming during the Pandemic hampered the production, who knows?

There's enough here to satiate those without expectation, and if including Trooper's "We're Here for a Good Time (Not a Long Time)" seems like a laugh riot knee-slapping inclusion, well, then you may dig this.

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While it's nowhere near as good as its dysfunctional family/friends counterparts: You're Next, Ready or Not, The Collector, and Bodies Bodies Bodies, it would fit right in with a home-invasion marathon with these. And that's nowhere near what I expected, from the poster anyways.

I succeeded in going in cold for this one, sans the poster of a masked man standing at a doorway while holding a syringe. This is my preferred method; I absolutely love being surprised throughout the experience, like with this movie. I *thought* this was a slasher with a medical nutjob. Well, kinda, I guess?

Humane is definitely inhumane, obviously. In the near, and possible future, global warming has Day After Tomorrowed and people are now forced to both use umbrellas whenever in the sun and do whatever it takes to decrease the population. Enter rich, snobbish, opinionated and divided family X of the central plot and get ready to root for the bad guy.

I like movies like these. Movies that start of humorous/hilarious and fun-horror/suspense and eventually and progressively gets dark. Like really dark. And gruesome. Well-done practical gore. (Or at least it appeared practical.)

I also liked the commentary that's incredibly relevant today. We are most certainly a divided (by design) country and this movie is every Thanksgiving meal when the guests have courage.

Plus, I did favor all the backgrounds and the director/writer allowing time for each character to shine leaving really only one that dominated and stole every scene: Bob, the collector. He was definitely my favorite character, even though his slight revelation of who he really is was kinda disappointing. I preferred him indifferent.

I wish this movie was broader, but maybe like The Purge, this'll need a sequel or franchise to break free from the house setting. While I liked what I got in exposition/news clips, I was still a bit confused on the worldbuilding outside of the single-place location.

Still, I definitely recommend this fun and sometimes brutal romp that shouldn't be taken too seriously. A scary popcorn flick, indeed.

***

Final Thoughts: My headline was gonna be "Starship Bloopers" with reference to enlisting to a propaganda-soaked government, but thought that would reference more sci-fi/alien invasion movies more. Though, I'd love to see the bloopers for this movie.

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.

In 2024's "Humane" we are introduced to a wealthy families dinner party that transforms into a night of horror and betrayal. Due to an environmental collapse, humanity is forced to shed 20% of its population and after the father of the York family dies, they are confronted with a situation that seems unsolvable at first. But without spoiling anything, the siblings certainly don't have much of a problem to betray each other and go for the easiest way out to save themselves.

The premise seemed interesting enough and with Caitlin Cronenberg as the director I was intrigued to say the least. However the movie ultimately falls pretty flat and becomes a rather underwhelming flick. It's well acted and overall the production looks pretty solid. The premise is slightly stupid but also interesting and unique in its own way. However the movie never manages to evolve into something memorable. It's able to pass the time but overall doesn't leave lasting impression and therefore ends up being pretty ordinary. [5,4/10]

A chilling social commentary disguised as a family thriller. Set against the backdrop of an environmentally ravaged Earth, the film throws us into the heart of a wealthy family grappling with a government-sanctioned euthanasia program to curb overpopulation.

We follow the story of Peter, a once-celebrated news anchor now facing the prospect of entering the program. As his family grapples with this dark reality, cracks begin to show in the seemingly "humane" facade.

The film masterfully builds tension through a combination of social commentary and psychological horror. The luxurious homes of the privileged stand in stark contrast to the desperation of those on the outside. The ever-present threat of "Humane" hangs heavy, casting a shadow of doubt on every interaction.

"Humane" isn't afraid to get its hands dirty. The story takes some truly disturbing turns, highlighting the potential for social control and the lengths some will go to in a desperate situation. The parallels to "The Purge" are undeniable, but "Humane" feels more insidious, a slow-burning descent into a society where "culling" becomes normalized.

While the film might not offer easy answers, it provokes thought-provoking questions about resource allocation, euthanasia, and the ethics of survival in a world on the brink and how some enjoy the chaos as it plays out.