Men

What’s it about?

Harper travels alone to the countryside in order to heal after the death of her husband. What she thought was going to be a pleasant trip turns out to be a horror-filled holiday where she is tormented by a series of unusual men - who all look the same.

The facts

• Directed by Alex Garland
• English language
• Runtime: 100 minutes

Why did it get this rating?

Violence

Injuries are shown in graphic detail. Several stabbings and serious injuries are shown, such as a sliced hand that goes halfway up the middle of the arm. This injury is shown close up and multiple times as it becomes a part of the storyline. In an isolated scene a man punches a woman in the face. 

Suicide themes

The film includes many flashbacks to the moments before and after a pivotal character’s death, possibly by suicide. We see the character falling through the air and they are depicted on the ground with graphic and bloody injuries. The character had initially threatened to kill themselves in an attempt to stop their partner from leaving.

Suicide is a tricky subject for a lot of people living in Aotearoa. Viewing this type of content can be very upsetting, especially when domestic violence is an added layer.

Content that may disturb

The film is a horror about a group of men who all look the same trying to break into a woman’s home, and cause her mental and physical harm. It includes jump scares, scary music and flickering lights. There are supernatural elements that are meant to be scary and uncomfortable. In a late scene a series of men are depicted giving birth in a very unnatural and horrific way.

Nudity

Throughout the film there are several scenes of nudity, including full-frontal male nudity and close-ups of vaginas opening and giving birth. This links in with the horror themes and uncomfortable content of the film.

Offensive language

Offensive language is used occasionally in an aggressive way, which can sometimes be quite startling for viewers.

Further information

We often bring our Youth Advisory Panel with us when we classify films. We think it’s important to hear from rangatahi when we make decisions about restricting films as it affects them and what they can watch the most.

Although the panel member enjoyed the film they felt that “the birthing scene was horrific” and the film was “psychologically really difficult”. They made special note about the suicide themes and the blood and gore depicted.

• Horror Films, Scary Sounds and Pesky Sleepovers
• Talking with young people about what they’re watching