The film is set in 1973 on an uninhabited island off the Cornish coast. Mary Woodvine plays a wildlife volunteer’s who’s daily observations of a rare flower take her on a metaphysical journey which causes her to question what is real and what is torment. 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 Looking beyond these screen influences, continuity can also be drawn between Jenkin's film and eerie work in other media that is similarly focused on Cornwall. With its array of menhir (human-produced, upright standing stones) dotting the landscape and rich folklore, the location has inspired many artists. Eileen Agar used Cornish landscapes (as well as physical debris from the coastline) to make an incredible array of eerie and esoteric work across many forms, while sculptor Barbara Hepworth played off the standing stones and shapes within the Cornish landscape to create a celebrated catalogue of eerie sculptures. Even novels such as Over Sea, Under Stone (1965) by Susan Cooper recognise the eerie potential of the location. "And then," wrote Cooper, "looming over the dark brow of the headland, they saw the outline of the standing stones… As they drew nearer, the stones seemed to grow, pointing silently to the sky, like vast tombstones set on end." She could easily be describing visuals seen in Enys Men. What all of this means is never stated outright. Things don't "add up." That's fine with me. I was riveted by every moment of this haunting weird film. "Enys Men" made me legitimately uneasy.

The pace here is slow and dialogue is minimal – with much of it coming via her limited interactions on a battered VHF metal maritime radio. No one is named. In addition to the Volunteer and the Girl; there’s the Boatman; the Preacher and others. Enys Men is far from plot heavy and I don’t even know how much of it I properly understood. Despite this, never for a moment was I remotely bored. Instead, I found myself consistently fascinated.

Haunters of the Deep (1984, 61 mins): a Children’s Film Foundation adventure that shares many West Cornwall locations with Enys Men, and made quite an impression on Mark Jenkin 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? This cookie, set by YouTube, registers a unique ID to store data on what videos from YouTube the user has seen.

First pressing only*** illustrated booklet with a Director’s Statement; essays by Tara Judah, Rob Young, William Fowler and Jason Wood; credits and notes on the special features Trewhela, Lee (1 December 2022). "Enys Men: Cornwall director Mark 'Bait' Jenkin's new film gets early screenings in the South West". Cornwall Live . Retrieved 15 January 2023.

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Most edit decisions were made on the shoot. “It has to be then because that’s when everyone’ s creative energy is focused – during the shoot,” says Jenkin on The Film Makers Podcast. On the odd occasion when they hadn’t captured footage to plan, he was forced to go into improvisation mode in post-production. Acclaimed independent Cornish horror feature Enys Men, from film-maker Mark Jenkin, was released earlier this month by the BFI. The low budget film was made using Jenkin’s unique workflow and is a masterclass in how to incorporate university learning into hands-on film-making. UK / 2022 / colour / 90 mins / English language with optional subtitles for the Deaf and partial hearing, plus optional audio description / original aspect ratio 1.45:1 // BD50: 1080p, 24fps, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo audio / DVD9: PAL, 25fps, Dolby Digital 5.1 audio and Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo audio The Guardian’s review by Peter Bradshaw describes it as “a supremely disquieting study of solitude….Jenkin’s style is so unusual, so unadorned, it feels almost like a manuscript culture of cinema. There is real artistry in it.” John Nugent at Empire magazine describes him as “one of the most exciting cinematic voices in the UK right.”

The Shining is also possibly referenced as well as the subgenre of body horror – although this element is never as nightmarish as some of the grotesquery glimpsed in David Cronenberg’s more extreme productions.Enys Men is the much anticipated follow-up to Bait, Jenkin’s breakthrough success which earned him a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer in 2020. Jenkin and Monk build their crew from regular collaborators who live and work in Cornwall, and this team also comprised a number of students, graduates and staff from Falmouth University, working as core parts of the film crew during the shoot in West Cornwall in the spring of 2021 and later post-production, the film having been mixed by School of Film & Television lecturer Rich Butler in Falmouth’s own dubbing theatre. For sound effects, Jenkin used a synthesizer, wired up to a tape loop, which created echoes and sound distortions. He stood on a piece of fake wooden flooring to record footsteps. a b Kiang, Jessica (27 May 2022). " 'Enys Men' Review: A Gorgeously Grainy Folk Horror Steeped in Style but Starved of Story". Variety.