Men is a 2022 psychological drama that Alex Garland, who also wrote and directed Annihilation and Ex Machina, will be directing. A woman seeking to recover from a recent trauma spends two weeks by herself at a village mansion in the centre of the movie. The principal actors in the ensemble are Jessie Buckley (I’m Thinking Of Ending Things) and Rory Kinnear. Without further ado, I’ll answer your questions on the plot and resolution of the film Men; there will be spoilers.
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Explained plot of the film Men
There are many different ways to analyse this film. However, in my opinion, Men is a huge metaphor for PTSD because of toxic masculinity. I’d continue by speculating that a lot of the things we see in the movie aren’t actually happening; instead, they’re only there to show how Harper is feeling at the time. Let’s now move through the plot in a linear fashion and attempt to distinguish between what is real and what is not.
What happened to James? Who is he?
Harper’s abusive husband is James. He threatens Harper when she seeks a divorce, telling her she would have to live with the guilt of his suicide. When James strikes Harper in the nose one day, things get out of hand, and Harper demands him leave. James ascends to the home of the residents above and tries to descend to his balcony. He dies in the process after falling. His hand is wounded by the fence and his ankle breaks.
James is seen looking at Harper as he stumbles, and she is still troubled by this image. Here are my thoughts:
James didn’t intend to jump to his death; he simply used suicide as a way to gain control in this accident.
Although James’ body is facing away from the structure, Harper recalls James falling towards him. It’s unclear how he completely turned around before he hit the ground.
I mention these things to show that Harper might have made up the scene where James looked into her eyes. She probably never ever experienced the event that haunts her. It all happened too fast, as she said.
To get away from it all, Harper has made the decision to stay in a stunning house for two weeks in the countryside. Geoffrey, the proprietor, gives her a tour of the facility and makes fun of her for eating the forbidden fruit. In an effort to fully appreciate the experience, Harper rapidly established herself in her new surroundings. Despite this, she continues to address people as Mrs. and uses the surname Marlowe. She might be hoping that staying will enable her to move on.
Is Geoffrey an evil person?
Actually, no. The host, Geoffrey, is attempting to be cordial. Because Harper is referred to as “Mrs,” he automatically feels stupid for assuming that she will remain with her husband. Additionally, I firmly believe that Harper will never again run across Geoffrey. The horror that follows is a result of Harper’s mental condition rather than actual events. Though she is experiencing trauma, she is not going insane.
It’s important to note that Riley, a friend of Harper’s, and she make fun of how “country” Geoffrey is. Riley even makes a joke about going grouse shooting with him. This scene strongly suggested that city women were making fun of villagers. Harper was mistreated, but she is not without flaws.
What’s happening in that weird village, the village men explained?
In the village, nothing is happening. Beyond Geoffrey, we are never seen any of the other occupants of this remote location.
The actor who plays Geoffrey is also the actor who plays every other figure Harper encounters. His name is Rory Kinnear. This demonstrates how Harper has developed a number of personalities in her head based on Geoffrey.
She is frightened by the naked guy.
Vicar: The embodiment of her guilt.
Samuel is a small child who shouldn’t be guilty yet is.
The Cop: A figure of authority who believes Harper is being overdramatic.
The pub customers are regular country folks who suddenly become hostile.
The same person works as the bartender as well.
In summation, Harper’s mental anguish as she struggles with her guilt is a result of this little community of individuals. Harper never once notes that everyone looks the same, even though we viewers do.
What does the tunnel scene in the movie Men mean?
In the film Men, Harper is unable to move on with her life because of PTSD. She had long endured abuse in their relationship, but it came to an end when her spouse passed away. Throughout their relationship, James used guilt to his advantage, and now that he’s gone, her guilt has merely taken on a new shape.
Harper is frightened before entering the tunnel; as she moves through it, she toys with her echo (a reflection of herself). She finds joy as she gets closer to the exit. She is abruptly frightened back as an unidentified man in clothing blocks the exit. Not the Naked Man, this.
The metaphorical tunnel represents Harper’s journey to health and happiness. The man stands in for all the men Harper believes stand in the way of her happiness and drag her back into the pit of misery.
The Bare-Leg Man
A Naked Man tries to enter the house as Harper runs home and is being chased by him. It is made clear that Harper called the police, who then detained the individual. But in my opinion, this circumstance never truly occurs. Riley is being shown around the house by Harper, but it’s never made clear whether Riley saw the naked man; instead, she only learns about him from Harper. In addition, the policeman she encounters afterwards isn’t actually there because he practically looks exactly like Geoffrey. Therefore, in my opinion, there is no Naked Man, no police, and no arrest.
A church. A carving. Samuel. Priest
When Harper goes to a chapel, she discovers carvings of the Green Man and Sheela na gig, which are symbolic of rebirth and cyclical patterns.
When she declines to play hide and seek with Samuel, a small boy she runs into, he calls her a “Stupid Bi*ch” and walks away. Harper’s mental image of Samuel is a persona with Geoffrey’s visage. She imagines that even a small child would think she is the awful one, despite the fact that he was the one who made the demand.
The vicar steps in to save her and shows interest in hearing her out. However, he quickly accuses her of failing to give James the chance to repent, claiming that if she had listened to him, he wouldn’t have died. Another identity with Geoffrey’s visage, called Vicar, symbolises Harper’s remorse.
Men’s Film: The Bar Scene is Described
Harper might not have actually visited the bar. Everyone there shared the same facial features. Geoffrey is far less gracious and insists on getting her a drink. The bartender doesn’t do anything strange, but Geoffrey’s face is still on him. The two Geoffrey-faced customers appear to be sipping in a robotic manner, much like a videogame NPC. When a police officer with Geoffrey’s face arrives, he announces that the Naked Man has been freed because there was no justification for keeping him in custody. He treats Harper with a lot of snobbery.
Every man, in Harper’s mind, is against her and holds her responsible for her circumstances.
The Men at the House in the Final Scene
Harper texts Riley the location after speaking with Riley at home. She receives a text message in response that appears to be from Samuel. The events that will happen after this are all fake. Movement would soon be seen in her front yard.
The Cop first rises up without answering any of Harper’s inquiries.
A patron of the pub then charges Harper while yelling.
When a window cracks, Harper notices a chair shifting.
Geoffrey enters the home and claims that a crow, like James, fractured its leg, which caused the window to break. Then, after going outside to observe what is happening, he vanishes.
When The Naked Man arrives, he inserts his hand through the door’s mail slot. He is being held by Harper. This scene shows Harper giving the terrifying thing another opportunity. She thinks that maybe things might be different this time. However, the Naked Man violently grabs and tugs her hand. In this, James is described as abusing Harper; in a never-ending loop, he would first fear her and then approach her subduedly before abusing her once more.
The Severed Hand
We are aware that James’ hand was impaled as he fell earlier in the film Men. The Naked Man stabs Harper, but the Naked Man jerks his hand away, causing a wound that is extremely similar. With his hands severed, Samuel is suddenly seen inside the home dry humping the dead crow. The other bar patron chases Harper when she flees. The Vicar finally enters the restroom and admits to having sex dreams about Harper. He also says that because of her position of authority, it is her fault. She is likened by the vicar to the sirens who entice men to their deaths. Harper stabs him as he tries to commit a sexual assault on her.
She strikes Geoffrey unintentionally while driving. He responds angrily by striking and pursuing Harper.
Men’s Film: Detailed Resolution
Men’s epilogue serves as a metaphor for the never-ending cycle of one toxic man giving birth to another. One such person is James, who will beat Harper to get her to give him her love while saying that’s all he wants.
The Green Man’s face appears on The Naked Man, symbolising the cycle of rebirth. His ankle breaks, just like James’ did, and his hand is cut. He gets pregnant after that and gives birth to Samuel. Then Gregory is born from the Vicar, which Samuel gave birth to. You can see how Harper’s expressions have changed by this point, going from “afraid” to “I’m tired of this.” James is the last person to arrive. He approaches Harper and describes his injuries while making it seem like she is solely to blame.
The terror in that scene’s epilogue is a metaphor for the confusion going through Harper’s head. She has developed a number of alter egos that are all out to get her. This is how her trauma is shown visually.
Objectivity of the Axe
One of the earliest weapons of war, the axe represents conflict. The guilt that Harper feels is being fought and reclaimed by her intellect. Although it isn’t visible on screen, she kills James and the rest of her attackers in her head. She has already begun the process of moving on.
What Riley’s pregnancy means
Riley’s pregnancy is revealed in the final scene. The car was probably indeed damaged, and Harper was to blame (not shown in the film). Riley appears to be gazing at blood, although there is probably no blood at all. Riley is actually gazing into the house, which I envision to be littered with broken glass and furniture. She then notices Harper greeting her while seated outside on the grass.
I would hazard a guess that Harper desired a kid but was prevented from doing so by James’ unhealthy relationship. Maybe James’ father was abusive as well, and the son followed in his footsteps. Or perhaps James was surrounded by abusive people who encouraged his behaviour. Harper observed an unending cycle of toxicity among family and friends, as evidenced by the horrifying pregnant man giving birth to the other. She worried that if she ever had a child with James, their child (boy or girl) would grow up to be violent. Despite Harper’s desire for a child, she was afraid of having James as a parent.
Harper gains optimism that she too might become a mother and raise children in a healthy setting after seeing Riley pregnant. Another possibility is that Riley will soon become a single mother, and Harper believes she is capable of raising a kid both with and without a father.
How did you find the movie Men’s storyline and resolution? Post your ideas and theories in the comments section below.
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