Men (2022)

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Writer/Director: Alex Garland

Stars: Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear, Paapa Essiedu, Gayle Rankin, Sarah Twomey, Zak Rothera-Oxley, Sonoya Mizuno



Harper Marlowe (Jessie Buckley) retreats to a rented country estate to heal after the death of her husband (Paapa Essiedu) following a terrible fight under circumstances that could have been either suicide or an accident.

 


Now isolated, she is terrorized by the men of the region (Rory Kinnear), who bear a startling resemblance to each other.

 


I really wanted to like this film more.

 


Writer/director Alex Garland develops a tremendous atmosphere that promises great things. 



Long sequences of frightened women investigating their surroundings in terror can bore me to death (I’m looking at you, giallo) unless the actress is doing something interesting, but Buckley pulls it off.

 


Garland strikes some interesting notes: every man Harper encounters is either vaguely or overtly threatening; actions that Harper takes to protect herself inflict lasting damage on these men and perpetuate their sense of grievance. 



Unfortunately, the ending is a muddle.

 


Satisfyingly gross, but still a muddle.











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