The Humans



Directed by Stephen Karam
Produced by Stephen Karam and Louise Lovegrove
Written for the screen by Stephen Karam Based on the play by Stephen Karam

With: Richard Jenkins, Jayne Houdyshell, Amy Schumer, Beanie Feldstein, Steven Yeun, and June Squibb

Cinematography: Lol Crawley
Editing: Nick Houy
Music: Nico Muhly

Runtime: 108 min
Release Date: 24 November 2021
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1
Color: Color

Twitter Capsule:

Stephen Karam films his 2016 Tony-Award winning one-act play about a dysfunctional family Thanksgiving set in a deteriorating New York apartment as if it were a psychological horror movie, which it is. Might be a bit highfalutin' to call it Chekhov shot like Polanski, but the characters and cast, unsettling visual style and creepy sound design, theatrical dialogue and subtly layered thematic exploration all work harmoniously. A rare play adaptation that makes you wonder how it ever worked on stage. Gets deep under your skin and doesn't let go.

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How I Rate Films



An All-timer. One of the 5000 greatest films. Usually only awarded after repeat viewings.



One of the year's best. An excellent film. Possibly one of the 5000 greatest and certainly worthy of repeated viewing.



A very good film. Most films I see fall in the two- or three-star ranking. I give an extra half-star to three-star films that could end up on the list of the 5000 greatest.



A good film that fully succeeds at what it sets out to accomplish. Well worth seeing, but less effective than a three-and-a-half stars films and often less consequential than a two-and-a-half star film.



A noteworthy or enjoyable film that I can’t fully recommend. Still, two-and-a-half star films are often some of the most memorable films of a year.



A disappointment, an interesting failure, or just a bad movie. But still worth seeing if you’ve got the time.



A bad, rant-worthy film. Should be avoided regardless of hype or talent involved.



One of the worst films.