Summary
Alex Garland is set to adaptElden Ring, and the director has the perfect stylistic inspiration rooted in his most unconventional horror film. Garland first gained notoriety as a writer, penning scripts for28 Days LaterandDredd. He even worked in the video game world, as co-writer of the underrated gemEnslaved: Odyssey to the Westand the reboot gameDMC: Devil May Cry. Garland later ventured into directing after rumors circulated that he “ghost-directed"Dreddwhen problems arose with credited director Pete Travis. He made waves with his official directorial debut,Ex Machina, continuing to helm films likeAnnihilation,Civil War, andWarfare.
Garland is also a fan of video games, and his professed love forElden Ringmakes him a prime candidate for getting the film adaptation right. FromSoftware’s 2022 Soulslike game was directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, who also helped craft the story alongside George R. R. Martin, whom fantasy fans know as the creator ofGame of Thrones. The dark fantasy action RPG connected with gamers, offering challenging gameplay that sees players exploring the Lands Between on their quest to reforge the Elden Ring, which provides a profound lore.
Beyond adapting the game’s story,the aesthetics of Elden Ringare an imperative part of the experience, whether in grim locations or heinous enemies.For some ofElden Ring’smore disgusting, gnarly creations, Garland already has the perfect stylistic inspiration in his divisive horror filmMen.
Alex Garland’sMenIs A Hellish Metaphor
Garland wrote and directedMen, which stars Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear, and Paapa Essiedu. The story sees Buckley’s Harper taking a vacation by herself in the English countryside, following the horrific death of her ex-husband (Essiedu). The vacation feels off from the start. The man Harper is renting the house from (Kinnear) is immediately off-putting, making uncomfortable comments and coming off as awkward.
As Harper begins to explore the town, things start to feel even more uncomfortable. Every man in the village seems to havea distinctly toxic personality. This is accentuated by the added benefit of Kinnear portraying most of the male roles, albeit with changing makeup and hair, which sets the film squarely in the uncanny valley. Despite the movie featuring potential forest spirits, the horror inMencomes from Harper constantly finding herself in uncomfortable situations. She is apparently the sole woman in a town of similar-looking men, and no matter where she ventures, she never feels like she’s safe or able to relax.
The movie’s ending is the root of the divisive nature of Garland’s horror tale, as it leaves much for the audience to interpret. However, through a series of gross encounters and some fleshed-out story beats involving Harper’s ex-husband, viewers can see the meaning behind the film.It speaks to the patriarchal structures that rule society.It allows every viewer, regardless of gender, to feel the pervasive impact affecting women throughtoxic masculinity that is oftenpassed down through generations and internalized in men.
MenFeatures Some Of Garland’s Most Gruesome Content
Much ofMen’sruntime allows the audience to feel Harper’s discomfort as the male characters belittle and objectify her.Menthrives on moments where Harper makes complete sense, only for the men to ignore her words and continue pursuing their desires. They often talk over her or treat her like she’s nothing. However,Menalso packs some of Garland’s goriest and most unsettling moments. When the audience finally sees the death of Harper’s abusive ex-husband, it is far from tame. The character is violently impaled on a fence after having jumped from the roof in an apparent suicide stemming from an argument.
Men’smost disturbing and disgusting visuals are saved for the film’s finale. When Harper attempts to leave, she is confronted by one of Kinnear’s male characters. The scenedescends into body horroras he begins to give birth to one of the other men from the village.This process continues, becoming a chain that sees a man born before dying as it births the next man.“Giving birth” is also an insipid term for what plays out. Some of the men are born from wounds, with others crawling out of mouths that widen in horrifying, unnatural ways. No matter the means, the scene is jarringly different from the rest of the film, even if the message isn’t, resulting in a memorably disgusting finale.
How Alex Garland’sElden RingCould Benefit From The Horrors OfMen
Elden Ringpresents a unique way for Garland to flex his stylistic flair for the grim and ghastly, as seen inMen.The Lands Between is an open worldthat players have scoured every inch of, including Garland in his numerous playthroughs, which means it is near and dear to many. Whether a beautiful Gothic-style temple like the Crumbling Farum Azula or a central area like the Altus Plateau, the Lands Between feature many distinct areas that must be adequately captured on screen. Garland has proven capable of bringing unique environments to life through movies likeAnnihilation, which features “the shimmer.” However,Elden Ringalso features bleak environments, like Caelid, a visually disturbing area populated by grotesque creatures. These areas can learn a visual lesson from the heinousMenfinale.
Beyond the environments, the creatures and bosses ofElden Ringcan benefit the most from the gory display thatMenputs on. The dark fantasy realm features Lovecraftian creatures like the Giant Land Octopus or Wormface, which are pure nightmare fuel. Otherbosses seem incomparably ghastly, like the Ulcerated Tree Spirit or Astel. Even the more unsuspecting, but equally awful creatures, like Albinaurics, are perfect for Garland’s talents.Much like the gross visuals fromMen, these enemies could benefit from being so visually heinous that viewers will either lock in, or have to watch through fingers they couldn’t help but put over their faces.
Elden Ring’slore even presents opportunities for Garland to push the envelope of the film with concepts like Grafting, which is attaching body parts to living beings. While A24’s adaptation is still likely years away, Garland has proven he can handle some ofElden Ring’smost grim aspects with films likeMen, making the forthcoming video game adaptation an exciting project to watch develop.
