Unhuman

"Unhuman represented a chance for every single soul involved with the creation of the movie to return to a point of combustible adolescence when the world was only as big as the walls of the High School... where a lifetime of pathos could occur between the hours of 9am and 3pm... inside a fluorescent arena wherein social-life or insta-death was constantly on the line as the terrors of popularity's fickle fortune may anoint or destroy as it threatens to couple with the body-horrors of puberty... and then there are the ever looming tests, lording teachers, suspicious parents, all-or-nothing dances, reputation sealing trophies, gut dropping failures, precious victories, boundless hopes and the heart-ripping crushes..." - Marcus Dunstan

The director and screenwriter Marcus Dunstan had established himself as a master of the horrific thriller with his film saga The Collector (2009) and its second part The Collection (2012) and by another thriller as original The Neighbor (2016) for which he found for the third time his favorite actor Josh Stewart. We were therefore eagerly awaiting his new film and hoped that he had not lost his graphic style and his way of approaching violent thrillers but with a real inimitable personal touch. His new film Unhuman will not be released in theaters but will be offered on VOD and on the American channel Epix on June 3rd. 

The director Marcus Dunstan is back with his screenwriter Patrick Melton after having previously signed the screenplays of these three films but also of many others such as those of the film saga Feast (2005-2099), Saw (chapters IV to VII) (2007-2010).  It is interesting to see that the scenario of the film Unhuman mixes intelligently the atmosphere of the films staging students like those of John Hughes (notably The Breakfast Club (1985) with a universe quite close to the atmosphere of some books of Stephen King with an imminent end of the world atmosphere. However, appearances will prove to be deceptive and will lead the spectators to an unexpected turn of events.

After a bus accident that kills the driver and their teacher, seven students from different backgrounds must unite to fight a growing band of non-human, zombie-like savages.  The group's confidence will be tested in a brutal and horrifying struggle for survival. They must defeat the deadly zombie creatures before they themselves become probable infected creatures.  Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan's script is gripping enough to make us forget that this is a television production from Blumhouse Television. Director Marcus Dunstan has found the right approach to not only pay homage to the horror films of the 80's but also try to move away from the horror thriller he excels in and has managed to make a name for himself. 

Carried by a cast of young actors, shot mainly in a disinfected warehouse, Unhuman shows once again the know-how of Blumhouse Television able to offer quality cinematographic works in theaters but also films or series intended for television or streaming platforms. While waiting one day to be able to discover the long awaited third part of the cinematographic saga The Collector, Unhuman is certainly a successful horrific comedy that benefits from several rather well brought reversals of situations.

Unhuman
Directed by Marcus Dunstan
Produced by Paige Pemberton, Paul Uddo
Executive producers : Alex Kruener, Jeremy Gold, Chris McCumber, Jason Blum
Written by Patrick Melton, Marcus Dunstan
Starring Brianne Tju, Benjamin Wadsworth, Uriah Shelton, Ali Gallo, Peter Giles
Music by Charlie Clouser
Cinematography : Lyn Moncrief
Edited by Andrew Wesman
Production companies : Blumhouse Television
Distributed by Epix, Paramount Pictures
Release date : June 3 , 2022
Running time : 91 minutes

Seen on May 12, 2022 (Screener Paramount Pictures)

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