Director: Matt Stuertz
Writer: Matt Stuertz
Stars: Jeffrey Decker, Cecily Dowd, Jackie Kelly
Synopsis: Follows Dani Ferris, alone and exhausted, who seeks a moment of digital distraction before bed but instead gets thrust into a blood-drenched supernatural nightmare filled with horrors and heartbreak.
We have all had nights when a quick scroll on our phones turns into hours of lost sleep, but Human takes the idea of a late-night digital doom scroll and turns it into a living nightmare. Forget waking up tired for work: Dani Ferris is about to discover that one seemingly harmless decision can lead to a night of bloodshed, supernatural terror and emotional chaos. And with copious bodily fluids, this is not a particularly clean experience.
Directed by Matt Stuertz, whose previous horror credits include Tonight She Comes and RWD, Human centers on Dani, played by Jackie Kelly. Alone, exhausted and away from home, she wants a little digital debauchery before bed. Instead, she finds herself caught in a nightmare that promises to test her physically and emotionally.
The digital element is an interesting starting point. Our phones have become extensions of our social lives, offering instant access to entertainment, intimacy, and distraction. But that constant connection can bring complications, particularly when personal relationships become difficult to separate from online behavior. Human tries to take that familiar modern habit and twist it into something far more sinister.
The first 20 minutes of the film are Dani scrolling, sexting, and arranging a hook-up – It’s quite a long time to have no dialogue. Even though the images are colorful and the pace is quick, it is slightly dull to watch someone text for 20 minutes. It’s a little close to home – we come to watch films as a distraction from our own doom scrolling. Luckily, after this, the film finds its footing in its horror. The violence escalates and keeps the tension and character drama compelling so you won’t feel the rest of the 107-minute runtime.
Jackie Kelly carries the central role as Dani, and the premise places considerable demands on her. Kelly plays her convincingly, as someone who is filled with fear, confusion, vulnerability and the confidence of a final girl. The supporting cast includes Brock Russell, Cecily Dowd, Jeffrey Decker and Mia Sydney, and the dynamics between the characters are just as important as the main threat. Friends, lovers, and enemies all have a part to play that gives the story levels of suspicion and shifting loyalties, although the balance isn’t always perfect.
Whilst I enjoyed the choice of sound and music in the background as it flirts with traditional horror and quirky video game sounds, the mixing is questionable. When Dani speaks, the background music is so loud you can barely hear her. Whether this is intentional or just a poor job, it made me feel more detached from Dani, when really, I should have been identifying with her.
There are times where the film is more interested in shocking its audience (and possibly making them laugh) than giving its characters enough depth. Horror can be outrageous and emotionally involved at the same time, but the latter is what gives the former any lasting impact. The emotional thread is lost amongst the characters, in favor of blood-soaked shots, screams and shoutouts to its influences. An example is when Dani shouts “stop fucking texting me”, clearly inspired by a scene in Running Man.
With a fun, freaky, and frightening end, Human is an easy film to add to your horror catalogue and watch every year. Its single-night structure, supernatural complications, and absurd blood-soaked scenes offer plenty of material to keep you engaged. It’s definitely made for horror audiences who enjoy their entertainment messy, unpredictable, and willing to push boundaries. If you’re looking for a fun, gruesome, in-your-face horror this Halloween season, Human is a must-watch.
Human arrives in select theatres and on VOD and digital platforms on 23 October from Dark Sky Films. If nothing else, it offers a grim reminder that sometimes the best thing you can do before bed is put your phone down. Although, thankfully, most of us won’t have to contend with quite this much bloodshed when we do.
