Alex Garland 's horror is always insidious, whether in Ex_Machina or Annihilation, the British filmmaker has specialized in elevated horror, a new genre of horror cinema, popularized in the 2010s, where psychological manipulation and creepy atmosphere prevail, rather than artificial jump scares. With Men, released this Wednesday, June 8, Alex Garland goes even further in this concept and offers a work as disturbing as powerful on the influence of the behavior of men towards women, especially when they are their victims .
Here, the victim is Harper, played by Jessie Buckley (I Just Want to Get It Over With, The Lost Daughter), who must overcome her husband's suicide, committed after she filed for divorce. Trapped in a deep sense of guilt, wanted by her dead husband, the young woman decides to isolate herself in a country house where strange things start to happen, especially when other men approach her.
In the village where she takes refuge, Harper only meets men, and none of them seem to be perfectly sane. Idiots, dangerous, or both, they provoke a deep unease in the widow. Even if the subject is metaphorical, it remains clear: Harper may be a victim, but all the men she meets want to make her pay for her husband's death by making her look like a cruel woman. The"not all men" followers will bite their fingers off, as the film shows that there is nothing to save in them and that they keep on reproducing the same toxic behaviors.
All this is done through a virtuoso direction, really frightening. The masterful soundtrack is also at the service of the horrific atmosphere of the film, which shines through in every scene, whether in the huge house where Harper lives or in the disturbing forest that surrounds her, she seems to be in no safe place. As usual, Alex Garland takes the viewer on an emotional roller coaster ride to a flamboyant conclusion. It is an undeniable success!
The trailer:
Average duration
1 h
40 min
