The first thing worth noting, I suppose, is that this Humanzee should not be confused with a certain James Gunn short film. That said, co-writer/director Taro O'Halloran's award-winning short more than stands on its own as evidenced by its screenings at Dances With Films NYC, Austin After Dark, Winter Film Festival, and Boston SciFi Film Festival among others. 

Humanzee is a captivating film that dances somewhere on that line between thriller and horror. The story centers around Jane Howell (Liz Bishop), who seemingly lives a simple existence in a quiet house on a quiet suburban street. Of course, in a film like this we know that not all is quiet. In this case, Jane's simple existence is quietly complicated by Ziggy (Zach Norton), a mysterious being who dwells in her basement with no real outside connection other than the obsessively watched black-and-white television shows. 

When an old friend arrives at the house unannounced, Jane grapples with choices to be made and how to preserve the innocence of her compelling basement dweller. 

Currently performing in the touring cast for the North American tour of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Zach Norton is marvelous as the, and you should have guessed this already, ape-like Ziggy. With a story slowly revealed, Norton draws us into Ziggy and invests us in whatever direction this story is going to go. It's a tremendous performance in this just over 23-minute short that offers up impressive physicality and surprising emotional resonance. 

Liz Bishop similarly shines as Jane Howell, a wisely underplayed performance gripping us with its reality and embodying the infinite possibilities of this story and these characters. Previously seen in The Holdovers among other projects, Bishop takes what could have easily become a caricature and instead brings her vividly to life. 

Co-writer Brett Melican lenses the film with a tapestry of intimacy and stark normalcy. Dan Wool's original music amplifies the film's tonal rhythms rather sublimely and production design by Emily Canales is natural and intuitive. 

You may or may not guess where Humanzee, however, even if you catch on you'll find yourself surrendering to its journey. This is a unique, thoughtful short film and one can only hope it continues to find the audience it deserves. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic