Erik Blake has gathered three generations of his Pennsylvania family to celebrate Thanksgiving at his daughter’s apartment in lower Manhattan. As darkness falls outside and eerie things start to go bump in the night, the group’s deepest fears are laid bare. The piercingly funny and haunting debut film from writer-director Stephen Karam, adapted from his Tony Award®-winning play, The Humans explores the hidden dread of a family and the love that binds them together.
For thoughts on The Humans, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
The Humans comes to Blu-Ray in a very detailed 1080p presentation in its 1.85:1 original aspect ratio that truly wows in high definition. The clarity throughout is outstanding with subtle flourishes in the production design coming through perfectly. While relatively reserved, the color saturation is great with the palette pushing slightly cooler to fit the mood of the narrative. Nearly the entire film takes place within this apartment building with only occasional glimpses outside of the environment. The film uses shadows effectively to build up tension in the sparsely lit apartment. Skin tones are natural to the lighting conditions with a grand amount of minute detail on display. Black levels are pretty deep and do not fall victim to any noticeable digital noise or errors of the sort. This is not the most visually dynamic film, but it looks quite striking nonetheless. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has delivered an outstanding high definition presentation here.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that is deceptively active. The track really comes alive with the environmental sounds that will leave you wondering if this is a low-key horror film. The score is showcased impeccably here with an enveloping use of the surround speakers. The dialogue comes through crystal clear without ever being overpowered by the environmental effects. The sound design is impeccably conceived with all of the sounds positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects create an unnerving soundscape that matches the underlying tension permeating through the apartment. Activity in the low end is decent, but it mostly aids in providing some texture. This is a stellar audio presentation that brings the movie to life in a really substantial way.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Writer-director Stephen Karam provides a really fun and thoughtful commentary track in which he discusses the trials and tribulations of making his debut feature, shooting in New York and mostly in sequential order, the deliberate production design, the complex sound design, presenting backstory through action, the nuances of the performances and more. If you are a fan of the material, this is well worth a listen.
- Our Ruffled Spirits – Making The Humans: A pretty great 21-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discusses the inspirations for writing the play, his decision to adapt the material for the screen, the material as “horror for the mind”, how the performances had to differ from the stage version, the collaboration during production, real-life traditions that made it into the film, the music in the film and much more.
- Outtakes: A six-minute collection of unused material from the filming of the movie.
Final Thoughts
The Humans is a slow-burn family drama that evolves very naturally as conversations reveal new facets of the characters and old wounds are rendered new again. The performances throughout are phenomenal, as everyone from the reliably great Richard Jenkins to the surprisingly poignant Amy Schumer make an impression. The tone of the film borders on horror at various points, which echoes how it can feel to be under the intense pressure that only family can bring upon you. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a wonderful A/V presentation and some insightful special features. The film may a bit too subtle and slow for some audiences, but those who can lock into the wavelength of the film will really appreciate it. Recommended
The Humans is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
