Men

All right, Garland, fair dues. You had a crack, picked out the top corner from the halfway line. It just skimmed the bar, didn't it? This is Alex Garland's third feature directing effort, after Ex Machina and Annihilation, and he certainly has some ideas. It seems to be that he struggles to bring them into focus in the wash-up, though. As with Annihilation, Men does really well setting up the conceit, drawing the viewer into this odd, uncomfortable world, where things are slightly askew and we're always on guard. But once again, all this good work is undone by some frankly batshit stuff at the end. Actually, I'm being a bit unfair on Annihilation. That kind of worked, I just felt it petered out a bit. Men, on the other hand, doesn't peter out as much as fucking explode in viscera and placenta.

This is the story of Jessie Buckley's Harper, a woman who decides to take a respite in the countryside after a traumatic experience that has left her a widow. The cottage she arrives at is owned by Rory Kinnear's Geoffrey, an old-fashioned but well-meaning member of the landed gentry. The two leads are excellent, Buckley mirrors our unease while Kinnear amplifies it. The first half hour slowly gathers pace as Harper takes a stroll through the woods until she arrives at a damp tunnel. After singing a couple of echoey notes down its length, she spots a figure at the opposite end, who starts running towards her. This creepy interlude seems to have awakened a naked forest tramp, who proceeds to stalk Harper. The police are called and weirdo is arrested. The realisation of who this guy is (or more accurately, is played by) signals the end of any 'regular' narrative events.

There are moments throughout where Harper has flashbacks to her husband's death, and these are important in that they have a bearing on the events to follow. I'm trying to dance around certain things here - when you see Men, you'll know why. It's probably enough to say that there are themes Garland wants to deliver about toxic masculinity, abuse (both mental and physical) and the repercussions of it, and societal acceptance of all kinds and levels of gender discrimination, personified in the film by police officers, young boys, priests and chavvy pub patrons - all male.

We had lots of questions, including; Are aliens involved? Is Harper mentally destroyed and imagining everything? Is she manifesting misplaced guilt into this serene locale? Could it be a version of The Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Or The Midwich Cuckoos? Or The World's End? Or even The Wicker (Wo)man? Roly reckons Garland is actually gaslighting us, blaming the audience for being too stupid to understand it. Maybe. For me, he's riding high on ambition and intent but not quite following through with a coherent climax. A very weird, squirm-inducing climax, yes, and somewhat satisfying too (see Harper's resigned 'yeah'), but ultimately defective.

Men opens at the Luna and Palace cinemas on June 16th.

See also:

Garland's Ex Machina (2014) shows how good he can be, and I guess Julia Ducournau's recent Titane (2021) is a kindred spirit in a way.

PLENTY OF SPOILAGE IN POD!!!!