The influences in writer-director Mark Jenkin‘s new film ENYS MEN are apparent. With a love for British 70’s horror that borders on the obsessive, we follow The Volunteer (Mary Woodvine) on a Cornish island as she observes both paranormal and natural phenomena in her solitude. With impeccable production design, Mark Jenkin almost perfectly captures the look and feel of the low-budget thrillers of a bygone era while aiming to tell a mysterious, character-driven tale. The end result is something that might only be enjoyed by film aficionados, but it is still a genuine work of art.

The Volunteer wiles her days away on this remote island, alone with little contact with the outside world and almost no visitors, save for a few deliveries here and there from the mainland. Her job is to observe the wildlife of the island and record her findings. She becomes particularly fascinated with a small clump of flowers on a cliffside. In her spare time, she gingerly explores an abandoned mine shaft on the island by tossing rocks into it to observe depth and water levels. Her other obsession is a pillar of stone that juts out of a nearby field. That is until Jenkin begins to introduce other elements on the island. As the volunteer explores we occasionally hear the subterranean rumble of a mine cart. We then begin to encounter other island dwellers. Are these figures real? Are they imaginary? Are they all the ghosts of an abandoned outpost? There are no clear answers and what’s more, Jenkin relishes in the moody ambiguity of mystery created with limited means. Viewers looking for clear answers will be endlessly frustrated. Those who tap into the vibe of what ENYS MEN is going for won’t give a damn what’s happening on screen and will instead soak in the richly atmospheric story.

It must be said that ENYS MEN is a brilliantly crafted piece of art. I have never seen another film that so perfectly and consistently captures the look of a film from another era. With hypersaturated tones, extreme contrast, film imperfections, dust, and scratches, the photography transports us to a time of less sophisticated production. The sound, as if filtered through a drive-in speaker, is muffled and inconsistent. The editing is wonderfully choppy and inconsistent. We are meant to frame our viewing experience with the same sense of innocence and wonder as movie fans had pre-1980. Everything had the possibility of being utterly terrifying with just a few simple camera tricks and suggestions.

ENYS MEN is a loving homage to classic horror like The Wickerman and Don’t Look Now. This is a film that shows reverence for the talents and limited means of previous creators by gleefully recreating them. Mark Jenkin has created a rich mood piece that will find a small, feverishly devoted audience because they get it, while leaving others possibly bored, scratching their head, or dozing. ENYS MEN is more a piece of art than a movie. That’s not bad, it’s just different

 7 out of 10