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Men Early Buzz: Alex Garland's Latest Is A Surreal, Unsettling, And Surprisingly Funny Frightfest

Men A24
By Jeremy Mathai

Do you have a moment to talk about the good news of our lord and savior Alex Garland? The masterful director behind such modern classics as "Ex Machina" and "Annihilation" (as well as the writer for other brilliant movies like "28 Days Later...," "Sunshine," and "Dredd") is back with his latest horrifying original film: "Men." Most moviegoers who've caught the trailer for the latest A24 film probably have stories of the footage eliciting plenty of wryly amused laughter from audiences once the cheeky title card revealed itself, with poor Jessie Buckley ("Chernobyl," "I'm Thinking of Ending Things," "Fargo," "The Lost Daughter") undergoing some serious gaslighting and chilling scares from various characters played by Rory Kinnear ("The Imitation Game," "Penny Dreadful," "No Time To Die," "Our Flag Means Death").

The filmmaker's exceedingly impressive body of work was all we needed to consider "Men" a must-watch, and that instinct has been roundly proven correct now that the social media reactions to Garland's latest effort have finally hit Twitter. Be sure to stay tuned for /Film's review of the upcoming film in the coming days, but in the meantime we've rounded up all the most relevant early buzz posts that will undoubtedly make viewers even more excited to finally catch the film in theaters when it releases on May 20, 2022. Read on for all the reactions to "Men" below!

Men early buzz

Men A24

/Film critics Chris Evangelista and Hoai-Tran Bui both had the opportunity to watch an early screening of "Men" and their reactions to the horror/thriller, written and directed by Alex Garland, speak for themselves. If you ask me, billing this as Garland's "weirdest" while still featuring some unexpected bits of "dark comedy" is all I personally need to hear about a filmmaker who continues to challenge himself and set the bar even higher every time out.

/Film's Ryan Scott had a slightly more complicated reaction, pointing to both Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear as clear stand-outs but noting how the pieces "didn't come together" as much as he would've liked.

Other reactions are equally as full of praise for Rory Kinnear's performance(s), with Meagan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting calling the film "something completely wild and unexpected."

Tasha Robinson of Polygon, meanwhile, seconds Ryan Scott's concerns and cautions that the film will likely prove divisive, with Garland's script trafficking in even more intentional confusion and "visceral" emotions than earlier efforts like "Annihilation" or "Ex Machina." Bring on the discourse and the angry walkouts from casual moviegoers, I say!

For those wondering how "Men" ranks among previous Garland films, Cinema Blend's Eric Eisenberg notes that it's "not my favorite Alex Garland movie" despite boasting an ending that will certainly have viewers buzzing one way or another.

Matt Neglia of Next Best Picture similarly extols the dark humor of the script thanks to Kinnear's presence, calling it "psychologically terrifying" and also mentioning the "unforgettable final sequence."

Thrillist's Kerensa Cadenas provides one of the more entertaining reactions, serving as a word of warning to those (read: me) who are slightly worried about just how intense and frightening the film may be.

The many conversations that "Men" is sure to provoke clearly stands out as one of the main takeaways, with Fangoria's Phil Nobile going so far as to say that, "The climax will make people nauseous."

Inverse's Jacob Kleinman calls "Men" Garland's "most stripped-down and primal film yet," lauding the director as one of our best "surrealist" filmmakers in the business.

On the whole, "Men" is certainly seeming to shape up as a polarizing and utterly thought-provoking new entry in Alex Garland's oeuvre, leaving viewers with no shortage of complicated themes to wrestle over in between the body horror, the incredible dual lead performances by Buckley and Kinnear, and the usual oppressive atmosphere that Garland executes so well.

"Men" will come to theaters on May 20, 2022

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