Men: When Does Elevated Horror Become Too Elevated?

gamerant.com:

Alex Garland's A24 horror movie Men stars Jessie Buckley as Harper Marlowe, a woman hoping for a peaceful and healing stay at an old country house. She has lost her abusive husband James (Paapa Essiedu) and needs some time away. Before too long, Harper begins seeing different creepy and possibly dangerous men with the same face (all played by Rory Kinnear).

While the premise is interesting and the movie seems to have a wise message about what being a woman is like, Men isn't entirely successful. While some of what the film wants to say is clear, it's possible to say that the film is trying hard to be an elevated horror movie instead of focusing on the story.

Men Review

There's been a debate on elevated horror for a while now, and it makes sense. Some feel that the horror genre should always reach for something meaningful and powerful to say about society. Others believe that scary films already have important messages and there's no need to be too intense about it. Men is definitely not a movie that is easy to stop thinking about or look away from, and it's absolutely in an elevated horror movie. It has a message about toxic masculinity, the fear that women feel on a daily basis thanks to the constant threat of men, and it's also about Jessie's abusive husband.

But while Men is a folk horror movie about misogyny and it does have some effective scenes speaking to that theme, including Jessie's peaceful country stay being interrupted by a naked man stalking her outside, it's ultimately too confusing and trying hard to be «elevated.» This makes it more of an art project than an entertaining movie and fleshed out, detailed, perceptive story.

It's impossible to talk about Men without discussing the final act. While some horror