By Robert Scucci
| Published
There’s nothing quite like reuniting with an old friend who you haven’t seen in years. But if your friend is convinced that demons are going to take over the Earth, and he’s the only person who’s been informed about their plans for world domination, you’re not exactly going to break out the beer pong table and reminisce about the old days. That’s the heart of the story in 2015’s They Look Like People, the independent psychological horror thriller that’s a little bit existential, a little bit theological, and 100 percent terrifying when you consider the implications of letting somebody you used to know crash at your place for an indefinite amount of time.
Wyatt And Christian, Reunited At Last
They Look Like People centers on two childhood friends, Wyatt (MacLeod Andrews) and Christian (Evan Dumouchel), who were inseparable when they were growing up but parted ways by the time they reached adulthood because their lives took them in different directions. When Wyatt arrives unannounced at Christian’s New York City apartment, Christian takes him in because it’s immediately apparent that something’s off with his best friend, and he wants to help in whatever way he can. Wyatt reveals that he broke up with his fiancé, but doesn’t explain the reason why– he suspects she’s become a conduit for a demonic force that’s taken over her body.
Christian, also coming out of his own wave of depression after getting dumped by his fiancé, is somehow even more delusional than Wyatt because he thinks clanging and banging at the gym and listening to self-help audio books so he could “dominate” life is the fix that he needs to find true happiness.
Wyatt’s Unraveling
As They Look Like People slowly burns along, Wyatt finds himself receiving phone calls from a demonic voice telling him that he needs to save himself from the imminent apocalypse, resulting in him stockpiling various weapons in Christian’s basement to prepare for what’s to come. Constantly shifting from Wyatt’s perspective to a more neutral vantage point, They Look Like People keeps its cards close to its chest by alluding to Wyatt’s past mental health issues, but also suggests that reality isn’t such a binary experience, and that there may actually be some sort of demonic force at play.
Christian, trying to be a supportive friend, urges Wyatt to see his therapist and get his medications adjusted. While Christian’s treatment of Wyatt is exactly the kind of behavior you’d want to see from a best friend because he’s coming from a sensitive and caring place, Christian is also wrestling with his own personal demons because the new persona he’s adopted as a macho man and straight shooter isn’t exactly working in his favor, and causing problems for him on both the occupational and romantic front.
An Disturbing Exploration Of Mental Illness And Friendship
They Look Like People offers a unique viewing experience because its two protagonists are both fighting off two different types of torment that are both very real from their own point of view. Christian’s odyssey stems from his own self-hatred and desperate desire to become the ideal modern-day alpha-male despite living most of his life as an incredibly insecure individual. Wyatt, on the other hand, finds himself on the verge of a psychotic break, and the only person who will even consider hearing him out is Christian, who I personally wouldn’t blame if he were to kick Wyatt out of his place after his behavior becomes increasingly volatile and unpredictable as he thinks hordes of demons are about to show themselves and usher in a new dark age.
Forcing the viewer to use their imagination and consider the implications of what both Wyatt and Christian are experiencing, They Look Like People is a slow-burn exploration of friendship and mental illness that you don’t want to sleep on. While both characters are going through wildly different existential crises, their friendship is ultimately what keeps them grounded as they try to make sense of their lives crumbling around them, which will ultimately have to be addressed whether the apocalypse is coming or not.
As of this writing, you can stream They Look Like People for free on Tubi.
