With very direct references to patriarchy and toxic masculinity, in addition to specific deviations towards the allegory about the history of humanity, Christian mythology and the connection with nature, the unique ‘Men’ has been released. Alex Garland’s ambitious new play takes no prisoners in a daring film, visually suggestive and with an interesting rural setting.
Its references to folk horror are more subtle than other films we’ve seen in recent years. Even so, that horror of remote location is embedded in its DNA, and therefore today’s recommendation goes along those lines. Three films of this subgenre, all in streaming, with which leave you with at least the question of whether to cancel the getaway to the countryside that you had in mind for the weekend.
‘The Wicker Man’ (‘The Wicker Man’, 1973)
Address: Robin Hardy. Distribution: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Ingrid Pitt.
As Garland himself put it: “every folk horror movie after ‘The Wicker Man’ owes something to it.” A seminal classic that remains highly influential on modern horror, not only the one who goes to the field. The fundamentalist English gendarme comes face to face with a power that cannot be repressed by force in a stark and red-hot film that does not lose strength over time.
See in Filmin | Criticism in Espinof
‘The apostle’ (‘Apostle’, 2018)
Address: Gareth Evans. Distribution: Dan Stevens, Michael Sheen, Lucy Boynton, Mark Lewis Jones, Bill Milner.
In the absence of being able to fit in some of Ben Wheatley’s recent savage efforts, it’s not bad to drop by Gareth Evans’s peculiar diversion to terror, which we have intimately linked to the action. Here he resorted to the classics of English horror to make a wild and excessive film with a message of respect for nature and a scathing commentary on fundamentalist communities. Even being imperfect, it was an interesting digression that is one of the strangest originals in the Netflix catalog.
Watch on Netflix | Criticism in Espinof
‘Midsommar’ (2019)
Address: Ari Aster. Distribution: Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, Will Poulter, William Jackson Harper, Ellora Torchia.
We finally return to A24, which seems to be one of the biggest promoters for the return of the folk subgenre, with one of its reference films. Ari Aster’s bad trip -and worse break- through northern folklore connects in several parts with Garland’s movie -and his endings even rhyme in an interesting way-, although has transcended itself for the grueling atmosphere, skin-deep horror, and mesmerizing immersion in trauma of its protagonist -masterful Florence Pugh-.
See on Amazon Prime Video and on Movistar+ | Criticism in Espinof