HUMANE – Review by Justina Walford
I’m Gen X. Of course, the foundation of my opinion about climate change is from the B-movie Frogs. So let’s celebrate the sense of humor and cinematic activism that have traversed decades and settled into Humane. Much like Frogs, it surrounds a family immersed and responsible for significant tragedies in the planet’s demise. But unlike Frogs, revenge is not from animals but from humans failing at our humanity.
Starting with peppy music, apocalyptic imagery, and the casualness of death is how I wish every movie started. So I was all in as the opening song sang, “Have a good time. The sun can’t shine every day,” as umbrellas lined up in the sunlight for water and a corpse was removed from a home with the same casual interactions as installing cable.
In the not-so-distant future, every country will have population reduction goals, and the US is, as expected, making that reduction voluntary without really making it voluntary. The Department of Citizen Strategy works a lot like Amazon drivers, but instead of delivering $8 sweatpants with a quota to fill for the day’s deliveries, this service picks up dead bodies on schedule and with numbers to meet.
With that as backdrop, Humane is one night with one family. Once we’re in the house, we’re in the house for the duration, and it hits pretty close to home for anyone with siblings and/or parents in today’s political climate. Retired newsman Charles York (Peter Gallagher) has invited his four grown and estranged children to dinner. As he prepares for the evening, Charles allows the light into the upstairs bedroom, peeling away the tinting and peering outside. Instead of it being a sign of hope, it’s a foreshadowing of what’s to come.
As the siblings bicker about the world and their role in it, Charles and his wife announce their intentions to enlist in the nation’s euthanasia program. But is voluntarily sacrificing yourself to save the planet ever simple? No. Dad is blamed for being a selfish, ego-driven jerk even now. And maybe rightly so. And of course, as all good intentions go, the night goes opposite to his plan.
Caitlin Cronenberg directs an impressive cast. Peter Gallagher is an emotional kaleidoscope as the famous work-addicted father who regrets putting the world’s collapse in front of his kids. Emily Hampshire, who I thought would be forever sarcastic Stevie in Schitt’s Creek to me is possibly my favorite hero/villain in this film. Her character is rich in being a protective and loved mother while also willing to see past family duties to survive. You know, duties like not killing your family. Jay Baruchel plays Jared (likely not a coincidence there) a government shill. But the standout sibling is by far the recovering addict Noah played by Sebastian Chacon. It took me a while to remember where I’ve seen him before and it was one of my favorite films of 2022, Emergency. Throughout the film, his character surprises while also being relatable in every action.
Here’s what I find refreshing about Humane. Our protagonists are authentic with honest and believable reactions to an extraordinary (but not unlikely) situation. This is literal family backstabbing. The most ethical sibling is true to his sobriety in goal but reacts in the most human way when he’s stabbed, beaten, and emotionally pushed to the brink. The most unethical is still human. And we are reminded of their goodness always at the time we want them dead. How do I like my “humans are shitty” and “the world is ending” declarations? Served with a heaping mound of humor and a side of gore. Thank you, Caitlin Cronenberg.
