Men

Alex Garland is a master of horror suspense. The first scene with the naked man behind the window is an absolute treat. But Garland wouldn’t put himself in a genre pigeonhole even for the world. His Men is a fascinating hallucinogenic trip packed with contextual question marks emerging from a harmonious series of disturbing and even frightening scenes. The film is an acid trip in which the protagonist in unable to find her way, as she is convulsed by devastating remorse. She is shaken by a tragic event caused by an intimate conflict between a being from Venus and a being from Mars. And she suffers the mental anguish of not being able to understand something that cannot be understood. I would not have expected a guy to make a heavy psychological film on this subject, but as a lover of atmospheric, cinematically polished nightmares that don’t make it easy for the viewer, I’m damn glad that he did. Garland is from another planet. (14/03/2023)

A wonderfully atmospheric allegory on the theme (most likely) of dealing with PTSD and trying to step out of your own shadow. Indeed, it's very suspenseful and audiovisually captivating almost the entire time, it's just that the denouement is somewhat... well, beefy. Don't look for any great complexities, just enjoy the atmosphere and then you might actually quite like it. [60%] (05/08/2022)

The first half had me excited as perhaps no other recent film has. The mysterious atmosphere, supported by the perfectly chosen music and the sound and image tricks completely fascinated me and I was looking forward to what Garland would surprise me with next. Unfortunately, from the scene in the church it's just a solo for the main character and one actor in wig changes, and it becomes a very weird thing that goes nowhere. It's just Harper watching various body-horror scenes, and occasionally the parson, who I think us the weakest component of the film, utters some pearl of wisdom, and you get a sense of bewilderment and would-be art that wants so much to tempt your own interpretation, but without anything to grasp on. Alex, you’ve tried to get me drunk with a bun, but I prefer a proper black Guinness. Probably the weakest of the three films Garland has directed so far. (07/10/2022)

I tried and I tried, I guess I missed the point in the end, but that doesn't mean I'm not satisfied. On the contrary, Men is one of those films that doesn't tell you everything, but doesn't annoy you with it and lets you think for yourself. Wonderfully immersive atmosphere, an excellent Jessie Buckley and a superb Rory Kinnear (I don't know him much, so I admit I had no idea how many roles he actually played until the end). I will gladly watch it again some day. (15/01/2023)

The first half is a brilliant set-up for psychological horror and works visually, musically and in the overall building of tension. In the second half, it all blurs into long monologues, metaphorical scenes and agonizingly long shots where you slowly pray for the end to come – knowing that there will be no answers. (30/12/2022)