Men

Men is a 2022 folk horror film written and directed by Alex Garland, and stars Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear, Paapa Essiedu, and Gayle Rankin. It is Garland's third film as a director, after Ex Machina (2015), and Annihilation (2018), as well as his second collaboration with A24. The film follows a recently widowed woman who goes on vacation to the far-off English countryside, and gets disturbed by the men who roam the estate in which she stays.

The film was released in the United States and Canada on May 20, 2022 by A24, and is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom on June 1, 2022 by Entertainment Film Distributors. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics but divided audiences, with criticism aimed towards the third act and the lack of exploration of its themes.

Plot
Harper Marlowe, having recently lost her husband to suicide, goes on holiday to the English countryside in an attempt to heal herself. During her stay, Harper discovers a disturbing secret - that numerous men that all look almost exactly the same are ganging up on her.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Immaculate direction from Alex Garland, showing that he has a keen eye for atmospheric horror in addition to atmospheric science fiction.
 * 2) Incredible performances from everybody involved, especially Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear, both of whom give plenty of life and energy into their characters and do everything they can to make this movie all the more unsettling.
 * 3) Speaking of, Kinnear plays multiple characters who look almost exactly like each other, with two or more of his characters even appearing within the same scene every so often. This element of the movie in particular is not only amazing, but also very difficult to pull off well, especially for a low-budget film.
 * 4) Haunting score by Garland's frequent composers, Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow.
 * 5) Excellent practical effects.
 * 6) The bitter conflict between Harper and James is very well handled, as well as distressing to watch.
 * 7) While nothing remarkably original, the concept is fascinating and the plot very engaging and unpredictable, thanks to Garland's writing and direction.
 * 8) Brilliant cinematography and lighting choices that emphasize the ominous approach that the movie goes for.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) While the film does present some very cool and thought-provoking ideas, it doesn't really explore them all as much as it should.
 * 2) Similar to other A24 horror films, the final act is likely to leave viewers confused and possibly even traumatized.

Reception
Men received positive reviews from critics. Praise was aimed towards the lead performances, although the story and the thematic approach were met with a polarizing response. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 75% "Certified Fresh" rating based on 155 reviews, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The consensus reads, "If its narrative and thematic reach sometimes exceeds its grasp, magnetic performances from a stellar cast help Men make the most of its horror provocations." On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average rating of 66 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews." Audience reception has not been as positive. The film holds a 46% audience score rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on over 100 reviews, with an average rating of 2.9 out of 5. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "D+" on an A+ to F scale, making it A24's first film since Hereditary to receive a "D" grade, after Midsommar, Uncut Gems, and The Green Knight all received "C+" grades. PostTrak reported that 52% of audiences gave it a positive score, with 30% of them saying they would definitely recommend it. The film's user score on Letterboxd is slightly more positive, standing at a 3.2 out of 5 based on 16,453 ratings.