Cage Match: The Humanity Bureau (2017)

“The Humanity Bureau” is a low-budget dystopian thriller that blends timely political themes with Nicolas Cage’s signature intensity.

IN THIS CORNER: KELLY MINTZER

The Lowdown 

Art does not exist in a vacuum. It is never separate from the time it was created or the time we are watching it. Perhaps that sometimes leads to a profundity it might not have otherwise carried; that is not for us to interrogate. We experience each book, song, and movie through the lens of our own reality.

This probably seems like too much preamble for The Humanity Bureau, a lesser-known Nicolas Cage entity. But here’s the thing: The movie was made in 2018, and some of its themes were relevant then.

Unfortunately, many of its themes are MORE relevant now.

This isn’t to say this movie recreates any wheel. The film follows the basic trajectory established by nearly every dystopian movie: a white man starts out as a true believer and gradually comes to realize the system he is working in is flawed. He then tries to help a woman and child (this part is not guaranteed, but it does come up a lot) and eventually sacrifices himself for the cause.

This is nothing new.

Nic Cage plays a man working for the titular Humanity Bureau, a government body that assesses citizens’ productivity and determines whether or not they can remain in their homes. Does this seem vaguely familiar? This was perhaps the first jab that felt too close to home.

As Federal workers struggle to justify their earned and warranted positions, an apartheid nepo baby strung out on ketamine is demanding they prove they deserve their positions. This is hitting pretty close to home.

Those who cannot justify their efficiency are sent to “New Eden”. Let’s grab this bull by the horns and be really fucking direct with spoilers and whatnot.

There was never a point where my mom and I, watching this movie together, doubted New Eden was a concentration camp. It’s transmitted pretty damn loudly. Which, you could argue, is one of the movie’s weaknesses; it hits every beat you know it’s going to hit. There was honestly not one surprise for me in this movie.

That said…

It also felt relevant. Unfortunately, this is probably a greater indictment of the current American morass than praise for the film, but we’re where we are.

Where The Humanity Bureau hits hardest is when it dives into the lies a government—specifically, the AMERICAN government—tells its citizens.

There are several narrative inconsistencies throughout, and the dialogue is clunky as hell, but I’m not sure that those things matter while watching this movie in 2025. And while much of the conversation is stilted and unnatural, the movie gets one absolutely banger and perfect line: “It’s easier to build fear than to build walls.”

The Cage Factor:

Because of the aforementioned context, it’s hard to assess this one accurately. I’m pretty comfortable calling it a Cautious Cage. It’s got heart, and it’s trying like hell, but it never succeeds in the way that far superior post-apocalyptic films (I thought a few times that it felt a bit like a low-rent Children of Men) manage. Cage is doing perfectly fine work in it.

It’s not a knock-your-socks-off performance, but it’s also not distracting from the point the movie is trying to make, a point that, however awkwardly positioned it may be, is as relevant as HELL right now. So yeah. 

AND IN THIS CORNER: STEPHANIE MALONE

The Lowdown 

Nicolas Cage is no stranger to the world of dystopian sci-fi, nor is he averse to tackling roles in lower-budget, high-concept genre films that often straddle the line between intriguing and forgettable. The Humanity Bureau (2017), directed by Rob W. King, is one such film—offering a bleak, post-apocalyptic vision of America where productivity determines one’s right to exist.

Set in the near future of 2030, The Humanity Bureau presents a world ravaged by economic collapse and environmental disaster. The titular government agency decides who is deemed a “productive citizen,” deporting those who don’t meet the criteria to a mysterious off-grid relocation center called New Eden.

Cage stars as Noah Kross, a government agent who begins to question the system’s legitimacy when he investigates a case involving a mother, Rachel Weller (Sarah Lind), and her young son, Lucas (Jakob Davies). What follows is a chase-heavy narrative that blends action, drama, and socio-political commentary.

At its core, The Humanity Bureau is thematically ambitious. It attempts to explore issues of government overreach, economic inequality, and the dehumanization of the underprivileged.

The idea of a world where productivity is the measure of one’s right to live is chillingly relevant, given ongoing conversations about automation, wealth disparity, and authoritarian governance.

The film hints at an Orwellian critique of surveillance states and the dangers of unchecked power, making it more thematically engaging than the average B-movie dystopia.

While its themes are intriguing, the narrative follows a predictable path, never fully capitalizing on the depth of its ideas. It’s a film with grand ambitions, but it doesn’t quite nail the execution when it comes to the world-building and nuanced storytelling needed to elevate it above other more memorable dystopian films with similar themes.

However, for those who appreciate earnest sci-fi with rough edges but chilling relevance, it’s worth a watch.

And if the film feels a little too on the nose in 2025, that’s just the terrifying power of speculative sci-fi where we imagine the manifestation of our worst fears and then watch as those inconceivable nightmares become a reality. 

The Cage Factor

As expected, Cage gives it his all, and his performance helps elevate the material and gives it much-needed gravitas. This isn’t eccentric, unhinged Cage; he plays Kross with a subdued, brooding intensity. There’s an underlying sincerity in his portrayal of a man slowly realizing he’s complicit in a system of oppression.

For devoted Nicolas Cage fans, The Humanity Bureau is an interesting, if unremarkable, entry in his extensive filmography. It’s a flawed but watchable dystopian thriller that benefits strongly from his presence.