Immediately after watching Alex Garland’s newest feature, Men, the only coherent thought I could conjure was “what the f*ck did I just watch.” Men tells the story of Harper, a woman who is looking for some peace and relaxation after the death of her husband. However, as this is a horror movie, you can probably guess that she doesn’t get either. Men is understandably divisive (especially with its ending) and has quite a few detractors, but I personally found it a tense and thrilling experience that I still can’t stop thinking about. It took me a while to figure out how I felt about its final act, however.

I don’t believe in objectivity in films, but I’m going to begin this portion of the review by discussing the aspects of Men that I’m positive most people can appreciate. For starters, the cinematography is incredible. There are so many gorgeous shots in this, and what could have been a very bland landscape is turned into a haunting environment that is genuinely terrifying. Everything feels so meticulous, especially the color grading. The score is also outstanding and sets the tone of each scene perfectly. One theme in particular has clawed its way into my brain and simply refuses to leave. The sound is also very well done, and it truly shines during a certain scene shown in the trailer. Lastly, the performances from Rory Kinnear, Paapa Essiedu, and especially Jessie Buckley are fantastic. Rory Kinnear is unbelievably creepy from the moment he first appears. He plays every male character in the film aside from Paapa Essiedu’s , and manages to make each of them deeply unnerving, but all in different ways. Paapa Essiedu’s James is a deeply broken and emotional man, and he portrays this excellently while still being detestable. But of course, Jessie Buckley is the clear standout. There isn’t a ton of dialogue in Men, so she has to carry many scenes solely with facial expressions and physical acting. And whenever she does deliver dialogue, she is expectedly fantastic. Her character does quite a bit of shouting, but it never feels overdone or histrionic. Thanks largely due to Buckley’s performance, Harper feels very natural and real.

Now, I’ve covered a lot of features of Men that I believe most viewers will admire. However, the plot itself is a notable exception. The first hour of Men is a slow-paced drama with tense moments dispersed through. Casual moviegoers looking for a thrilling horror flick may find themselves bored by this first hour, as even I forgot Men was technically a horror before the last 30 minutes. That being said, I love this section of the film. You gradually learn more and more about Harper and the circumstances that led to her going on this vacation in the first place. Meanwhile, there are supernatural elements going on behind the scenes, and trying to figure out how this would all tie together was both fun and stressful. Now, what has to be the most divisive part of Men is the ending. The last 30 minutes play out like a horror film… until they don’t. At a certain point, something very shocking happened that left me baffled when I initially watched it. This part of the film is not for everyone, and I’ll admit that I was covering my eyes for most of this scene. This is where Men chooses being metaphorical over having a cohesive plot. Many were annoyed about how overdone the specific metaphor is without having any nuance, and for a while I was one of them. It’s very excessive and explicit, but also felt fairly hollow as I was exiting the theater. That being said, after discussing the ending with the people I watched this film with and reading others’ interpretations of it, I have come to really appreciate it. While Men is nowhere near the first film to tackle issues about gender, I still love what it’s going for thematically. I still cannot stop thinking about the final minute of the film, and the movie as a whole keeps growing on me over time.

Aside from some gripes with the ending, my only major issue with Men is the character writing, or rather, the total absence of it. Despite being our protagonist, I know very little about Harper aside from the incident at the beginning of the film. We get tidbits about her from small details and short scenes, but it feels like she doesn’t really exist outside of her relationship with James and her friendship with Riley. Harper’s characterization is carried hard by Jessie Buckley’s fantastic performance. And the kicker is, she is by far the best written character. Every other character is a plot device who we know very little about that doesn’t serve said plot. Riley is a good friend. James is a sad husband. Geoffrey is creepy. We don’t learn much more about them besides these traits. And while this didn’t affect my viewing too heavily (I do still love Men), I would be remiss to not mention this significant issue.

Now, I love Men and its metaphors, technical achievements, and wonderful performances. But it is a difficult movie to recommend. If you’re only looking for a scary film, you have to sit through an hour of slow, meditative scenes with more emphasis on trauma and relationships than on the frightening sequences dispersed throughout before getting to “scares” that are more gross than frightening. If you want a mature, grounded film, you may be put off by Men’s final act. But if you’re down for a film laden with metaphors that may have you thinking about it hours after you see it, you just might like Men.

8.5/10