In Mark Jenkin’s (Bait) new film, a wildlife volunteer’s daily observations of a rare flower take a dark turn into the strange and metaphysical, forcing both her and viewers to question what is real and what is nightmare
From visionary filmmaker Mark Jenkin, the Bafta award-winning director of Bait.
Enys Men is a mind-bending Cornish folk horror set in 1973 that unfolds on an uninhabited island off the Cornish coast. A wildlife volunteer’s (Mary Woodvine) daily observations of a rare flower take a dark turn into the strange and metaphysical, forcing both her and viewers to question what is real and what is nightmare. Is the landscape not only alive but sentient?
Shot by Jenkin on grainy 16mm colour film stock and with his trademark post-synched sound, the form feels both innovative and authentic to the period. Filmed on location around the disused tin mines of West Penwith, it is also an ode to Cornwall’s rich folklore and natural beauty.
'Mary Woodvine mesmerises in Mark Jenkin’s superbly haunting Cornish gem' Mark Kermode, Kermode and Mayo’s Take
⭑⭑⭑⭑ 'Confirms Mark Jenkin as one of the most exciting, original cinematic voices in the UK right now' John Nugent, Empire
Extras
Presented in High Definition and Standard Definition
Audio commentary with director Mark Jenkin and film critic Mark Kermode
Mark Jenkin’s audio diaries (2022, 90 mins): the director charts his filmmaking process
On-stage interview with Mark Jenkin and Mary Woodvine by film critic Mark Kermode at BFI Southbank (2022, 29 mins)
Film Sounds with Mark Jenkin and Peter Strickland (2022, 86 mins): the director of Enys Men in conversation with filmmaker Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio, Flux Gourmet) as they discuss the subtleties of sound in film
Recording the Score (2022, 6 mins): a short clip of Mark Jenkin at work
Haunters of the Deep (1984, 61 mins): a Children’s Film Foundation adventure that shares many of the same West Cornwall locations as Enys Men, and made quite an impression on its director.
The Duchy of Cornwall (1938, 15 mins): a rapid survey of early Cornish history looks at the county's language, landscape and industries
Trailer
Image gallery
English subtitles for the Deaf and partial hearing and audio description (feature only)