Photo Credit: Hollywood Reporter
Well, Thanksgiving has just passed, and, in the spirit of the holiday, the film company, A24, has released their latest feature, The Humans, a movie based off of the one-act play by the same name by Stephen Karam, who also directed the film.
The movie is about a family that comes together for Thanksgiving dinner. That description alone doesn’t exactly prepare you for what happens in this movie, A24 has gained a reputation for being a studio that puts out some very odd and bizarre movies, and, while The Humans is far from their most bizarre, it’s also very unique in how different it is from other more conventional family dramas. Because, while, on the surface, it just looks like a basic drama, and the movie is pretty much that for most of the time, some of the moments that happen in this film give it a bit of a horror edge.
Even though I didn’t exactly know why the film went into horror territory, I did still feel tension at the suspenseful moments in the movie, not knowing what was going to happen at any given moment. And, while some of the credit definitely goes to the acting, as Richard Jenkins, Beanie Feldstein, and Amy Schumer give some pretty good performances, the direction by Stephen Karam definitely makes the experience.
The camerawork from Karam is very inventive and suggests that he definitely has a future in the director’s chair (this movie was his directorial debut). The shots that Karam provides, from the wide-angle shots to the very last scene of the film, give the film a particularly eerie vibe that sucks you out of the lull you felt while watching the main family interact.
And, while the family interactions are pretty boring, an argument could be made that that’s the point. After all, in real-life, small family get-togethers aren’t exactly the most exciting or riveting activity in the world, so, in a way, this does emulate and encapsulate the life of a real-life family. And, through this, there are some pretty good moments, particularly a dinner scene in which the family is gathered around the table and share stories, a scene that features very good acting from the members at the dinner table and sharp direction from Karam.
So, if you’re looking to be engaged and entertained fully throughout a film, this probably isn’t the movie for you. You should probably go watch something like Spider-Man instead. However, if you’re into a sort-of arthouse experience with great directing, acting, and a unique feel, I’d say that The Humans is definitely up your alley.
