The Human Race - The "Race or Die" Tournament

Aus dem Film kommt zwar kein Hit, aber trotz der billigen Optik spürt man seine autorenmäßige Begeisterung. Ich schätze auf jeden Fall das schnelle Tempo, die vielen explodierenden Köpfe und die energiegeladene Musik, besonders beim Intro und Abspann. Aber das Ende hat mich leider nicht sonderlich überrascht, dank einiger Hinweise lässt es sich etwa zur Hälfte des Films erahnen. Der Hauptcharakter ist jedoch ein echter Kerl! (25.12.2013)

The most entertaining horror B-movie of the year. Really, this film looks terrible, but if you get over the ugly visuals, you’ll enjoy an uncompromising and brutal carnage, a brisk and violent action ride that spares nobody – old people, women, children. Eighty people find themselves in some sort of futuristic arena and must fight for their lives – only one can survive. It’s a horror take on The Hunger Games or Battle Royale. But what will make The Human Race really memorable is the nasty twist in the last minutes (I appeal to others to refrain from revealing it in their comments), which in a way gives it an almost cult status. I hope that Paul Hough will get at least 10 million USD for a remake with a more decent visual quality and then 50 million to make a sequel. I want to watch that now! (23.12.2013)

Yes, if more effort had been put into the script, if there had been a bit more money, and if the ending were different, this could have been a great film. But even with what the creators had, they managed to create something meaningful, something that isn't just a superficial work. In terms of independent filmmaking, this is really good. I can't go too high with the rating because there are flaws and they are too visible, but this is a film I enjoyed watching. (22.07.2015)