Men
Short description
Harper, grieving a personal tragedy, leaves London for a solitary stay in the English countryside, hoping the quiet will help her recover. Her peace is disrupted when she becomes aware of someone, or something, watching her from the surrounding woods. What starts as unease grows into a nightmare shaped by her own memories and fears.
Alex Garland wrote and directed the film, his fourth feature after Dredd, Ex Machina and Annihilation. DNA Films and A24 produced it for about 7 million dollars, and it went on to take roughly 11 million dollars worldwide. Jessie Buckley plays Harper, with Rory Kinnear as Geoffrey and Paapa Essiedu as James among the cast.
On IMDb the film holds 6 out of 10 from around 78,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.1 out of 10 from roughly 1,400 votes. A critics' rating of 6.6 out of 10 from 271 reviews places it slightly above the audience scores, suggesting a modest reception on both sides rather than a clear divide. Garland followed it with Civil War in 2024, Warfare in 2025 and Elden Ring in 2028.
What's left behind the scenes
- Sonoya Mizuno appeared in the film only in an episodic role as a police dispatcher. Mizuno had previously worked with the film's director and screenwriter, Alex Garland, on the 2014 science fiction thriller "Ex Machina" and the 2017 science fiction horror film "Annihilation," as well as the 2020 miniseries "Devs."
- The vicar quotes Harper’s poem “Leda and the Swan” by William Butler Yeats, written in 1923. The poem’s plot is based on the ancient Greek myth of the beautiful Leda, who was raped by Zeus disguised as a swan. This is similar to the intentions of the mysterious entity in the film.
- The Green Man and the Sheela na Gig are well-known figures in British folklore. The former – a man with leaves growing directly from his face – is associated with nature and is often seen as a symbol of fertility and rebirth. The Sheela na Gig is a sculptural representation of a naked woman; the largest number of them have been found in Europe, specifically in Ireland. The age and purpose of the sculptures vary. Some researchers argue that the images date back to the ancient Celts and serve as symbols of fertility or representations of a pagan mother goddess. Others see the Sheela na Gig as a religious warning against succumbing to sinful temptation or as a protective charm against evil spirits. Today, the Sheela na Gig is perceived as a symbol of female power and body positivity. Director and screenwriter Alex Garland spent 15 years incorporating these symbols into his film.
- The pub displays reproductions of paintings by Beryl Cook (1926-2008), a well-known British artist who preferred to paint women, while men in her works were only visible in the background.
- According to director and screenwriter Alex Garland, he has been obsessed with the Green Man for a long time. As Rory Kinnear, who played Jeffrey, said, Garland was actively involved in the development of the characters, in particular helping with Kinnear’s makeup.
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