Men  ★★★★

ALEX Garland’s Men is one of the most fascinating films to come out of the Covid years.

It’s been extremely difficult to make films at all, let alone great ones.

This nightmarish, metaphor depiction of male power and domination makes extraordinarily good use of a single, sparsely populated location and small number of actors.

So much so that these choices could have been made at any time and they would have seemed completely appropriate.

Garland describes the film as ‘folk horror’ which probably puts it alongside examples like the recent Midsommar and further back to 1973’s The Wicker Man.

The film is anchored by two great performances enhanced by Garland’s singular story vision and technical elements across the board, from set drain to lighting, editing and soundscape.

It is also full of visuals not usually seen, including an astounding final 10 minute sequence that almost defies description.

From the opening sequence, which I won’t describe, the audience is in for something out of the ordinary…whether we like it or not.

‘Uncomfortably tense and disturbing’ is the best way to describe the first hour of Men during which Harper Marlowe travels to a small village to stay by herself for a week in a rambling, old country rental.

Harper is seeking solace and relaxation but ends up being slowly and quietly terrorised by a collection of male residents of the village.

The third act is a gigantic step up in both the metaphorical story-telling and horror factor to a degree that will turn some viewers off.

But if you have absorbed yourself in Garland’s vision to this point then there is no point in not giving yourself to him completely.

Jessie Buckley proves once again how wonderfully versatile an actress she is. Some of her most intimate scenes are powerfully emotional.

The less I say about Rory Kinnear’s performance the better because it’s best experienced without any prior knowledge.

Garland has been accused by some so-called serious critics of taking a sledgehammer to his metaphor while others would have preferred his excitation if the male psyche to have been less obtuse.

I think Garland strikes a good balance while delivering a disturbing fine horror film that entertains and challenges in equal measure.

It’s one of the best horror movies of 2022 to date.