Men - The scoop and digest

In only his third feature, writer/director Alex Garland dives into the river of folk horror. 

Jessie Buckley - Harper

Rory Kinnear - The Men

Paapa Essiedu - James

Gayle Rankin - Riley

Summary

Following the apparent suicide of her husband James (who actually slipped and fell to his death when attempting to climb down from an upstairs balcony), Harper rents a house in picturesque Cotson to 'heal'.

During a walk in the woods, a naked man begins stalking her.

After several awkward and bizarre encounters with male locals, events take a sinister turn.

Gore, guilt and grief

Like Darren Aronofsky's mother!, opinions will be divided.

Menacing atmosphere is complemented by Rob Hardy's amazing cinematography.

Haunting score (composed by Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow), will make even the most stubbornest of hairs stand on end.

Buckley gives a stellar performance and Kinnear ensures no two personalities are the same.

Before meeting country bumpkin Geoffrey, Harper takes an apple from tree and takes a bite of classic forbidden fruit, recreating Adam and Eve.

The naked man also shows up in the makeshift Garden of Eden.

Symbolism? Err.

Whatever, the Green Man gives birth to Samuel, the vicar, then Geoffrey, and finally James.

For me, sequence didn't completely land.

Oh, giant vulva is taken from carvings depicting Sheela na gig.

Is hubby axed off screen? That's left for us to decide.

Why male contingent look the same is never explained and Harper not noticing didn't make any sense.

I suppose she perceives them differently because of rebirth principle.

But even that is questionable.