The Humanity Bureau

The Good

The acting is actually pretty fun to watch in a funny way. I know Nicholas Cage has fallen out of style in recent years but there’s something to be said about his acting and film selection.  The Humanity Bureau has a pretty darwin-ish premise compared to other similar films. People are only allowed to live if they can contribute to society in a quantifiable way. You must contribute more than you consume and people are regulated by the Humanity Bureau whom audits citizens. Nicholas Cage  works as one of these auditors as Noah Kross.

The pacing was right on the money. I noticed that The Humanity Bureau moved at a solid clip and was mindful of its audience. You won’t get bored by the film for sticking to one scene too long or blowing passed important details. The Humanity Bureau doesn’t take itself that seriously for you to analyze things under a microscope and is put well enough together to that you feel the threat of certain scenes. The story, music and cinematography weren’t solid enough that you can watch this movie from beginning to end without distraction.

The Bad

The Humanity Bureau does not devote enough time for the writing. There are some interesting concepts that are touched upon but are never fully explored. Watching a movie where a good sci-fi idea is discussed but not realized is like talking about something fun rather than doing it. The Humanity Bureau talks about interesting ideas and concepts like a severely policed population, genocide, and a morally repulsive government. Honestly the world discussed in The Humanity Bureau is more interesting than the plot of the film itself.

The Humanity Bureau has story problems aplenty. The protagonists propel from one scene to another in moments ant plot devices are used instead of logic.  The acting is hit-or-miss from scene to scene with varying moments of quality in the performances. Sometimes you can watch a movie and tell when an actor has a tight window or schedule to film their scenes and this is noticeable of Hugh Dillon who, while serviceable, seems to work harder than some of the folks around him.

Jakob Davies as Lucas Weller is annoying in The Humanity Bureau. I don’t know if this is a result of bad acting, poorly written scenes and dialogue, or both. That ambiguity leaves your head scratching as you struggle through moments with his character. Lucas Weller is a focal character and this issue is prevalent throughout The Humanity Bureau from beginning to end. The entire film falls apart in the third act and Lucas is a central component. There’s a lot that you can forgive with The Humanity Bureau but the third act is just painful. the best thing about the third act is that it ends.

Overall

The humanity bureau seems more like it would have been better as a TV or online mini-series rather than a movie. I feel with more time to develop the script and maybe stretch things out a bit would have been a great benefit for the world of The Humanity Bureau. A movie that makes a mad dash through concepts, ideas, and story is about as good as an idea as being a 40 year old streaker.