The Humans

Directed by Stephen Karam, The Humans follows several characters, including Steven Yeun’s Richard, Amy Schumer’s Aimee, and Richard Jenkins’ Erik, as they come together for a Thanksgiving meal that inevitably turns awkward and uncomfortable. It’s a familiar setup for an erratic yet mostly compelling drama that benefits substantially from its raft of stellar performances, as the top-notch work of a uniformly stellar cast, which also features Beanie Feldstein and June Squibb, goes a long way towards compensating for the less-than-consistent atmosphere proffered by first-time filmmaker Karam. There’s little doubt, ultimately, that the biggest impediment to The Humans‘ overall success is its oddball, mostly distracting sense of style, as Karam, along with cinematographer Lol Crawley, has infused the proceedings with an arms-length visual sensibility that essentially (and effectively) prevents the viewer from wholeheartedly connecting to the characters and their problems (ie the material is practically crying out for a more intimate approach, ultimately). There’s nevertheless little doubt, that The Humans‘ does boast its fair share of engaging interludes and it’s clear, as well, that the dynamic between the protagonists becomes more and more compelling as time progresses, which does, despite a final few minutes that are nothing short of baffling, cement the picture’s place as a hit-and-miss drama that works best as a showcase for the stellar work of its talented actors.

**1/2 out of ****