Content Advisory: Needles or drug addiction
An estranged family has to choose which one of them has to enlist in a government Euthanasia program in Humane. A catastrophic global ecological collapse has given humanity one year to reduce the Earth’s population. Retired newsman Charles York (Peter Gallagher) invites his children Jared (Jay Baruchel), Noah (Sebastian Chacon), Ashley (Alanna Bale), and Rachel (Emily Hampshire), arriving against instructions with her daughter Mia (Sirena Gulamgaus), for a rare family dinner. Charles and his second wife Dawn (Uni Park) announce that they have decided to enlist in the Department of Citizen Strategy’s euthanasia program. However, as D.O.C.S. agent Bob (Enrico Colantoni) arrives to perform the procedure, Dawn ends up fleeing. With Bob contractually obligated to deliver two bodies, he gives the York family two hours to decide which one of them will be the second cadaver.
Humane Synopsis
Humane is the debut feature film by Caitlin Cronenberg, following in the footsteps of her father David and Brother Brandon. The film takes place in a dystopian near-future where an ecological collapse has forced humanity to drastically reduce its population to avoid extinction. The film focuses on the family of newscaster Charles York, played by Peter Gallagher, who has decided to join a government euthanasia program.
Things go awry when Charles’ wife Dawn flees right as Bob, played with nihilistic glee by Canadian character actor Enrico Colantoni (Flashpoint), arrives to perform the procedure. With Dawn missing, a replacement must be procured, voluntarily or by force. This results in Charles’ children turning against each other, with the main sacrificial target being recovering addict Noah.
My Thoughts on Humane
Caitlin Cronenberg makes her feature directorial debut with Humane, after previously directing a couple of short films, including co-directing the 2021 NFT short film The Death of David Cronenberg with her father. Unlike her brother Brandon, who has been continuing David Cronenberg’s body horror legacy with Antiviral, Possessor, and Infinity Pool, Caitlin Cronenberg is going in a route more akin to films like The Purge, with Humane featuring social commentary to go along with its violence. When put into a literal life-or-death situation, the members of the York family reveal themselves to be quite horrible human beings, willing to do anything to save their skin.
While the top billing of Humane goes to Jay Baruchel (Blackberry) and Emily Hampshire (The End of Sex) as the eldest siblings of Jared and Rachel, the audience’s sympathy is geared towards Sebastian Chacon (Daisy Jones & the Six) as the family’s black sheep Noah, a recovering drug addict, who has recently found himself in a better space with her new girlfriend Grace (Blessing Adedijo). It’s because of Noah’s drug addict status and the fact that he was involved in a fatal car accident that makes him a target for death from his siblings. Even Noah’s biggest supporter Ashley, played by Alanna Bale (Kicking Blood), turns on her brother after she learns that Charles paid off the car accident victims to keep Noah out of jail.
In the middle of Humane‘s incredibly violent sibling rivalry is Enrico Colantoni as the film’s defacto antagonist Bob. While not a villain in the traditional sense, it is obvious that Bob finds glee in letting the York siblings tear each other apart. There is a moment when Bob has an opportunity to let the family go, but he ends up allowing them to continue trying to kill each other.
Humane ends up being a very solid debut for Caitlin Cronenberg. The film is different enough from the work of her father and brother to set her apart, while also not straying too far.