‘Escape is not an option’
Human Zoo is a 2020 American horror film about reality-show contestants competing to see who can stay the longest in solitary confinement.
Directed by John E Seymore from a screenplay co-written with John D. Crawford, based on an idea by Selfin Morose, the Seymour Films-Maine Studios production stars Robert Carradine (Sharktopus vs. Pteracuda; Slumber Party Slaughter; The Terror Experiment), Jessica Cameron (A Bad Place; All Through the House; Red Eye), Trista Robinson (Echoes of Fear), Rachel Amanda Bryant (In Bed With a Killer), Jose Rosete, Megan Le and Heather Dorff (Truth or Dare).
Plot:
The internet watches live as reality-show contestants struggle against time to see who will stay in solitary confinement the longest and take home the one million dollar prize…
Release:
Human Zoo will be available on DVD and VOD platforms on May 5, 2020, from Wild Eye Releasing
Reviews:
“I do think the filmmaker was trying something interesting here. I admire Human Zoo, but can’t recommend it to anyone but those viewers with strong patience, a curiosity for your own endurance in a similar situation, or just appreciators of unconventional cinema.” ML Miller Writes
“It’s likely the filmmaker was hoping the audience would feel as trapped as the characters, but instead I just felt disengaged. I wanted to care about the characters. I wanted to see them succeed, and fail, and change. But when we rounded into the second hour of the same few people saying roughly the same thing, I just sat back and let it wash over me.” Nightmarish Conjurings
“As it becomes clear that this is not a game and there is no relief, Human Zoo becomes an endurance test for the audience as much as the contestants. It felt like a grief cycle – anger, denial, bargaining, depression, then finally acceptance. The score is like white noise with varying pitches and tones of sound.” Red Carpet Crash
” …beneath it all it’s also several character studies rolled into one […] with all arcs dilligently woven into its over-arching narrative structure. And a rather impressive ensemble cast really brings the story to life, paired with an actor-centric approach to things that yet manages to create the appropriate atmosphere and a properly eerie soundscape.” Search My Trash
“A few of the actors manage to do their best with some ripe material. Jessica Cameron (Red Eye, The Tombs) fights gamely against the cliché-ridden script admirably. But the film is a turkey. The script, direction and most of the large cast are poor. Human Zoo is a dull story, badly told.” Voices from the Balcony
Cast and characters:
Robert Carradine … Producer
Jose Rosete … Contestant 1018
Rachel Amanda Bryant … Contestant 182
Jessica Cameron … Contestant 103
Megan Le … Contestant 1312
John D. Crawford … Contestant 1043
Heather Dorff … Contestant 84
Robert Catrini … Contestant 183
Kristyn Evelyn … Contestant 113 (as Kristyn Chalker)
Raw Leiba … Contestant 1812
Trista Robinson … Contestant 2018
Edward Hong … Contestant 58
Jordan Mitchell-Love … Contestant 1013
Loren Ledesma … Contestant 1212
Ally Holmes … Contestant 18
Robert Damian … Contestant 184
Christie Beran … Contestant
Kelli Stoner … Contestant
Melanie Troxler … Contestant
Lucia Oskerova … Casting Director
Brialynn Massie … Casting Assistant
Patricia Ashley … Audition Camera Operator
Alfonzo McCarther … Security Guard 1
Jeremy Szymankowski … Security Guard 2
Annie Freed … Film Crew
Willow Ronco … Film Crew
Shane L. Fantozzi … Food Delivery Guy
Ruby Handler … Producer’s Assistant
John E Seymore … Interviewer (voice)
Technical details:
109 minutes
Audio: D-Cinema 96kHz 5.1
Trailer:
