Cinema Styles: The surreal horror of ‘Men’
Film: Men (2022) Director: Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation, Devs)
Cast: Jessie Buckley (Wild Rose), Rory Kinnear (Penny Dreadful)
How to Watch: In Theaters Rating: R Runtime: 100 minutes Genres: Horror, Drama, Sci-fi
Men is the third feature film from writerdirector Alex Garland, and it’s one of the most perplexing and unique horror films ever made. It tells the story of Harper (Buckley), a woman who goes on a solitary vacation to the countryside in England following the death of her husband. Released by the always-reliable A24, this folk-horror film is unlike any other movie in existence.
Men is a film that’s more interested in getting under your skin than trying to surprise you with jump-scares. It creates an unsettling and nightmarish atmosphere that only intensifies as the film progresses. The tension tightens like a screw being turned until it’s almost unbearable. Viewers will likely leave the theater feeling disturbed by at least one scene, if not several. It’s an ambitious amalgamation of horror and drama, and contains a multitude of memorable and startling imagery filmed by talented cinematographer Rob Hardy.
This is a film that raises more questions than answers, and it’s more concerned with being experienced than explained. It’s a movie that serves as a mirror, with the viewers’ own assumptions and interpretations filling in the gaps intentionally left for the audience to interact with. While this might prove frustrating for some viewers, those that prefer active engagement with a film rather than passive observation will find it a rewarding experience. More than any of his other films, director Alex Garland hopes audiences will “join the conversation” and be in dialogue with the movie as they’re watching it.
Men is a film about trauma, and the processing of grief. The death of Harper’s husband looms over the entire story, and we receive bits and pieces of the bigger picture as the story moves forward. New details emerge for the viewer, and with them the complexity of Harper’s pain is revealed. Shortly before his death, her husband exhibits behavior that’s consistent with the idea of toxic masculinity.
Oxford Dictionary defines toxic masculinity as “a set of attitudes and ways of behaving stereotypically associated with or expected of men, regarded as having a negative impact on men and on society as a whole.”
During Harper’s vacation, she encounters several of the titular men in the rural town she’s staying in. Through them, she experiences a wide array of toxic masculinity that’s meant to represent the struggle many women have to deal with in a patriarchal society. As Harper attempts to heal from her traumatic experience, she’s consistently bombarded by men threatening her and trying to control her. Their toxicity takes many forms, from condescension to sexual harassment to threats of violence.
The most interesting aspect of Men is almost every male character Harper interacts with is played by the same actor: the chameleonic British thespian Rory Kinnear. Even more intriguing is the fact Harper never once acknowledges they share the same face. This is one of the aspects of the film that’s entirely open to interpretation.
One possible explanation is we’re seeing the men from Harper’s perspective. Dealing with the emotional trauma of her deceased husband, she’s now viewing all men as equally threatening, with no differentiation between any of them. To her, personal trauma and toxic masculinity take many forms but they all share the same face because they all stem from the same malicious force.
Rory Kinnear’s multitude of performances as the various “men” is impressive to say the least. Kinnear has always been good in his various film and television projects, but never before has been able to show his extensive range. His special skill in particular seems to be the ability to be painfully awkward in any given scene. He finds a way to breathe life into each unique character using what appears to be an endless supply of ways to make your skin crawl.
This is a film preoccupied with gender, and it isn’t so much making a statement as it’s asking audiences to think about the topic. It’s no accident the protagonist of Men is a woman. The always amazing Jessie Buckley centers an otherwise outlandish movie with her humanism and relatability. She depicts a character who seems trapped in a hellscape of masculinity. Her nuanced performance beautifully serves as a symbol for the daily struggle many women experience.
Men contains plenty of wiggle room for multiple interpretations to exist. One possibility is the story is an allegory for the story of the Garden of Eden. The countryside Harper retreats to is introduced through an extended, wordless sequence of her wandering through a lusciously green forest on the way to the cottage. When she reaches the property, she immediately pulls an apple off the tree in the yard and takes a bite. Shortly after, her host jokingly says she’s eating the forbidden fruit.
While this film is more slowly paced than a traditional horror film, it’s not without its own nightmarish imagery. The “body horror” of David Cronenberg is a clear influence here, with disturbing alterations made to our typical expectations of how bodies should appear and function.
The ending in particular offers an unforgettable finale filled with body parts of various men emerging out of other body parts in unnatural and unsettling ways. The sequence is like a Russian doll or a snake shedding its skin multiple times. These grotesque transformations indicate reproduction and are surely intended to make the audience squirm. One interpretation is it’s depicting toxic masculinity breeding itself and finding new ways to reinvent its own being.
As with Alex Garland’s other films, Men will absolutely divide audiences. Every one of his movies takes a big