Warning: This post contains mild spoilers for Men.
How many characters Rory Kinnear plays in Men. Written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Alex Garland, Men follows Harper Marlowe, who goes on a vacation to escape her life for a while following the death of her husband James. The plot itself seems straightforward enough, but this horror is eerie and unsettling — some of which can be attributed to Kinnear’s many performances in the film.
Men marks Garland’s third feature film as a director, in addition to all the films he previously wrote, including 28 Days Later, his debut as a screenwriter. The film has a relatively small cast, with each character playing a distinct role to progress the story and the terror and dread Harper feels throughout. Rory Kinnear may be the film’s MVP in that he portrays more than two characters at various points in the film, all of which advance Harper’s journey and lead to a horrific, gruesome ending.
When viewers are first introduced to Harper, she’s pulling up to a vacation rental home owned by Geoffrey, who seems like a kind, if supremely awkward person. Geoffrey is the first of many characters portrayed by Kinnear throughout Men. According to the actor, he plays “nine or ten different characters,” each of whom have a different personality. Some are openly and physically terrifying, like the naked man who stalks the premises of Harper’s rental, while others hide their toxicity beneath the veneer of politeness or status, like the vicar Harper chats with, who blames her for his own lust and accuses her of doing something to cause James’ death. As Men progresses, Kinnear’s nakec man character transforms, adding a green leaf to his head, and later attacking Harper in her home.
Kinnear also plays the police officer who initially arrests the naked figure and doesn’t believe Harper about him being harmless. The actor also portrays Samuel, the off-putting and creepy kid who becomes angry with Harper and uses offensive sexist language. Zak Rothera-Oxley also portrays Samuel, with Kinnear’s face overlaid over the former’s using CGI effects. Kinnear’s performance goes a step further, portraying the bartender at a local pub, as well as its patrons, who stare uncomfortably at Harper when she comes in for a drink. As Men goes on, Kinnear’s characters transform, such as the naked man becoming more aggressive. Each figure is meant to represent something different, but there’s a terrifying sense of disconcertment beneath each veneer.
Every character Kinnear plays rattles Harper at every turn, heightening the tension through each interaction. Some characters, like Geoffrey, can be unintentionally funny, but each persona feels more threatening than the last. The idea of Kinnear (who is often unrecognizable) playing so many characters is to establish that these men, no matter how different, are essentially cut from the same cloth. Though distinguishable from one another, they each create a sense of foreboding, adding to the dreadful, chilling atmosphere that is so pervasive throughout Men. Kinnear has really outdone himself here, crafting so many characters that stand apart yet are representative of the same things.
