Men

I’ll say right away that this film is definitely not for everyone. It’s weird, to say the least — but I really liked it for its feminist message (at least that’s how I read it) and its overall interesting concept. The ending, with its hint of body horror, reminded me of The Substance.

The visual side of the film is really cool — a rich colour palette, interesting shot compositions and captivating locations. The music perfectly complements, and sometimes heightens, the atmosphere. The film is also full of symbols and references, which makes it even better.

The following contains spoilers — proceed with caution!

I loved the idea of showing all the men as looking the same — unusual, but it conveys the point really well. And a special shout out to Rory Kinnear’s performance, because he masterfully played so many different characters who were totally different on the surface but identical at their core — united by the same misogyny.

The apple scene reminded me of the story of Adam and Eve, and how Eve was blamed for humanity’s fall from grace — and how she most likely felt guilty for it, just as the main character felt guilty for her ex’s death.

The scene where the men break into the house reminded me of the incident at a women-only café in St. Petersburg, where men started forcing their way in after finding out it was a women’s space and they weren’t welcome. Very manly: doing everything possible to make women want to close themselves off — and then breaking in anyway. It sounds absurd, but that’s exactly how it works. For the record, women don’t try to break into gentlemen’s clubs after finding out they’re men-only — and those still exist. Just something to think about when people talk about who’s really emotional and fragile.

The ending scene is long, disturbing and unsettling — it feels like it’s showing the procreation and rebirth of these men by nature (or maybe society?), and the fact that men themselves are the ones producing more men like them. At the end, she finally faces her ex and closes the chapter of guilt, shame and doubt. This scene might be a stumbling block for some because of the body horror — but the whole film is just horrifyingly beautiful!

The themes of unhealthy relationships and processing trauma are woven in throughout as well.