Rent Enys Men (2022)

Meditative not Narrative - Enys Men review by RCO

There is a strong whiff of real Cornwall - the place, not the people - coming from this.

Shot on 16mm with grainy filmstock and some burnt edges, hairs in the gate, and other 'faullts' which somewhat detract from the photography - which if done to modern expectations would have been stunning. There is minimal narrative and dialogue and a languid pace with a soundtrack providing a lurking tension.

It does work, but only just - sometimes almost teetering on the edge of being obscure to a fault, or overladen with presumed meaning that is not evident in the exposition.

We believe it must be significant because we can't see the significance, and if there were none then there would be nothing to it. The film just avoids falling into this void (unlike, say, Tarkovsky's Stalker).

It manages a strong sense of place outside of time, with the character and the ghosts of the past (her past, or her heritage) coexisting in the same reality. Defying categorisation - not really drama, or thriller, or horror, or nature film, or psycho-thriller - it stands on its own. You might get something worthwhile out of it if you approach it with an open mind. If you've seen the trailer or are choosing by genre then you'll probably be disappointed.

As a bonus the DVD also contains the 1984 CFTC film "Haunters of the Deep" which inspired Mark Jenkin (the director of Enys Men). A simple story for children and adults it also has a strong sense of Cornwall (circa 1980 and before) and tin mining set a a dramatic narrative. Well worth watching after Enys Men, if you felt you didn't quite 'get' Enys Men this might help.

Baffling Film With No Comprehensible Plot but Lots of Pretty Photography of Beautiful Cornwall - Enys Men review by PV

Want a horror film with a sinister sense of place in the British countryside? Watch THE WICKER MAN. or IN THE EARTH. Or MIDSOMMAR the 2019 Swedish folk horror film. Or 1970s TV series for kids CHILREN OF THE STONES.

But this is better than the same director's AWFUL debut BAIT which I gave 1 star. That as this is funded by public funds, FILM4 and others. This is the sort of arty film that gets our cash, and I suppose the claim is made it reflects the region of Cornwall so ticks that box. I am SURE there are better writers/directors in that region and others, so WHY does public money always go to arty pretentious self-absorbed stuff like this? Or the endless tickbox BAME/metoo stories.

As per usual these days, the main character is a woman and it is very female-focused like every other state-funded British film made in the last decade. Token male characters. But really these are 2D cartoon characters.

Pretentious, pointless and simply not coherent - a bit like conceptual art which needs a long label to explain WHT IT MEANS because the artwork itself gives no clear. I hate that.

And as for the plot - well, where is it? I literally did not have a clue what was going on here. And did not care.

And how long was the script for this? 3 pages?

I just watched the pretty shots of Cornwall and enjoyed the sea - why this gets 1.5 stars and not 1.

Weird Springwatch - Enys Men review by TC

This film was like a weird Springwatch mindful moment over 90 minutes. Beautifully photographed Natural landscapes of Cornwall gives way to an unsettling folk horror take.

Excellent moody piece - Enys Men review by LC

I can see from the other reviews that this has divided viewers, but for me this was great. It's billed as a "horror" movie, but it's nothing of the sort. It's a semi-mystical homage to Cornwall and it's history. Very moody, and a great soundtrack, it's one to ponder over.