The next day, during a video call with her friend Riley, Harper spots the same naked man in the front garden, his face covered with bloody scratches, further disturbing her.

His policeman lookalike arrives shortly afterwards, informing Harper that the naked man has been released in the absence of any legal ground to keep him detained, to her chagrin.

On 6 January 2021, it was announced that Alex Garland would write and direct a film for A24, his second following Ex Machina, with Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear in talks to star.

[7] Principal photography began on 19 March 2021 and was expected to conclude on 19 May, in the United Kingdom, specifically St Katharine Docks, London, and parts of Gloucestershire, including Withington, standing in for Cotson; and a tunnel in the Forest of Dean.

The website's consensus reads: "If its narrative and thematic reach sometimes exceeds its grasp, magnetic performances from a stellar cast help Men make the most of its horror provocations.

[17] Mark Kermode of The Observer gave the film 3/5 stars, calling it "a playfully twisted affair – not quite as profound as it seems to think, perhaps, but boasting enough squishy metaphorical slime to ensure that its musings upon textbook male characteristics are rarely dull, and sometimes deliciously disgusting.

[23] Christy Lemire of RogerEbert.com gave it 3/4 stars, calling it "a visceral experience" and adding: "it reinforces Garland's singular prowess as a craftsman of indelible visuals and gripping mood.

"[24] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "Riveting performances from Jessie Buckley and a truly chameleonic Rory Kinnear make this A24 conversation-starter an unconventional genre standout.

"[25] A few critics have placed the emphasis on toxic masculinity,[22][26][27][28] so much so that Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times argued that "at times it feels as if Harper is trapped in a maze like she's in The Shining.

"[29] Kevin Maher of The Times gave it 2/5 stars, writing: "It culminates in a protracted, effects-filled birthing sequence that manages, after 90 minutes of man-hating, to be aggressively misogynistic.

"[30] Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent also gave it 2/5 stars, writing: "It suggests that all a male filmmaker needs to do to earn his feminist credentials is to show us men doing bad things.

"[31] K. Austin Collins of Rolling Stone wrote: "Too much is spent reiterating certain gore-ish thrills and slick political points that really don't benefit from the added scrutiny encouraged by repetition; even the grand, ecstatic, pathetic feat of the movie's climax fizzles rather than simmers.

"[32] Armond White of National Review wrote: "Despite its hallucinatory finale, Men is not really an examination of spousal guilt or women's fearful psychology... Plus, it's too absurd to substantiate the media's fascination with 'toxic masculinity.