Pop Geeks Reviews Wild Eye Releasing’s Antihuman
Antihuman is not a movie about nihilism, nor is it a biography about George Carlin. Antihuman is a movie that, although its’ billed as a horror movie like Resident Evil, is more of a psychological horror piece. The movie, set in England, centers around Maggie (Anya Korzun), a dying young woman who is hoping to find something at her childhood home, whether it’s peace of mind or the truth about her late mother. Setting out with her friend Peggy (Danielle Arden), as well as the more-reluctant Avery (Katie Keight) and Catarina (Kathryn Goldsmith), Maggie returns to her home, which actually turns out to be an old mental hospital. Meeting a former worker at the hospital named Walker (Andrew Jardine), Maggie tells of the apocalyptic visions she’s had, and it’s difficult for everyone to tell whether she’s losing her mind as she’s dying or preparing for a major change.
This movie was a very unusual one. My idea of horror is stuff like the Nightmare On Elm Street movies or The Return Of The Living Dead, feasts of blood and guts, but with a sense of humor. Antihuman was a far more serious piece, and upon thinking about it, to call it psychological horror would be somewhat dishonest. It’s more of a psychological drama with elements of dark fantasy. There are passages of 4 or 5 minutes in this movie that go by without dialogue, instead telling the story of Maggie’s mental issues in a visual manner. I think that works well, being as visuals can sometimes be a better descriptor of the mind than words can be.
I can also relate to this movie. As I’m writing this review, I’m 21 years removed from spending time in a mental hospital that would eventually be abandoned as well, and it’s been almost seven years since I lost my own mother. Both the mental hospital, where I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, and my mom’s passing have weighed heavily on me. I return to both of them in my nightmares, and in a way, Antihuman is a bit of wish fulfillment for me. Maggie eventually finds peace in spite of the horrors of the old hospital, discovered and detailed in rapid fire imagery discovered by two of the other girls, and in a way, it gives me hope that I may also find peace with my troubled past someday.
Put simply, if you’re expecting a film full of bloody mayhem, Antihuman is not the film for you. On the other hand, if you’re interested in a psychological drama that’s mostly a chamber piece, but also has some more fantastic elements, I think you’ll enjoy this movie.
Antihuman is currently available in multiple formats, physical and digital alike, from Wild Eye Releasing. Here’s the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmW3AKx5dGQ