A young woman goes on a solo vacation to the English countryside following the death of her ex-husband.
It’s nice to take a vacation to help clear your mind when something stresses you out. Luckily, this film is the answer to your problems. But even so, you need to worry about many things as you enjoy your relaxation, such as family issues, work, etc. Sometimes, vacations aren’t something many people desire. Director Alex Garland takes a big vacation to direct this psychological thriller, featuring stars Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear.
“Men” centers around a young English woman named Harper (Buckley) who, after the death of her ex-husband, retreats alone to the beautiful English countryside, hoping to find a place to heal and clear her head. But when someone, or something, from the surrounding woods, appears to be stalking her, she soon faces a dreadful nightmare that is filled with and inhabited by her darkest memories, personal trauma, and fears.
Irish actress Jessie Buckley (FX’s Fargo) plays the lead role as Harper, a woman trying to go on vacation after a tragic incident with her ex-husband. At the same time, actor Rory Kinnear (“Skyfall,” “No Time To Die”) portrays Geoffrey, the owner of the holiday house Harper rents. In the film, Buckley expresses shock and disdain for her role. She seems too hesitant to play the role as if she is the damsel-in-distress type for that film, but she seems to be having fun as she wants to play along with the director and Rory Kinnear. On the other hand, Kinnear is a true gentleman in his role. He plays some sort of a “protect the innocent” type of character, but he wants to do whatever he wants as he loves and enjoys acting too much in big-budget and low-budget films. To those who don’t know him, he is the son of the late actor Roy Kinnear who famously appeared in “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” alongside Gene Wilder and Jack Albertson. He played the father of Veruca Salt, the young-spoiled rich girl.
The film is directed by Alex Garland, who is known for directing “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation,” the former of which won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, marking the first A24 film to win an Oscar. He also received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay for “Ex Machina.” The film’s themes are personal trauma and fear as Buckley’s Harper character becomes a focal point of the story arc, thanks to Garland’s direction. The storytelling is good, but what’s impressive are the performances from Buckley and Kinnear; they are both delicious and look like they are just enjoying themselves while trying to nail every scene without screwing things up. Even the cinematography is filled with beauty and defining colors, especially in the film’s first half.
Many A24 films are great due to their excellent leading performances, cinematography, editing, and visuals, but the second half of the film, and the ending, in particular, left me a bit shocked and made me want to throw up because of the movie’s R-rated violence. On a side note, small sections of the story still need work if this film wants to meet its horror-thriller movie criteria, though it’s something lots of people, especially horror fans, don’t care about. Garland always wanted to make this film based on the visual storytelling ideas he accumulated over the years, taking heavy influences from thrillers and horror films that feature monsters. This is the kind of film offered by A24, where one needs to be very concerned about family issues, especially those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and learn about facing your fears.
Available on Blu-ray™ + DVD + Digital, and DVD August 9 August 9th
