There’s nothing quite like the country. Full of endless greenery, fresh air, and eerie men lurking around the corner. Well, at least in Alex Garland’s sinister new film. The aptly titled Men, starring Jessie Buckley, follows a woman who escapes to the English countryside after her husband’s suicide. Only it’s not exactly the restorative retreat she hoped for. While the teaser gave us a glimpse at the film’s very sinister energy, the official Men trailer is a full nightmare.
You might ask, “Wait, is an entire town of Rory Kinnears haunting Jessie Buckley?” And yep, it certainly looks that way. The Men trailer quickly veers from slightly odd to downright terrifying, as Buckley’s Harper arrives at the countryside manor. There’s something slightly off about her host, played by Kinnear. But he seems nice enough, at first. But soon things take a turn as Harper’s every movement both on the estate and in the town is accompanied by unsettling moments. And some really funky vibes—and not in a good way.
As for the host? He’s everywhere, literally. Different hair, different ages, different professions. But it’s all the same man. Is it a figment of Harper’s imagination? Or is there something downright wrong with this place? With Alex Garland writing and directing, it’s anyone’s guess. But if Harper’s host freaks you out, it certainly seems like that’s the point. A24’s new poster certainly suggests as much.
Here’s what the film is about, per A24:
In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, Harper (Jessie Buckley) retreats alone to the beautiful English countryside, hoping to have found a place to heal. But someone or something from the surrounding woods appears to be stalking her. What begins as simmering dread becomes a fully-formed nightmare, inhabited by her darkest memories and fears in visionary filmmaker Alex Garland’s (Ex Machina, Annihilation) feverish, shape-shifting new horror film.
From Wild Rose to The Lost Daughter, Jessie Buckley is always good. And she’s no stranger to deeply unsettling stories, starring in Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things. Not to focus on one of the titular men, but it certainly looks like the film could be an exciting showcase for Rory Kinnear. He’s a long-solid utility player, who, in recent years, has starred in the Daniel Craig Bond films, the arguably most infamous Black Mirror episode “The National Anthem,” and played Frankenstein’s in the forever underrated series Penny Dreadful. Paapa Essiedu, a breakout star of I May Destroy You, also stars.
Men releases in theaters on May 20.
