THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
In life, we have witnessed cycles of many uncomfortable things and we can't really tell if they're ending or just beginning. Men showed us one that is undecided.
PLOT
The film follows the widowed Harper Marlowe take a holiday in the village of Cotson, Hertfordshire. She is doing this to cope with the passing of her husband James. Originally, he was emotionally abuse and extremely manipulative during their marriage. When she announced her intent to divorce him, he threatened to take his own life. When he punched her during their last argument, she kicked her out of the flat. He tried to get back in from an upstairs balcony, but would die trying as he fell off the balcony into a fence that would impale him. After the owner Geoffrey helps her settle into the country house she's renting, Harper would go for a walk in the nearby woods. When coming near a disused railway tunnel, she would spot someone on the other side come towards her, leading her to turn back. Believing to be alone upon reaching an open field, she would take a picture of its landscape on her phone, only to spot a naked man watching her from afar. The next day, that same man covered in scratches would find Harper in the house she's renting and when she sees him outside the front garden, she would call the police to have him arrested for trespassing. When she visits a local church, she encounters a young boy who quickly chooses to act rude when she refuses to play with him. She would then converse with an adult vicar about her husband's passing, but he would act rude of the topic when believing she was partially responsible for what happened. This would understandably upset Harper, leading to her continue trying to relax by attending a pub. It would backfire again when the policeman informs her that the naked man was let go due to the absence of any legal ground to keep him detained. Still wanting to make the best of it, Harper invites her friend Riley (Gayle Rankin) to come over. It doesn't work out due to her mobile service getting interrupted when trying to send her the address. With the power acting out, she notices the policeman outside who disappears when the lights flicker. A patron from the pub would then appear and try to chase her, but she would lock the door on him. Just when a window is broken, Geoffrey would appear and notice that a crow broke its wing when trying to enter the home, leading him to euthanize it. When he goes to check on the garden if there are people intruding, he would disappear and the naked man would return. Harper would then defend herself by stabbing his arm when he reaches through the front door's letter box. He would pull his arm out, only to let the knife rip through it. The boy from the church would show up and still hope to be played with. When Harper pretends to play to keep him away, the vicar would appear as well. He would try to rape her, but she would continue defending herself by stabbing him in the stomach. When she tries to leave the house and drive away, she accidentally runs over Geoffrey. He would retaliate by pulling her out of the car and try to chase her with it, before crashing into the stone wall in front of the house. Harper would then witness an unexpected cycle of life that starts with the naked man giving birth to a reincarnated version of the boy, who in turn gives birth to the vicar, then Geoffrey and finally James, which mutilates each of their bodies in the process. Harper would choose to ask the new James what he wants, who would reply that he wants only her love. The film would end with Harper being happy to see Riley arrive in the morning.
THOUGHTS
I was down to see this movie when first hearing of it because Writer/Director Alex Garland knew how to surprise me in the past with Annihilation and Ex Machina. This time, he is able to shock me in a big way. From start to finish, he put me in a cinematic experience that was visually insane. There was no way I would expect the turns he'd take to get to what was trying to be said and once you understand how everything comes around full circle makes the whole thing. I was definitely disturbed of seeing a cycle of men giving birth to another. That was easily more shocking to witness than seeing the mutilation of a hand. If you hadn't heard of body horror before, take this as your introduction. Now seeing that climax unfold really put the pieces together in calling out the terrible aspect of toxic masculinity, whereas every man chooses to act one and the same that is terribly nefarious. That birth cycle represents how they would choose to pass on that trait rather than make a difference and having Rory Kinnear play all the men in the village takes the cake's icing as it reflects how they're all the same emotionally. Even if when being polite like Geoffrey, they just can't help themselves being in control and do things for the sake of being men. And in between with the flashbacks, Paapa Essiedu showed James as one who doesn't want to be like that but becomes one and doesn't realize it until it's too late. I myself am a man and am willing to admit that this is true as I've encountered others who've chosen to act such. With this knowledge, I respect that a fellow man like Garland is able to express all of this. While this was a horrifying metaphor to explore, this movie was able to trudge this trail of grief and self healing. Jessie Buckley captures that arc beautifully in the role of Harper. We feel bad for this character because she feels mentally broken due to her husband's death. She was in the right to kick him out, but never wanted him to die. Maybe a part of her still loved him, but overall still knew that their marriage couldn't go on the way it did. By the end when she sees James one more time, she felt free of him for the first time because she finally understood him like she wished she wanted to from the start. And by the time she sees Riley in person, she's finally liberated from the past guilt. From there, you're in relief knowing that the next path she'll take will be pleasant. This film is definitely smarter than it should be, but there a few things that confused me a little bit. For instance, I don’t understand why Harper doesn’t show the picture to the female cop of the naked man. If what she’s seeing is real, she totally would’ve backed her case with that one actions. And why doesn’t she comment how all males look the same? Dream or not, I’d point it out. Ignore this, then you’ll still find appreciation for it as I have. In short, Men is one of the most shocking films to ever be made for its unexpected use of creativity to explore important themes. You want a thought provoking movie? This one is meant for you.
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