REVIEW: ‘The Humans’ jumps from stage to Showtime
Photo: The Humans stars Jayne Houdyshell and is now streaming on Showtime. Photo courtesy of Lol Crawley / A24 / SHOWTIME / Provided by press site with permission.
The Humans, Stephen Karam’s thoughtful family dramedy, had a celebrated theatrical run in New York City a few years ago, showcasing the acting talents of many quality performers. Now the stage play has been adapted into a movie, currently airing on Showtime. The movie is slightly less effective than the play, but thanks to some added directorial flourishes, including a haunting, claustrophobic apartment setting, the story still packs an emotional punch.
Richard Jenkins and Jayne Houdyshell play the mother and father of a small family that includes their two daughters, played by Beanie Feldstein and Amy Schumer. Feldstein’s character of Brigid has invited everyone over for Thanksgiving dinner to the new apartment she shares with her boyfriend, Richard, played by Steve Yeun. Also joining them for the meal are the daughters’ grandmother, Momo, played by June Squibb. Except for Houdyshell, who appeared in the original theatrical production, this is a brand-new ensemble for this small, site-specific story.
As the day progresses, each character is fully revealed. They put on pleasantries and niceties at the start of the get-together, but as the meal continues and the sun sets in the inner-courtyard of this Downtown Manhattan apartment, truths emerge and reality sets in. Jenkins’ Erik character has a confession to make, and Houdyshell’s Deirdre has run-ins with her daughters and their hurtful one-liners. Schumer’s Aimee is struggling with a medical condition and has a secret to tell, and Brigid is trying her best to keep everything together. Richard is welcoming to his future in-laws and attempts to make lemonade out of the less-than-ideal apartment. Momo has dementia and only quick flashes of recognition.
Karam stays true to his original story, but this time around he has a fascinating new character: the apartment itself. The scenery was important on Broadway, but with a camera he is able to capture so many more architectural angles, most of them quite foreboding. The opening credits feature framed portraits of the blue sky above New York City, as seen from the dark courtyard of various apartment buildings. Hallways are long, narrow and creepy in the apartment complex, causing characters to open doors at odd angles and without the inability to turn around. There’s a spiral staircase that sets apart the two levels of this duplex, but all it does is create an upper and lower world with the chance for family members to eavesdrop and see how people talk about them in their absence.
Karam plays up the ins and outs of the apartment, almost like a horror director finding the maximum effect from the atmosphere and setting of an abandoned hospital or haunted house. There are moments in The Humans that prove quite scary, or at least unsettling. He uses the genre’s tropes effectively, which makes the proceedings feel as if they are uneasily balancing on a cliff, as if everything and everyone can fall apart at any moment. Also hovering in the background is the post-9/11 environment of Lower Manhattan, which doesn’t seem to bother the daughters, but is a constant worry for Erik, the father, and there’s a reason why.
The performances are quite good. Houdyshell is the best, finding the right balance between strength and sorrow, cleverness and candor. She starts off the day as happy-go-lucky, but the criticisms she receives throughout the drama hurt — and she starts to show her pain. Yeun, fast becoming one of the most in-demand actors (and for good reason), is another standout in an otherwise exquisite ensemble. He is perpetually trying to find an entrance ramp for the many conversations swirling around him, and he tries to stay optimistic and positive, even when the walls start crumbling.
Karam’s The Humans is an intricately woven portrait of a family trying to understand one another. These relatives hurt together, laugh together and break bread together. They care for the person next to them, but they also know how to uniquely destroy that person with a carefully placed barb. Family is the root of both the problem and solution in The Humans.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Humans (2021), written and directed by Stephen Karam, stars June Squibb, Richard Jenkins, Jayne Houdyshell, Beanie Feldstein, Steve Yeun and Amy Schumer. Running time: 108 minutes. Rated R for some sexual material and language. Now streaming on Showtime. Rating: 
