Movie Review: ‘Enys Men’

Review by Hunter Miele

Arthouse horror films have a very unique and peculiar feel to them, and “Enys Men” is no different. Rather than relying on shock and gore, “Enys Men,” which is Cornish for “Stone Island,” is slow and eerie, not unlike a Lynchian work. Written, directed and scored by Mark Jenkin, “Enys Men” is an experimental folk horror that takes place on a deserted island off the Cornish coast. Although appearing to be shrouded in mystery, the film has a particular theme that possibly only those who are familiar with the history of this specific English region will grasp initially.

“Enys Men” opens with beautiful shots of the island, showing rock-laden cliffs that drop far down to a turbulent ocean beneath. The year is 1973, and a woman known only as The Volunteer (Mary Woodvine) makes her way slowly across the island to a spot on the cliff where seven rare flowers grow. We learn that The Volunteer’s days on the island are monotonous. Each day she records her findings after inspecting the flowers (“No change, no change…”). After every day’s inspection, she drops a rock down an abandoned mine shaft and listens for the sound of the rock plummeting under her feet. Every day, as she makes her way home, she’s distracted by the looming presence of an oddly-shaped obelisk in the distance. The stone structure seems to radiate an ominous energy, and The Volunteer appears to be wary of it.

As the days pass, we learn that there may be someone else (Flo Crowe) on the island with The Volunteer. A young woman- her daughter? Herself at a younger age? Or maybe just a hallucination? The Volunteer slowly descends into madness, in a manner reminiscent of “The Shining”, with consistent hallucinations of a priest delivering cryptic messages, and miners and bar miners observing her. Cornwall’s history is heavily associated with the practice of coal mining, so it feels likely that her visions are alluding to the region’s past.

“Enys Men” is shot using 16mm film, which gives it a gorgeous, retro aesthetic and really convinces the viewer that it was shot in the ‘70’s, although in reality it was filmed during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic over the course of only 21 days. Mark Jenkin filmed “Enys Men” to be mostly carbon-neutral, whereas the production of most big-budget films produces around 3,000 metric tons of carbon.

The film alludes to the history of Cornwall, to the impact that the mining industry had on climate change and environmental challenges that we face in modern times, and the gravity of solitude. At first glance, the film may feel as though it’s open to interpretation, but, like many arthouse films, its theme and subject matter becomes apparent after doing a little digging. Its slow pace, exaggerated by extremely long zoom shots, gives off a pretentious energy that isn’t uncommon with this genre. “Enys Men” is far from thrilling and often feels as though it’s marching off those rocky cliffs into nowhere, but the score and aesthetic alone make this movie worth a watch for anyone that appreciates a dependable work of art. Don’t prepare to feel thrilled, scared, or even entertained for that matter, but instead get ready for a visually stunning slice of cinema.