UPDATE: Here’s the trailer of Caitlin’s debut.
EARLIER: I’ll tackle it straight out of the gate, and it pains me to say this, but I haven’t heard good things about Caitlin Cronenberg’s “Humane.” Today’s announcement that IFC and Shudder will be releasing it in April confirmed my worst fears.
No festival bow for Caitlin’s film. We had reason to be optimistic about this one — she is, after all, the legendary David Cronenberg’s daughter, and her brother, Brandon, has already made a name for himself with “Possessor” and “Infinity Pool.” However, I’ve heard “Humane” just doesn’t work.
Caitlin’s film is a hybrid genre statement that stars Jay Baruchel (“Blackberry”), Emily Hampshire (“Schitt’s Creek), and Peter Gallagher (“Grace & Frankie”). IFC and Shudder have also released a first-look still from “Humane” (which can be seen above) alongside the logline that you can see below:
Humane” is a dystopian satire taking place over a single day, mere months after a global ecological collapse has forced world leaders to take extreme measures to reduce the earth’s population. In a wealthy enclave, a recently retired newsman has invited his grown children to dinner to announce his intentions to enlist in the nation’s new euthanasia program. But when the father’s plan goes horribly awry, tensions flare, and chaos erupts among his children.
In a released statement, Caitlin described her film as a “very violent, blood fantasy.” We’ll have a first look trailer coming shortly, and the film is set for theatrical release on April 26, 2024.