Enys Men

Grade: B-

I started seeing the trailer for Enys Men a month or so ago. It made the film look terrifying. I rewatched it after seeing the movie. It’s not as scary as it looks. It’s also quieter and more confusing. The phrase is Cornish for “stone island,” and is apparently pronounced “ennis main.” My guess was wrong.

Mark Jenkin is a director who I wouldn’t mind seeing get more famous, and be granted a bigger budget. He gives Enys Men a quiet, plodding, unsettling vibe that can best be compared to Eraserhead, The Lighthouse, and Picnic at Hanging Rock. It’s set in 1973, and looks and sounds like it could have been filmed then. The picture is grainy, and the background sounds like somebody just put the needle on a record.

There is very little dialogue, and it all takes place on a large stony island. The best thing I can say about Mary Woodvine’s leading performance is it is courageous – particularly the way she shows her body. Otherwise, she is about as good as anybody else would’ve been. Her character is known only as The Volunteer. She is alone…or maybe not…on this island, where she has the same routine every day. She inspects the status of a certain flower outside, then drops a rock down a well, and then writes her findings – or lack thereof – in her journal.

Sometimes the same thing happens a few times in a row. Sometimes nothing happens. Sometimes, a little something finally happens. Let’s just say there are other actors in the movie, and our heroine is surprisingly calm and casual when she encounters them. Sometimes, the biggest moment of suspense was following her right hand and seeing if she would once again write “no change” in the journal, or something else. As easy as it could be to check out, the movie rewards you if you pay attention. Tiny details might be different. You can almost put a few puzzle pieces together to make sense of some of it. I respect the movie for trying something unique, and I think it will occupy a space among cult indie enthusiasts. There is a lot of sameness, and Enys Men will test your patience. There’s a fine line between frustrating your audience and challenging them. Enys Men spends time on both sides.

Grade: B-