Men (2022)

Men (2022)

Author: Film Trace June 11, 2022 Duration: 1:02:00

The first film in our new Existential Thrillers cycle is Alex Garland's bizarre and bold Men (2022).

Alex Garland has quietly made himself into one of the more exciting filmmakers of the A24 set. The former novelist turned screenwriter turned auteur exploded onto the arthouse scene with his first film Ex Machina (2014). The success of that film led to his major studio debut Annihilation (2018). The spectacular failure of that film led him back to the indie world where we find him with Men. What starts out as a woman-alone thriller transforms into a formalist nightmare, for all parties involved. Garland shoots for the stars, but where does he actually land?

For our chaser film, we pursue Yorgos Lanthimos' The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017). While less conspicuous than our main film, Deer has deep and twisted roots that slowly reveal themselves in this glacial thriller.


Ever find yourself falling down an internet rabbit hole after the credits roll, clicking from a film’s trivia page to the director’s biography and then to some obscure piece of production history? That’s the exact feeling Film Trace aims to capture and expand upon in audio form. This isn't just another review show. Instead, each episode is a deep, meticulously researched excavation of a single movie’s entire journey. We start with the initial spark of an idea-the script found in a drawer, the chance meeting that got it greenlit-and follow every twist and turn through casting, chaotic production, and post-production. The story continues to the film’s release, its critical and cultural reception, and what legacy it holds now. Think of it as a comprehensive, narrative-driven biography of a film, built on primary sources and genuine curiosity. The hosts at Film Trace use their collective nerd superpowers to do all that obsessive digging for you, weaving together context, history, and behind-the-scenes details into a compelling story about how art gets made. You’ll come away from each installment of this podcast not just with an opinion on a movie, but with a real understanding of its place in the wider world of TV and film. It’s for anyone who believes the story off-screen is just as fascinating as the one projected on it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 131

Film Trace
Podcast Episodes
The Nice Guys (2016) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Shane Black was the wunderkind and whipping boy of screenwriting in the 1980s and 90s. His instant massive influence was only surpassed by his sudden fated fall. The scriptwriting maestro ran for the hills when his fame…
Every Breath You Take (2021) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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The domestic thriller makes a futile and flaccid comeback with this Casey Affleck helmed stalker gawker. In what amounts to a really expensive Lifetime movie, Every Breath You Take is a paint-by-numbers melodrama that fo…
The Fountain (2006) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:00
We take the deep trip with Darren Aronofsky on his grief tour of conquistadors, neuroscience, and bubble spaceships. The Fountain is crazy. What started out as a 100 million Warner Bros production, got downsized to a 35…
Cherry (2021) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:24
The Russo Brothers set fire to their MCU millions with a bombastic and experimental drug drama starring Spiderman himself, Tom Holland. Based on a gonzo novel, Cherry is a deep trip to the dystopia of Cleveland, Ohio. Ho…
Memento (2001) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:26
Before Nolan became a film bro deity, he made a little neo-noir film about a guy who can't remember anything. Well, as Nolan would say, it's a lot more complicated than that. Memento is a milestone for many reasons. It k…
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:26
Getaway to never never land with two 40-something Middle America chatty uppers called Barb and Star. Their final destination is the sunny and surreal Vista Del Mar somewhere on the gulf coast of Florida. We haven't seen…
Thief (1981) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:07
Mann is born. James Caan cruises through the black mirror of Chicago's rain-soaked streets in Micheal Mann's masterful film debut, Thief. This 1980s neo-noir is a rote one-more-caper film at its root, but its eccentric f…
The Little Things (2021) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:04
Take a walk on the trite side with this 1990s LA Boir period-piece new to HBO Max, The Little Things. This bromidic concoction comes from the Hollywood journeyman John Lee Hancock who is responsible for The Blind Side an…
Swingers (1996) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:50
Plumbing the depths of our virile past, we uncover the distinct and indecipherable artifact of Swingers, a 90s hipster flick that Gen X refuses to disavow. Before Youtube and TikTok, the aimless youth took to indie filmm…
Promising Young Woman (2020) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:08
We start Season 3 with the opening salvo of Promising Young Woman, a genre confection spiked with razors that rides the line between pitch-black comedy, exploitation rape-revenge, and 90s romcom. Carey Mulligan plays a d…