What if one day you woke up and everyone around you didn’t seem… human? Well, that’s the unsettling reality that serves as the premise of Perry Blackshear’s They Look Like People. The film itself is a slow-paced psychological horror that digs into the surprisingly thin line between mental illness and actual danger. At the center of it all, They Look like People takes a scathing look at the way friendship evolves when reality starts to crumble.
Typical horror films lean on jump scares or monsters, well, not this one. Instead, it builds tension using little things like awkward conversations, long silences, and the nagging feeling that something just isn’t right. This, in turn, shines a spotlight on the fear of losing your grip on reality and how that affects the people around you. In a nutshell, watching two friends try to reconnect while one quietly unravels is what makes They Look Like People so unsettling. Let’s just say, it’s a true gem for anyone who likes their horror with a side of heartbreak.
‘They Look Like People’ Shows What It’s Really Like to Mentally Fall Apart
From the get-go, it’s clear that They Look Like People isn’t about jump scares or loud chaos. The film itself is an exploration on the various ways the mind can turn against itself. Wyatt (MacLeod Andrews) drifts through the film like a man haunted, more specifically, he’s convinced that the people around him are no longer human. After a breakup and a long period of holing himself up, his mind convinces him that he’s some sort of “Chosen One” selected to fight an invisible war. His mission? To destroy the evil beings that masquerade as humans.
While Wyatt is fighting his personal battles, his old friend Christian (Evan Dumouchel) is also facing some demons of his own. But in this case, he finds himself a coping mechanism and attempts to outlift his insecurities at the gym with the hopes that he can find some confidence in toned biceps and abs. Even Christian’s boss/maybe-love interest, Mara (Margaret Ying Drake)is facing some challenges of her own. She’s as lonely as they come, but instead of confronting that, she masks it awkwardly using banter and forced pep. Together, these characters quietly unravel in their own ways, showing how easily the line between holding it together and falling apart can blur.
‘They Look Like People’ Finds a Fragile Kind of Hope in Human Connection
At its core, They Look Like People hones in on the quiet, complicated bond between two longtime friends. While Wyatt and Christian may have drifted apart over the years, the moment they reconnect in New York, there’s a quiet understanding between them. Though he’s got a few personal issues of his own, Christian opens his home to Wyatt without hesitation. It’s this small gesture that ends up anchoring the entire film.
As Wyatt falls further into the rabbit hole of paranoia that his mind creates, it’s Christian who becomes his anchor to reality. There’s a point where the delusions become life-threatening, yet Christian doesn’t walk away or better still, give Wyatt the boot. He chooses compassion over fear, even offering himself up in a moment that’s both unsettling and oddly tender. It’s these little acts of trust in They Look Like People that really peddle its message. At the end of the day, it’s a reminder of how deep friendship can run when everything else starts to unravel.
The Real Power Behind the Dread in ‘They Look Like People’
Let’s not sugarcoat it, the atmosphere in They Look Like People is thick with dread from start to finish. So, the minute the movie starts every element screams unease, especially the visuals which comprise dim lighting, tight framing, and cramped spaces. Together, these create a sort of prison for the characters, isolating them both physically and mentally. This claustrophobic vibe lingers throughout the film and ends up becoming a major source of horror throughout its runtime.
But it’s not just what you see that’s incredibly unsetlling. The sound design is just as haunting, instead of a run-of-the-mill score, the film uses ambient noises that are as hair raising as they are eerie. Everything from creaking floors to delusional whispers and even silence itself is designed to keep the tension palpable. The great thing about all this is the pacing itself, it ensures that there’s no sensory overload thanks to all the film’s moving parts. However, the tension drags you into Wyatt’s spiraling mental state and the chaos that follows.
Experience the dread firsthand, They Look Like People is available to watch on Apple TV+.
