Soho Horror Film Festival 2025 Coverage
Human review
A story that changes shape, and pace, at the drop of a hat.
Festival reviews will not contain spoilers.
Human
Directed by Matt Stuertz
Written by Matt Stuertz
Starring Jackie Kelly
Human Review
The feature film Human was preceded by two short film presentations. The first, Terror Night, might have been the best of the festival. The director filmed a brief introduction…complete with him becoming lost in the woods…but not alone. A fun way to begin what turned out to be a very fun short film. Terror Night is a beautifully shot film that goes wild with blood. It’s about a girl who installs a new bass box in her car and drives out on a date with her crush. An old man doesn’t care for the noise…and total wackiness ensues. Well worth going out of your way to find. The second short was titled Closed Circuit. It’s about a security guard who spots something strange on the monitors. His investigation leads to monstrous mayhem with a wolf demon of some sort. This was a pretty good short with some trippy stuff.
Speaking of trippy stuff…the feature presentation, Human, starts off with some screen time on acid. A phone screen, specifically. The entire first act of Human is going to be spent watching its main character Dani (Jackie Kelly) playing on that phone. Before you decide to throw in the towel on this one…it’s an unusually dynamic time on the phone. Dani is spending the night on a stage she is filming a project on. The movie mostly takes place on this set behind a locked door. It doesn’t take long for that door to become the only thing protecting Dani from…whatever is pounding on the other side of it.
Admittedly, it is a long time spent watching Dani text on a phone. She’s attempting to arrange a hookup with an ex when the pounding begins. Dani initially believes that the guy she’s texting is on the other side of the door…but he claims to still be on his flight in. Human ramps up the tension quickly once the knocking begins. Something that sounds only somewhat human is just outside…and it tells Dani that it can get in if it wants to. It was a bold choice to spend as long with Dani’s phone as Human does…but it gives the movie a unique feel that works for it.
Things really take off when Human does the first of its sweeping tonal changes. What was the story of a girl and her phone becomes a wild and bloody time trying to survive. Dani gets a weapon and shoots through the door with unexpected and lasting results. After a series of wild incidents…she has to deal with a hand that’s gone bad…Evil Dead 2 style. A memorably bloody scene in a bathroom takes things to the extreme. Human pumps some crazy times into the middle of its movie. Fans of bloody and wild moments will find a lot to like here.
Then Human changes again. It slows down for some more introspective storytelling. It’s another bold choice in a film that makes several…but it is a bit jarring. While the first act ramps itself up to an over-the-top second act…the third act slows things to a crawl. It’s a little difficult to adjust to the pacing switch up. You can respect the choice while acknowledging that it’s not an easy transition. Human takes the time to examine its main character (and itself) in clear and well thought out terms. The raucous second act peaks the film’s excitement factor. The introspective finale feels like a proper coda.
So, where do you end up with a movie like Human? It’s unique, that’s for sure. A slow ramp up to a blood-soaked extravaganza that inevitably cuts itself back to something much slower than it’s been before. There’s a whiplash effect to it all. Each individual section has merit and a tone that works for it. Together…some parts flow better that others. The bloody parts, unironically, flow the best.
Scare Value
Human changes its form into whatever it feels best suits what it’s going for in the moment. An oddly dynamic solo opening gives way to bloody chaos. The bloody chaos subsides into more of a dull roar. The first change lands better than the second…leaving Human to feel like it’s limping to a conclusion. Narratively…it’s not. The choice to examine itself, and its lead character, in a straight-forward manner makes sense. It’s just not the most entertaining way to follow up on some genuinely wild and bloody times.
