In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, Harper retreats alone to the beautiful English countryside, hoping to find a place to heal. But someone — or something — from the surrounding woods appears to be stalking her, and what begins as simmering dread becomes a fully-formed nightmare, inhabited by her darkest memories and fears.
- Released: 2022-05-20
- Runtime: 100 minutes
- Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
- Stars: Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear, Paapa Essiedu, Gayle Rankin, Sarah Twomey, Zak Rothera-Oxley, Sonoya Mizuno
- Director: Alex Garland
Comments
- salemzin - 27 June 2024
The Patriarchy
"Men" (2022), another A24 production full of concepts and allegories, addresses several relevant themes between the lines of its plot, such as patriarchy, toxic masculinity and "female guilt".
Although it received less public attention compared to the studio's other successes, the project presents great positive points throughout the plot, such as its objectivity in expressing concepts to the public, being one of A24's most accessible allegorical features in terms of understanding. Almost all the men in the film are played by Rory Kinnear, an element that marks and makes the experience memorable. Without the conceptual content, the plot cannot be completely sustained, making it necessary to pay attention to the metaphors for a better understanding of the plot. The debates discussed are valid and necessary, adding value to production. The practical effects are impressive, although they lose impact in the final act, the result of unnecessary exaggeration.
"Men" shocks by exploring themes that have bothered many people for many generations, specifically men, more because of the depth of the topics covered than because of its gore scenes. The film may disappoint the unsuspecting viewer who expected another cliché and unpretentious production. - Stevieboy666 - 29 May 2024
Superbly made but what a strange ending!
A traumatised young woman called Harper seeks solace in the English countryside after the horrific suicide of her abusive husband James at their London home. She rents out a large splendid 500 year old cottage but a series of encounters with strange men make her stay one of fear and terror. This arty British movie combines folk, body and psychological horror to great effect. The plot is set during the Spring, bluebells cover the woodland ground, and the Green Man, a British pagan figure, plays a significant part (though apples on a tree are totally out of place for this time of year). Harper is exploring the nearby woods, all lush green. She comes across a long disused railway tunnel and starts making vocal echoes. Suddenly a figure is seen at the other end and it starts to run towards her, pure terror! The sudden switch from joy to horror was quite brilliantly done, and that is just one example. Later a naked man (full frontal) appears in her garden, at first we see him but she doesn't. I found the movie to be beautifully shot and the acting is excellent as is the musical score. There is some extreme gore, for example a man's hand and forearm are slowly split in half by a blade. Later on pregnant men (!) very graphically give birth to other men! The first half is easy to follow but the second half things get very weird. I will say that people who like their film endings to be crystal clear may not appreciate this one. To say that the ending (no spoilers) is bizarre would be an understatement. I couldn't make much sense of it but perhaps that was the intention, get viewers thinking and indeed there are plenty of online articles devoted to it (I visited a few but different viewers have different ideas). I do wish that the ending was easier to understand but apart from that Men is quite brilliant.
