Men (2022)
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A woman seeking solace in a rural village becomes tormented by a series of unsettling encounters with the local men.
The story
Following the apparent suicide of her husband James, Harper Marlowe decides to spend a holiday alone in the Herefordshire village of Cotson. While staying in a country house, she is greeted by the eccentric owner, Geoffrey. However, her peaceful retreat is quickly disrupted by a series of unsettling and disturbing occurrences in the surrounding woods and village. As she encounters various men in the area, the line between reality and a surreal, folk-horror nightmare begins to blur, leaving her increasingly distressed and isolated as she tries to navigate the strange atmosphere of the countryside.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After her husband James's death, Harper Marlowe retreats to the village of Cotson. She is met by the eccentric owner Geoffrey, but soon encounters a naked man in the woods and a man with a scarred face in her garden. Her interactions with local figures—a vicar, a boy, and various men in a pub—become increasingly surreal as they all share a striking resemblance to Geoffrey. After a series of escalating incidents involving a stalker and a physical confrontation, Harper flees into the woods. She eventually finds herself in a surreal climax where the various men she encountered merge into a singular, grotesque entity. In the final moments, she is reunited with her pregnant friend Riley while sitting with the physical manifestation of her late husband, who claims he only wants her love.
- First release year
- 2022
- Runtime (minutes)
- 100
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Alex Garland
- Writers
- Alex Garland · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jessie Buckley · Harper Marlowe; Rory Kinnear · Geoffrey; Zak Rothera-Oxley · the body of Samuel; Paapa Essiedu · James Marlowe; Gayle Rankin · Riley; Sarah Twomey · Frieda; Sonoya Mizuno · police operator (voice only)
- Genres
- surrealist; folk horror
- Themes
- toxic masculinity; grief
- Tone and mood
- surreal; disturbing
- Premise and plot tags
- folk horror; supernatural horror; holiday
- Content notes
- gore
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews, though its narrative approach received some criticism.
- Reported review scores
- CinemaScore · score: D+ · scale: A+ to F; PostTrak · score: 52% · scale: percentage · review count: audience members
- Awards and nominations
- Best Films of 2022 · La International Cinéfila Poll · 2022 · win
- Production trivia
- The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival.; The film was selected as the opening film at the 26th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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