UNHUMAN is a new horror movie in the zombie niche. It also has comedy and quite a bit of action – both classic elements in many horror movies. While it loses a lot of momentum during the middle, it bounces back in an impressive way. Read our full Unhuman movie review here!

UNHUMAN is a new horror movie from Blumhouse Television and EPIX. It features teen characters and a zombie story. The cast of this movie works really well and we’re off to a great start. Particularly thanks to it having heart as well as comedy.

Then the action kicks in and it becomes a survival story. With both comedy and action, we’re in familiar zombie movie territory. Think Zombieland or Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. It does feel too long during the second act, but the final twist and story make you really engaged as a viewer again.

Continue reading our Unhuman movie review below. The movie will be out On Demand from June 3, 2022.

This isn’t your typical zombie movie

Unhuman really isn’t your typical zombie story since it changes gears along the way. In fact, one could easily argue that it isn’t a zombie movie at all. But it is very entertaining. Even more so towards the end after the genre shift. It does have quite a lull in the middle part, which was only saved by the change in both plot and gears to speed it up again.

I had just about given up on Unhuman when the whole change came. Think One Cut of the Dead where you’ll be fed up with the movie and thinks it’s too dumb. Then something happens that makes the entire vibe change. You can find our spoiler-free review of One Cut of the Dead right here. A French remake just premiered at Cannes to rave reviews.

And no, Unhuman is nowhere near the level of One Cut of the Dead which has become an iconic cult-like movie (and definite audience favorite) in its own right. Still, it does deserve a kind of special mention in that particular “You think you’re watching this one thing, but actually, it’s this other thing”-category.

Unhuman – Review | Blumhouse Epix Horror Movie

A cast that makes the story work

While there is a huge twist to set off the third and final act, the thing that works for Unhuman from beginning to end is the cast. In classic comedy style, some characters are “straight men” (in a comedy sense, not sexuality) while others are weird and quirky. Often to the point of almost over-acting, but it works for this story.

The main character is portrayed by Brianne Tju, who does an excellent job. She is easily the one character I’m rooting for from start to finish. We most recently saw Brianne Tju as one of the main characters in the I Know What You Did Last Summer series. Up next for Brianne Tju is the McG movie Uglies which is currently in post-production and also has a stellar cast.

Other key actors in Unhuman include Drew Scheid, who is another actor we’ve seen quite a lot in recent years. From his role in Halloween (2018) to the Netflix horror trilogy of the Summer 2021, Fear Street: 1978. Also, there’s Uriah Shelton (Freaky), Benjamin Wadsworth (SyFy’s Deadly Class), and Joshua Mikel (Greenland).

Watch Unhuman when it’s out On Demand

The director of Unhuman is Marcus Dunstan and the screenwriters are Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton. Both are filmmakers we’re familiar with, so we went into screening this movie with high hopes. As writers, they’ve worked on Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019), several Saw movies, and Piranha 3DD. Also, they’re behind The Collector franchise and the Feast movies.

Due to having watched many movies, it doesn’t feel as innovative now as it would have years earlier. Still, for most audiences that give Unhuman a shot, it will come across as fresh and entertaining (which it definitely is). Just make sure you don’t give up when it gets a bit slow or boring. It is all part of the plan.

Bottom line: I loved the beginning, was bewildered by the middle, and then really enjoyed the ending. Anyone who enjoys a good zombie story and likes it when movies play with genres and mix them up in surprising ways should enjoy Unhuman.

Unhuman is out On Demand from June 3, 2022.

Details

Director: Marcus Dunstan
Writers: Patrick Melton & Marcus Dunstan
Cast: Brianne Tju, Benjamin Wadsworth, Uriah Shelton, Ali Gallo, Peter Giles

Plot

The dead will have this club for breakfast. Blumhouse Television and EPIX bring you the story of a high school field trip gone bloody awry. Seven misfit students must band together against a growing gang of unhuman savages. The group’s trust in each other is tested to the limit in a brutal, horrifying fight to survive and they must take down the murderous zombie-creatures… before they kill each other first.

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!
Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard
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