First reactions for Alex Garland's new movie Men are calling it a "primal nightmare"

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Critics are praising Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear for their performances in the movie

Jessie Buckley in Men
(Image credit: A24)

The first reactions for Men, the new movie from director Alex Garland, are in. The new folk horror stars Jessie Buckley as Harper, a recently widowed young woman who goes on holiday alone in the English countryside after the death of her husband (Paapa Essiedu). However, she finds herself haunted by a man (Rory Kinnear) whose face appears everywhere she goes. Garland previously directed Annihilation and Ex Machina, and his next feature seems to only ramp up the weirdness compared to his previous efforts. 

Hoai-Tran Bui, Slash Film's news editor, tweeted: "MEN: Alex Garland's most nakedly horror movie, and also his weirdest. A surreal folk horror film that starts off as an unsettling home invasion thriller and gets stranger (and gorier) from there. I loved it?? Audiences will hate it!"

Critic Kimber Myers said: "Alex Garland’s MEN is a primal nightmare. It dwells in the surreal and truly strange, while still reflecting on the everyday traumas that men inflict on women. I cannot get it out of my head."

Yahoo Entertainment correspondent Kevin Polowy tweeted: "Always been a Rory Kinnear fan but what he does in Alex Garland's MEN – playing about 500 roles (slight exaggeration), all creepy or uneasy in their own way – is next level."

Polygon film and streaming editor Tasha Robinson said: "Alex Garland's MEN is going to be even more of a conversation-starter than ANNIHILATION or EX MACHINA, but I suspect there's going to be much less agreement about what's going on. It's intense, opaque, challenging, and visceral as hell. It'll make people angry, at the very least."

Next Best Picture editor-in-chief Matt Neglia said: "Alex Garland’s MEN is, of course, psychologically terrifying but funnier than expected thanks to a versatile Rory Kinnear. Jessie Buckley continues to amaze. Thematically layered & vividly constructed with an unforgettable final sequence. Lots to absorb on just a single viewing."

Emily Garbutt
Emily Garbutt
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related. I help bring you all the latest news, features, and reviews, as well as helming our Big Screen Spotlight column. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.