(Don't You) Forget to Go For the Head: A Review of 'UNHUMAN'!
Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunston have made a name for themselves in the horror genre over the years. From horror-comedies (The “Feast” trilogy, “Piranha 3-DD”) to twist-laden gorefests (“The Collector” trilogy, “Saw 4-7”), to the best entry of Blumhouse’s “Into the Dark” Series (“Pilgrim,” which you should check out), they’ve written some amusing and varied genre fare. Their new film “Unhuman” is a mash-up of these subjects and more. You could almost imagine Melton sitting around with Dunston (who directs), going “hey, you know what would be cool?” And it mostly works.
A school bus full of teens on their way to a field trip encounter flesh-eating berserkers and they’re forced to take refuge in a nearby abandoned building. Can the jocks and the outsiders put aside their mutual disdain in order to survive? For a while, “Unhuman” resembles this “Breakfast Club vs. zombies” pitch, but then it gets creative. Not to say what comes before isn’t, but when you realize what it’s been setting up, the film takes a surprising and welcome turn.
Brianne Tju (L) and Ali Gallo (R) worry they’re stuck in “Jeepers Creepers 2.”
It’s a while before we get a good look at the…zombies? They’re more like the rage-induced face munchers of “28 Days Later,” but enough about them. The young cast has only so much time to establish their characters before the chaos starts. It’s clear our protagonists are the “losers” (Brianne Tju, Benjamin Wadsworth, and Ali Gallo) while we get mostly caricatures of the “popular kids” (Uriah Shelton, Lo Graham, C.J. LeBlanc), at least for a while. Tju makes a good final girl and Drew Scheid shows some range as the nerd who secretly pines for her.
Wadsworth (Center) previously showed he can handle weapons in the cancelled-too-soon “Deadly Class”
Most of the film takes place in a building that’s basically a concrete block covered in graffiti and enough neon to put Netflix’s budget to shame (Sidebar: what IS it with teen horror films and neon? I’m not complaining, but it’s everywhere from “Fear Street” to “Tragedy Girls.”). Speaking of the budget, it’s hard not to notice Dunston trying to hide its small scale with quick cuts and close-ups. It can be tedious at times, but the last third of the film makes up for it, and then some. I know, it’s annoying to keep alluding to a good ending, but if you came across “Unhuman” on EPIX, you might change the channel without a thought. Stay with it and you’ll be rewarded. Also, it has a final scare that will have you laughing almost immediately. It doesn’t quite make sense, but Dunston and Melton know it fits with their gonzo tone. I’m looking forward to what they come up with next.
Unhuman is available on Digital June 3, 2022.
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