Writer and director Alex Garland’slatest deeply mysterious offering,Men, has been screened ahead of its premiere at this month’s Cannes Film Festival, and the first reactions to the folk horror have begun to appear on social media. A surreal, isolated story,Menhas so far been praised for its creepiness, its insanity, and its genuine terror asAlex Garlanddelivers his first straightforward horror movie — though perhaps straightforward is the wrong word to use…
Menfollows Academy Award nomineeJessie Buckleywho, in the aftermath of a personal tragedy, retreats alone to the beautiful English countryside, hoping to have found a place to heal. But someone or something from the surrounding woods appears to be stalking her. What begins as simmering dread becomes a fully-formed nightmare, inhabited by her darkest memories and fears. That “someone or something” is played by Rory Kinnear, and who also plays the numerous men in the village that Harper visits. Thanks to his dedication to such a transformative role, much praise has been heaped on Kinnear throughout these early reactions.
Alex Garland has become well-known for his surrealist vision, and it sounds likeMenturns this up to eleven. Something which results in one of the scariest movies to grace the screen for some time, but could also alienate others.
Not everyone was as taken with Men and the warped tale that Alex Garland has chosen to tell. One early reaction even describes the movie as “bad,” while another callsMen“half-formed.” though they do quickly add that is nonetheless intriguing and somehow manages to splice the work of both “Richard Curtis and Lars von Trier in almost equal measure.”
MenContinues Alex Garland’s Successful Run as One of the Most Unique Filmmakers Working Today
WhileMenmay not have impressed everyone who was lucky enough to see it prior to its Cannes premiere, it certainly sounds like it will continue Alex Garland’s hugely successful run demonstrating his unique affinity for storytelling and filmmaking. The alleged “jaw dropper” of an ending has also added to the already monumental intrigue.
Written and directed by Alex Garland, Men stars Jessie Buckley as Harper Marlowe, a woman trying to go on holiday after a tragic incident;Rory Kinnear as Geoffrey, the owner of the holiday house Harper rents and all the other men in the village; Paapa Essiedu as Harper’s husband who died in a tragic incident; and Gayle Rankin.
Mencomes courtesy ofA24, and will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2022, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on August 01, 2025 and in the United Kingdom on June 07, 2025.
Following the release ofMen, which sounds like it will stand proudly alongside bothEx MachinaandAnnihilation,Alex Garland will once again reunite with A24 for his next project. Set in a “near-future America,” the typically secretive project is reportedly titledCivil Warand will starThe Power of the Dogstar Kirsten Dunst as the lead.
