The Menu

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> **Jim Jones; Executive Chef** Going to a once-in-a-lifetime tasting at a restaurant headed by one of (if not _the_) most renowned chefs in the world sounds like a dream come true to any foodie. (Myself included, albeit vicariously via the Food Network) Two of these lucky guests are Tyler (played by **Nicholas Hoult**), and Margot (played by **Anya Taylor-Joy**). The issue is, something is already not right. No, it's not obvious; at least not to normal people like you and me. Elsa (played by **Hong Chau**) picked up on it, but she isn't like us. As more and more guest arrive, someone isn't supposed to be there... Ah, don't worry, the feeling will pass. After all, the tasting is just about to start... This is when we meet the executive chef, Chef Slowik (brilliantly played by **Ralph Fiennes**). At first he is charismatic and prepares his guest for each tasting with stories. But this little cult like bigrade eventually let on that they know more about their guests than anyone should... That is except for one. As someone who is enamored with the food world, seeing The Menu satire some of my favorite shows: * Netflix's Chef's Table with the course spotlight cinematography and ingredients cards. * Any Celebrity Chef (i.e. Chef Slowik calling someone a 'donkey', clearly a reference to Gordon Ramsey). ...I was delighted that this film leaned into the dark end of how service work can feel sometimes. This film feels cathartic having lived the life of a service worker, and I feel others who have had that experience should be able to connect to the darker parts of the film as well. The plot culminate in a theme that I think despite what mild morbidity was displayed, most watchers can relate; Be it society's expectations or our own, the more we push toward perceived greatness we run away from that childhood excitement that set up on the path to begin with. The Menu as a whole, is, well... Something you might hear at an actual tasting: A story of life, it's memories (good and bad) told in 5 courses. If you're part of the menu, you deserve to stay until the end... That is, unless your not supposed to be here; perhaps life hasn't beaten you down enough yet... In-any-case, there is always the _cool aid_.

The Menu is a sharp, darkly satirical thriller that blends psychological tension with biting humor. The story follows a group of privileged diners who visit an exclusive restaurant on a secluded island, only to find that the experience is far more intense than they anticipated. The plot is well-paced, keeping the mystery alive while gradually increasing the unease. It balances its social commentary with an engaging, almost theatrical structure that makes every course feel like a performance in itself. The direction by Mark Mylod is precise, with every scene meticulously crafted to build tension. He knows exactly when to hold back and when to push the intensity, making the film feel controlled yet unpredictable. The cinematography is stunning, with an almost clinical beauty that enhances the eerie atmosphere. The way the food is presented is almost too perfect, mirroring the precision of the restaurant itself. Every frame feels intentional, elevating the film beyond a simple horror-thriller setup. The acting is one of the strongest aspects, with Ralph Fiennes delivering a chilling, captivating performance that demands attention. Anya Taylor-Joy is fantastic as always, bringing both vulnerability and resilience to her role, making her one of the most compelling characters on screen. The supporting cast does a great job of embodying different aspects of elitism and entitlement, making the ensemble feel dynamic without any weak links. The script is sharp, filled with clever dialogue that keeps the tension high while delivering dry, dark humor that lands well. The score adds another layer to the experience, subtly enhancing the unease without overpowering the scenes. It blends well with the sound design, making every little detail, from the clink of silverware to the deliberate movements of the staff, feel heightened. The film does a great job of making you feel like you're sitting at the table, absorbing every moment of the experience. Overall, The Menu is a well-executed, visually striking thriller that knows exactly what it's serving, and it does so with precision and purpose.

Arch-foodie "Tyler" (Nicholas Hoult) and his girlfriend "Margot" (Anya Taylor-Joy) are off to dine in a restaurant without parallel. Based on an island of just twelve acres, they join a collection of wealthy and influential people for what has been defined as experience to die for! Upon arrival, we discover that "Margot" was not the originally intended guest of her companion - so first question... Who is she? Next question - why does it seem to matter so much to the fastidious and frankly rather menacing chef "Slowik" (Ralph Fiennes) and his assistant "Elsa" (Hong Chau) who looks like she used "Rosa Klebb" as a role model? As the dinner progresses it becomes quite clear that the menu is not just about the exquisitely prepared and presented food, but is also about an appraisal of the individually selected - and none too savoury - staff and clientele, none of who are quite what they seem! This has something of Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians" to it, and it quite effectively pokes fun at the supercilious and frequently rather pompous attitude of both those cooking and those eating (or experiencing) fine foam dining. That humour is dark and potent, too. Fiennes is entirely convincing and Hoult, as well as Janet McTeer as the self-important food critic "Lillian" and Paul Adelstein as her suitably obsequious companion "Ted" contribute well as the sense of the ridiculous evolves into one considerably more perilous. It could have evolved just a bit more quickly for me - there are certainly enough "get on with it" moments and though ATJ's character is feisty, it doesn't quite work and ultimately served to illustrate the increasing implausibility of the story and unlikely servility of the diners as we head towards an almost Vernean denouement. It is quirkily entertaining this - a well presented, multi-layered, attack on our own senses that is better second time around. Not perfect, but I suspect Michelin would love it.

“The Menu” takes anti capitalism and serves it up with a sprinkle or two of violence delivered on a plate by a perfectionist, cult leading chef. Mark Mylod produces a horror comedy that takes shots at culinary snobbery as well as performance art.  Margot ( Anya Taylor-Joy ) and her supposed boyfriend Tyler (Nicholas Hoult ) take a boat, along with a number of other diners, to a remote Restaurant called Hawthorn situated on a private Island. The restaurant’s avant garde head chef ( Ralph Fines ) sells both art and home grown, self produced food to a select group of high earning customers with quality and presentation far above any other culinary experience. As the guests arrive they are first subjected to a tour of the Island to see the produce used in Hawthorn being grown and sea food being gathered. Once seated in the restaurant the food begins to be served along with a story from head chef outlining the dish and its significance to the overall experience.  Before the final course is served the stories become darker and more extreme culminating in the diners becoming fearful for their own lives.   Before we reach the final course one sous chef announces that the menu requires “ an ending that ties everything together conceptually”. At this point in the proceedings it becomes clear that the restaurant staff are very much following the direction of their head chef without question, much in the way followers of any cult leader react.  “The Menu” is very unsettling and produces some uneasy, grimacing moments but balances them out well with enough humour and satire to make for a rather enjoyable experience.

This movie is not nearly as clever as it thinks it is. Without giving anything away, the plot is a unique one and the main villain's motivation is original, but the movie spoils everything by treating the audience like idiots. One example (and this _is_ a spoiler, albeit a small one, so skip this paragraph if you still want to watch the movie) is when one character gets his finger chopped off. This was because he told his wife he was going to 'handle' the situation, and one of the baddies responded by asking 'with which hand?' When he didn't reply, she said 'left hand, ring finger' and one of the other baddies proceeded to chop said finger off. Now that all sounds very clever (handle/hand - what a pun!) if you don't think about it too much, but if you _do_, you'll realize that the baddies had no way of knowing that that character was going to use the word 'handle', and yet removing his finger seemed to have been pre-planned. Were they going to do it anyway, and his use of the word was a lucky coincidence that allowed them to make a pun while doing it? Or in their meeting earlier, did they say "at some point someone might use the word 'handle', at which point we're going to remove part of their hand"? I don't know, and some of you might say I'm being pedantic, but this movie was _full_ of things like this. It really took me out of it. 3/10, wouldn't recommend.