The Humans (2021)

"The Humans" is just a creepy movie. It is about three generations of the Blake family coming together for Thanksgiving. The entire story takes place inside a Manhattan duplex and tells the stories of the family members and their fears and secrets, like in every family. I was surprised to see Amy Schumer (Aimee) in the cast. But she delivered. And where would we be without the acting of Richard Jenkins (Erik)? He always delivers! This role is scripted for him. Nobody could play Erik better. Constantly hearing all the weird sounds and the way the movie was filmed, that was outrageously well done. A spooky and borderline musical score adds to the impact. Also the filming of all the small details, like the rusty pipes, the weird bulges in the walls and the stains on the ceiling. This was all very well highlighted. However, to put it simple, I was not blown away by this movie. It still needs to sink in. Honestly I don´t know for sure if I saw a masterpiece. I just did not like the ending at all.

Fmovies: At the heart of The Humans is a story about the complexity and difficulties that families face, being that all families are made of imperfect beings called humans. If the viewer sticks with the film and engages with these characters, they will be rewarded with a deep and intriguing story. However, I can't help but feel like that this story was more suited for the theater (it was adapted from a play) or a novel, as despite amazing performances from our actors, what we really get is a series of conversations and monologues. If what the medium of film can really do well is to "show", this story which takes place all in the same location and insists only on "telling" doesn't make much use of what a movie can do.

An extended family meet for thanksgiving at the grand-daughters newly moved into apartment and the natural course of conversation during such a meal / day takes center stage in this film. A secret is revealed . There's a lot of talking and that's it. The conversations were not that interesting and the. "mysterious things" are non-existent. Everything mysterious could be chalked up to apartment living. So in the end nothing was delivered and nothing really to take away from it. Acting was great but that's not enough. 4.9-5.1 stars out of 10.

The Humans fmovies. I thought there was a lot of hate for Schumer, whom I'm not really a fan of in general. I thought her show had funny moments and so I ignored the reviews I read dumping on her - but they were accurate. This could have been a really good movie but casting her? It's an utter mystery why she was cast in the first place and why she wasn't replaced. If I, or any of the people reviewing this movie can plainly see that the movie is being ruined - why not cut your losses instead of plowing through with such lesser talent. The sad thing is, this will continue.

The plot and writing are surprisingly original for this day and age, given that all we seem to get are re-boots/re-duxes/re-imaginings/sequels and prequels now. And that's what makes it so frustrating - this could have been good but instead was a big challenge to get through it.

If you don't know what A24 production means, here's a primer: Low budget. Very low budget.

Quality thoughtful languid euro-style camera work.

Top notch actors.

Very low-key dialogue and scenes. It's a you-are-there feel, but not that hyper-annoying found-footage nonsense.

The beginnings are "why am I watching this?," and endings are unresolved.

A24 is one of those "you should be in the mood" films. To enjoy as intended, the viewer should engage in the film, think while they're watching it. It's not a "let's watch this while doing housework or doing emails" kind of film. It's like minimalist literature. You must fill in the lines, because A24 films will not spell it out for you. They thrive in vagueness and alternate interpretations. If you're not in the mood, it's an oppressive, directionless bore.

This wasn't as powerful as THE WITCH or other films, but it was better than other A24 offerings.

It's modern creepy psychological horror for people who like to read existentialism and absurdism, fans of Kafka et al. There's no monsters, no violence. It's about the horrors of real life as each of us lives it, and the hell on earth we help create for ourselves and others. It's not exactly a huge hopeless downer, but it's definitely not a happy joy joy film.

Pretentious and meaningless dialogs, basically a bunch of oddballs walking around and babbling in the apartment for an iPhone shooting session. Nonetheless, obviously Oscar material in today's world, be warned.