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
- flinchumjenl - 14 June 2024
Spoilers, kind of
Made no sense. Couldn't tell if she was hallucinating or not. Couldn't tell if she was crazy or not. There were definitely some creepy parts but Idk if they were supposed to be. The moments that seemed like they were supposed to be creepy were just kinda stupid. The priest spoke in riddles that didn't go anywhere. The music was loud and obnoxious. The tunnel scene went on way too long. I'm sure there is probably some "higher meaning" that I'm missing here. Alex Garland was apparently trying to say something with this film but it flew right over my head. Spoiler here......
The birth scene toward the end was just nasty. - random0banana - 14 May 2024
Men: A Lush Labyrinth of Grief and Beauty - An Introspective Journey Through Nature's Paradox
"Men," a film that arrived with a quiet yet unsettling whisper, is an enigma wrapped in the verdant foliage of the English countryside. It's a film that, much like the garden it so often features, is both beautiful and overgrown, requiring a patient gardener to untangle its vines.
The film's director, known for his unique vision, crafts a narrative that is as much a psychological exploration as it is a horror. The protagonist, Harper, portrayed with a compelling vulnerability, retreats to the countryside to process her grief. The performance is capturing the nuances of sorrow with a haunting resonance that lingers long after.
The cinematography is nothing short of poetic. Each frame is a painting, a careful composition of light and shadow that tells its own story. The use of natural light is particularly noteworthy, casting an ethereal glow on Harper's isolation and the eerie beauty of her surroundings.
The score, too, deserves praise. It is a subtle yet powerful force, an undercurrent that pulls the viewer deeper into the film's emotional undertow. It weaves through the narrative, a thread that connects Harper's inner turmoil to the external forces at play.
The film's ambition is both its strength and its Achilles' heel. In its attempt to weave a complex tapestry of themes - grief, nature, the feminine experience - it sometimes knots itself into complexity. The narrative, rich with symbolism, occasionally veers into the opaque, leaving viewers to parse meaning from scenes that feel disjointed from the whole.
The pacing, deliberate as it may be, sometimes borders on the lethargic. There are moments when the film seems to languish in its own contemplation, and the viewer's attention may wane as they await the next thread to be pulled.
The supporting cast, while talented, is underutilized. Their performances, though solid, are overshadowed by the film's focus on its lead. This singular focus, while central to the story, leaves one yearning for a more fleshed-out world around Harper.
"Men" is a film that, like the garden it so lovingly depicts, requires patience and a willingness to delve into its depths. It is a film that will not appeal to all, but for those who choose to wander its paths, it offers a rich, if sometimes overgrown, landscape to explore. Its beauty is undeniable, but one cannot help but wish for a clearer path through its verdant labyrinth. - FeastMode - 21 April 2024
What did I just witness?
I'm a huge fan of writer/director Alex Garland. Annihilation is one of my all-time favorite movies. And I love Sunshine, Ex Machina, Dredd, Devs and 28 Days Later. I saw this movie on opening night on his name alone. I did not watch a single trailer or read any reviews. I didn't even know what it's about. (This is the best way to watch a movie)
To my dismay, this movie doesn't work for me at all. It's extremely slow with very little happening for most of the movie. I spent the majority of the time trying to figure out what was happening or what kind of story was unfolding. I impatiently made it to the end, hoping the movie could be salvaged. Instead I was given some of the weirdest stuff I've ever witnessed in a movie, and not in a good way. The best word to describe my feeling was befuddled.
The movie overall is competently made with good directing and performances. But there isn't enough story or substance to balance out the abstract and metaphorical. I compare it to Annihilation which was juicy with metaphors and symbolism, but was also filled with story and substance. And while both movies have scenes and images that I've never seen or even imagined, the ones in Annihilation mesmerized and terrified me, while the ones in Men made me raise an eyebrow and say what I wrote in the headline.
Alex Garland is now 3 for 4 in the director's chair. I should stop hoping that every new director prodigy will be the next Christopher Nolan with almost every movie being amazing. It's not reasonable. I should expect misses like Men. And I still look forward to seeing more from Garland. But I can't like a movie if after I've watched it, I have no idea what I just witnessed.
(1 viewing, opening Thursday 5/19/2022) - lostlevel - 8 January 2023
I don't think I can ever look at Rory Kinnear in the same way again...
I don't think I can ever look at Rory Kinnear in the same way again... though this is testimony to his versatility as an actor.
Jessie Buckley as always delivers yet another great performance. She chooses interesting projects to be involved with. In fact I am yet to see her in a bad film. Though some of them have been hard to watch, after all the torment I think it is okay to phone it in once in a while and do something easy, with less anguish or perhaps a Disney/Marvel project.
The cinematography coupled with the sound design was particular impressive. There are scenes I would have shots I would have as a desktop background if it didn't remind me of the last few minutes.
I would recommend this film to more people but worry that if they weren't already weird-ed out before the ending might give them some nightmares. - njohnsonmoviereviews - 2 January 2023
A Deep and Sensitive Exploration of Abuse and Chauvinism, as Well as its Evolutionary Roots
The title of this film is perhaps a misnomer, as it isn't exactly focused on men. Rather, it's focused on man's relationship with women, from its evolutionary beginning all the way to the modern man. Though the film arguably borrows from Surrealist elements (bordering on Absurdism at some points), its message is actually rather straightforward, focusing on the fact that modern man still has not evolved past his primal ancestors deep-seated need for s*x, aggression, and the need to be loved. More importantly though, the film shows how man's struggle negatively affects women, ranging from white-knighting and treating her as a villain for setting boundaries, all the way to victim blaming and physical and emotional abuse. The film misses no details, such as a woman simply wanting to be left alone in her house but continuously being followed, being dismissed by other women, and even having to lie about herself when a strange yet well-intentioned man is overly curious about her. The resulting film is so profoundly empathetic towards women, portraying the horrors they go through every day at the hands of men. Yet it also explains why man is the way he is, and how he evolved increasingly sophisticated techniques to achieve his most primal desire. Final consensus - 9/10 - An incredibly empathetic and thoughtful film on the horrors women face everyday at the hands of men. - jgonz910 - 29 December 2022
Mixed emotions
The Acting was great. It took me a few scenes to realize the male actor was the same, so great makeup work. It had a Beautiful filming location. I do like movies that have a deeper meaning and make you think so i enjoyed the slow start and trying to figure out the symbolism. However i felt the up close visuals at the end were not necessary and caught me off guard. Of course a week after seeing the movie i thought maybe i didnt get the the message/meaning so I had to read some reviews to confirm. But even then i still felt the end scenes did not have to be so close and vivid I would have enjoyed it more. - seveleniumus - 20 December 2022
Pretentious mess
The movie starts decent enough, albeit slowly. Unfortunately, after setting up all the interesting characters and gorgeous locations, it throws everything away to deliver "the message."
By the end, the movie gets rid of the plot completely and becomes nothing but a pretentious allegory that takes itself a lot more seriously than it deserves. While the final scene may be shocking to some because of its vividness, it lacks a proper context. Thus, it comes off as a somewhat laughable attempt to jump on current political trends.
Overall, the movie seems to cater to a very specific demographic that favors symbolism over plot or character development. The rest of the audience will likely go away confused or disappointed. - bellapeligrosa - 14 November 2022
Compelling, disturbing viewing
Ah, the English countryside. Birds, old houses with character, ancient forests, even more ancient dieties. Hats off to Rory Kinnear and Jessie Buckley here, particularly Kinnear who pulled off multiple roles, each one more stereotypically English than the other. Anyone not familiar with the green man legends (and it's probably worth a quick read before watching this) may struggle a little, but a lot of pagan mythology revolves around a male diety with a face surrounded by leaves - the green man - and a female diety with her legs spread open - sheela na gig. Life, rebirth and death are continual themes through the film, the most disturbing being the broken corpse of Buckley's husband, who died tragically after falling from a balcony. His death haunts Buckley, as they were fighting beforehand, he struck her, and she threw him out, only to see him falling past the window moments later, where they make eye contact.
There's enough on the internet to dissect the film, its mythology and the ending, so cutting to the chase, it is worth a watch as a horror? Very much so. Take away the supernatural, and this would have worked as a decent psychological horror, right up until the last 10 mins (which I wasn't a huge fan of, although I understand why it was necessary). Most women have been in uncomfortable situations with men, and felt scared and vulnerable. The power shifts here are continual, as Buckley's character tries to reason and gain back control as things get progressively weirder and scarier. I found the ending a little unsatisfying, but on the whole the film really delivers. Buckley seems to go from strength to strength in her career and deservedly so, this is an outstanding performance. - living-god-king-of-all-w - 4 November 2022
Not a popcorn flick.
After watching this, I felt like I needed to take a shower and then apologize to every woman I have ever know. Unapologetically surreal, Men is both visually sumptuous and viscerally nauseating. A savage and horrific meditation on the carnage toxic masculinity wrecks on romantic relationships. The lush, idyllic English countryside is brilliantly juxtaposed against scenes of grotesque gore and violence. What seem like understated performances suddenly erupt into emotional and physical violence. Visually lush, this film moves back and forth between subtle observations and brutal expressions of impotent male rage. It could easily have been titled Look What You Made Me Do. As always, Rory Kinnear delivers an amazing performance. This one is a true horror gem.
