Writer and director Alex Garland might be one of the most promising filmmakers of the new era. Previous films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation” display a unique vision of getting underneath the science fiction genre, offering new ideas and social warnings if you listen with your eyes.
Garland delivers something unexpected with “Men.” Flirting more with the horror genre, it’s a film that will have some scratching their heads, others demanding a refund, and poised to create walkouts.
In an attempt to subvert scary movie tropes, Garland’s script is set in a secluded old house occupied by a woman alone dealing with trauma when strange things begin to happen. Sounds familiar, right?
He hopes you’ll think so because whenever you think a cliché is about to jump out and scare you, Garland’s disturbing visions constantly surprise you to the point you wonder whether he has gone too far.
In the aftermath of a horrific suicide, Harper (Jessie Buckley) has splurged on a weekend getaway to a historic English farmhouse to clear her mind and soul. Walking paths, spring’s first flowers, and a quaint town nearby feel like the recipe for healing.
The rental caretaker, Geoffrey (Rory Kinnear), is overbearing during his house tour. He’s the type of host Airbnb encourages to include a self-check-in option. Harper’s evening walk following the long drive isn’t the relaxing event she expected, a prelude to the weekend ahead.
Everywhere she turns, a familiar-looking man stands in the way of her peace and quiet.
“Men” really has some teeth to it, literally. It also has some of the most disturbing imagery of any mainstream film in 2022 so far. You can view this film in two ways. Taking only the imagery and story at face value won’t make much sense in the big picture — why Kinnear is playing all these different characters or the motive behind the disturbing behavior.
The not-so-obvious symbolism runs wild when you finally get clued into what Garland is actually saying.
If you look deeper — in this case, much deeper — you might find that “Men” is an allegory for the systemic blame the male gender has bestowed upon the female since the beginning of time. Let’s just say the fruit tree in the front yard of the weekend home bears an intentional type of fruit.
The not-so-obvious symbolism runs wild when you finally get clued into what Garland is actually saying.
Symbolism, allegory, hidden meanings — you just wanted to watch a creepy horror movie, right?
Comparisons to Ari Aster’s “Hereditary” and “Midsommar” will be rampant, but Garland is doing his own thing here, pushing the limits on what no-research audience members will sit through.
Should a film be this hard to decipher for average viewers? Aside from the imagery, Garland tackles traumatization, suicide, and guilt in a way we haven’t quite seen on film before, especially in a horror film. It’s genuinely a real nightmare.
Buckley, fresh off her Oscar nomination for “The Lost Daughter,” is again impressive, staying far away from the stereotypical female horror character. Kinnear is, however, the revelation tasked with transforming into so many different characters and the peculiarities of each one.
Final Thought
Filmmaker Alex Garland challenges audiences tolerance for disturbing images and symbolism with horror film “Men.”