How about ’dem apples? No, seriously, what is going on with all the apples?
A24 seems to have put a twist on The Weather Girls’ hit “It’s Raining Men.” It’s actually raining fruit in the trailer for their movie titled Men, Alex Garland’s blazing new thriller and his follow-up to the hit mind-benders Ex Machina and Annihilation.
Even the A24 logo has been remodeled with the autumnal fruit. Harper (Jessie Buckley), perhaps using a pseudonym, resorts to the English countryside after a personal tragedy strikes. Hoping to rearrange her life after the suicide of her husband (Paapa Essiedu), she’s left with more questions than answers.
Her not-so-charming innkeeper, played by a creepy Rory Kinnear, isn’t helping. He continues to prod her about her past life, pushing her to wit’s end as she explores his unearthly garden. Combining elements of both Ex Machina (an unsettlingly pristine home away from home) and Annihilation (a spectral woodland), Garland continues his specialty of placing a foreboding edge on environmental nightmares.
In line with Ex Machina, Men has a tight cast list, with only three main characters established so far. Academy Award nominee Jessie Buckley adds to her résumé of bone-chilling films that already includes I’m Thinking of Ending Things and The Lost Daughter, playing opposite The Imitation Game’s Rory Kinnear. I May Destroy You’s breakthrough Paapa Essiedu stars as the falling man in the trailer, seen only in short bursts.
With Men, A24 expands its docket of tense thrillers. In recent years, they’ve garnered a massive horror fan base thanks to movies like Hereditary, The VVitch, The Lighthouse, Midsommar, It Comes at Night, Lamb, and Saint Maud. This year alone, they’re set to release Men, X, and Bodies Bodies Bodies.
Garland is a frequent collaborator with A24, with Men marking his third work with the company. After Men, he’s already gearing up for his fourth feature: Civil War, which will star Kirsten Dunst.
Prepare to be terrified by Men when it lands in theaters on May 20.
