Men Review
Alex Garland loves to explore relationships and connections. In Annihilation, the backdrop of the Lovecraftian cosmic horror movie was heavily rooted in a story about a struggling marriage. Ex Machina demonstrated the need for connection through an AI robot playing mental chess. His latest feature Men, leans more heavily into the realm of Annihilation, providing a dark and mystifying examination of emotional trauma through a marriage gone horribly wrong.
Alex Garland's Men is his first departure from sci-fi (this includes the television series Devs). But while it is not rooted in sci-fi elements, Garland's approach with Men feels otherworldly. Somehow, he has made toxic male behavior feel as aggressive and alien as a Xenomorph. Only here, Jessie Buckley is Ripley and Rory Kinnear is the space monster. With all this explained, Garland has crafted a story here far more perplexing than some viewers might be accustomed to.
Alex Garland Is One Of The Last Science Fiction Masters
The film centers on Harper Marlowe (Jessie Buckley), a recent widower who journeys towards a vacation home deep in the countryside of England. The destination is never named but feels quiet and rural. The cinematography brightens the greens and colors of the location, showing off the vibrancy of the safe getaway. It's a visual technique that worked well in Annihilation to make the plant-life shimmer.
As Harper gets settled into the home, the film introduces the caretaker of the estate. This man named Geoffrey (Rory Kinnear) has a jolly nature and feels mostly friendly (at first). Once alone, there are flashbacks of Harper's life prior to her departure. There are quick cuts of her husband James (Paapa Essiedu) dropping past a window in slow motion while
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