Peter Gallagher Cuts Jay Baruchel Down to Size in ‘Humane’ Sneak Peek [Exclusive]

Another member of the Cronenberg family is about to step into theaters for the first time. Following her father David Cronenberg‘s nightmarish body horrors in The Fly and Videodrome and her brother Brandon Cronenberg‘s sci-fi scares in Infinity Pool and Possessor, the multi-hyphenate Caitlin Cronenberg enters the realm of dystopian satire with her feature debut Humane. Starring Grace and Frankie‘s Peter Gallagher along with Jay Baruchel and Emily Hampshire, the film portrays the aftermath of an ecological collapse as governments around the world ask civilians to take part in a voluntary euthanasia program to save everything. Ahead of the film’s release, Collider is excited to share an exclusive sneak peek at an argument between Gallagher and Baruchel that says a lot about who these characters are and their mindset during this crisis.

Humane revolves around a family in a wealthy enclave who wrestles with the implications of the government program. The father, prolific retired newsman Charles York (Gallagher), hosts a dinner with his grown children to tell them that he’s decided to give up his life for the initiative. However, things quickly spiral out of hand, causing tensions within the family to emerge and clashing viewpoints to leave everyone at each other’s throats. Baruchel’s character, Charles’ government apologist son Jarod, is especially at odds with Charles due to his quick defense of their nation amid some disturbing rumors.

The sneak peek shows Jarod trying to reassure everyone that the current administration would never even dream of artificially inflating recruitment numbers for the euthanasia program to convince more people to sign up. Charles’s sense of journalistic integrity kicks in, as he snaps back at his son for being an untrustworthy source because of how cozy he gets with government officials and how much water he carries for them on television. Further leaning into political satire, he points out that the same officials and politicians pushed falsehoods about the climate, leading to their current predicament. His frustration boils over when Jarod tries to paint his previous news work as “pointing fingers.” In the final seconds, he sternly tells his son off in front of the rest of the family, meaning their irreconcilable differences are likely to play a key role in the chaos that ensues throughout the rest of the night.

‘Humane’ Reunites Gallagher and Baruchel as Father and Son

Cronenberg’s debut won’t be the first time a messy familial bond has connected Baruchel and Gallagher. The third season of FXX’s Man Seeking Woman, which starred Baruchel as the struggling Josh Greenberg, featured Gallagher as a guest in an episode as the BlackBerry lead’s estranged father, Joel Greenberg. In addition to Hampshire, best known for her longtime role as Stevie Budd in Schitt’s Creek, the pair are joined in Humane by Sebastian Chacon, Alanna Bale, Enrico Colantoni, and Sirena Gulamgaus. The screenplay was penned by Michael Sparaga.

Humane debuts in theaters on Friday, April 26. Shudder will be the streaming home for Cronenberg’s debut starting on July 26. Check out the exclusive sneak peek below.