Less Than Human (2017) User Reviews

A pretty smart short film that also feels relevant for our times

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 24 February 2018]

"Less Than Human" is a Danish 6-minute animated short film from 2017, so pretty recent, and here we have the first directorial effort by Steffen Bang Lindholm and one of the most recent Animation Workshop films. It is a post post-apocalypse movie you could say as zombies live isolated in camps and humans try to avoid them as the reporter we got here is the best example of. He clearly did not expect to run into these 2 most different zombies during shooting his footage. And as we watch the interview with them, we find out that not only have they stopped killing humans or trying to kill humans, but they actually act more human than humans do frequently. The best moment is maybe the epilogue, the shot outside the camp with the hate message at the wall and the commentator's statement of how it's not possible to integrate zombies into society again and how ironic it is that he is correct, but in a completely different way that he means it. The looks are solid here in terms of the animation, but the really best achievements here are the script's takes on friendship, tolerance and a genre that is not too easy to be dealt with in a comedic fashion in animation while still offering depth. This was certainly closer to a 4 out of 5 than a 2 out of 5 and I recommend checking it out. Would also be nice to see a full feature film based on this short at some point if they decide to go for it. I'm definitely in. Watch it.

Very human zombies

[Rectangular_businessman · 8/10 · 31 March 2021]

The oversaturation of zombie-related media in the past decade almost made me think that everything about them has already been said, but fortunately, this short managed me to convince me that there is still a way to give a new turn to the genre.

Very brief and interesting, I think "Less than Human" could also work as a feature-lenght animated film aimed at adults.

The darkly humorous tone from the beginning unexpectedly leads to a rather endearing scene, but the conclusion also brings a very valid point about intolerance: The way in which the two zombies are depicted in a manner which evokes the usual portrayal of gay couples in media is definately not a coincidence, and the way in which they are still perceived as "menace" even after how human and vulnerable they are shown disregard appearances is a rather somber reminder of how the latent prejudice still exist, and how it leads to hatred and violence.

Some people like to pretend homophobia and transphobia are a thing from the past, but sadly, the internet is filled with constant reminders of the contrary.

television and appearences

[Kirpianuscus · 22 July 2018]

...or a zombies story. different by what you expect. and touching. a simple story about friendship. one of many subtle lessons about human nature, perception , media truth and the pure reality. nothing complicated. but a real good animation. a film significant for its message and for its cultural references. because the title represents the basic clue for ironic and moving definition of humankind. and the inspired dialogue between the twoo friends, isolated in camp, in a sort of happiness are few details for define this film as special.