Rating: 8.9
Premise: A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.
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Searchlight Pictures
Directed by Mark Mylod
Written by Seth Reiss & Will Tracey
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, Judith Light, John Leguizamo
Runtime: 1hr 46min
Rating: 14A
Comedy, Horror, Thriller
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IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
RT Audience Score: 81%
Metacritic Score: 73
CinemaScore: B
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My Review:
“The Menu'' is a delicious, savory treat of a film; a satirical thriller that is tons of fun! It is very well made, exceptionally well acted and yet the most impressive part is the brilliant script behind it! I was blown away by how much I was enjoying it as I was watching, finding myself engrossed in the horror of what I was seeing on screen. And yet it is so funny at the same time — filled with witty, dark humour that never compromises the tone and tension the movie sets. The film is also a fantastic satire of the service/food industry as well as the upper class and foodie culture! There are lots of twists and turns in the film, and thanks to the vague trailer, you will have no idea where the movie is going when you start watching it! Watching “The Menu'' was genuinely one of my favourite movie experiences this year, it kept me guessing, in shock (there are lots of WTF moments!), and laughing lots! I loved it!
“The Menu” follows a group consisting of foodies, food critics, and other wealthy elites who travel to a remote island in the Pacific Northwest that houses one of the world's greatest restaurants with unarguably the planet's best chef - Julian Slowik. Slowik runs a tight ship with his baker's dozen team that lives on the island with him. Like every dinner he serves, a story and meaning go with each course, but this time around, the experience has been meticulously planned for a uniquely specific purpose for the guests.
First off, the dishes on display onscreen are gorgeous and look very interesting. I loved that they showed the breakdown of each dish onscreen as well — you’re not going to want to watch this movie hungry! I was sold on the movie even at that point, just with some great character dialogue and a luxurious restaurant. And then the movie starts to become a thriller, as you begin to question if everything is okay with this place. I loved how the turn was executed, as the tone shifts and subtly starts to make you feel unsettled, like something is off, all before the subtle build up crescendos in a wonderful and shocking twist! And the best part is, this is all only in the first 30 minutes! The next hour and a bit of the movie, you have to experience for yourself because the twists and turns are exceptional.
Director Mark Mylod is in perfect form here, and his attention to detail in telling fascinating stories with amazing characters is unparalleled. He manages to walk a fine line between horror and comedy, never compromising either aspect with the other. Scenes manage to be both very tense and horrific while very funny at the same time, his handling of the tone and tension was excellently done. The movie is very well made, from the crisp, fluid cinematography to the beautiful set design and lavish food design, to even the sound editing! Mylod found some really clever ways to shoot the main dining room of the restaurant, and with so many characters in the room I was really impressed with how well shots flowed together so seamlessly with all the different angles! Speaks to how good the editing of these sequences is too! I also loved the sound in the movie, especially the way they used Slowik’s clap; the way they built up to it, making all sounds sound like they were in a vacuum until the clap brought focus back. It was such a cool effect, and became more unsettling each time he did it!
The film has a phenomenal script! I have never heard of the writers before, but they did an incredible job! The film offers up a heaping course of witty satire that I could not get enough of! Honestly, even without that it is still a blast, but the hard hitting satirical elements just make it so much better! The film looks at foodie culture, it explores the service industry and the treatment of people working in that industry, gourmet chef culture, as well as works as a stunning sardonic story on the upper class! There is so much fantastic social commentary here, and it is so brilliantly woven in with the plot through the satire on display. The themes in the film were very resonant also, and I found myself in almost all of the characters. I could see myself in Ralph Fiennes’ Slowik and could completely understand where he was coming from and why he was doing what he was doing (thanks to my time working at McDonalds), but I could also see myself as different aspects of the guests at times, and I loved how the film kind of holds a mirror up to audiences for how they treat service staff. I also loved what it had to say about passion, as Slowik has forgotten how to enjoy cooking for pleasure, especially in how a sequence regarding pictures really helped to make the ending count. That also brings me to my next point, the movie paid everything off so well! All questions are answered at some point in the movie, and everything is introduced for a reason. I love smart writing like this!
The movie takes place largely within one room in the restaurant, and the fact that they were able to pull it off and craft such an entertaining and thrilling film within the one location is quite impressive. You have to be a good storyteller to be able to set your story all in one place, as it puts increased onus on the script to be fantastic. Luckily, the writers here were up to the challenge! The film is also insanely funny, the dark humour worked for me so well and hit the mark every time without compromising any tension!
I’m about to say the most incredibly obvious thing; Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes are incredible in this film! How else would they be? They are both two of the greatest actors today, great performances are just expected of them. So of course, this is no different, they are both phenomenal. The surprising thing is how well they play off each other! Some of the best scenes in the movie involve their characters interacting because of how you never really know how it will go down, you never see who is in control of the conversation and what is really going through each of their heads. Their characters complement each other’s personas; Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes play this perfectly! The rest of the cast was great too, especially Hong Chau and Nicholas Hoult, but it was Fiennes and Taylor-Joy that easily stood above the rest, they own the screen! Truly some of the best performances of the year, and a huge reason to see this movie!
“The Menu” is very difficult to dislike! Every element of the film was working in harmony the entire time! It’s well written, well made, and doesn’t take itself too seriously while also being thrilling and poignant! The film constantly hits all the right notes, I had a blast watching it! It has a similar feel to “Knives Out” and even felt like a more mature “Ratatouille” at times (you’ll know what I mean when you see it)! I laughed a lot but also adored how clever the film was, how much tension it had and how unique it was. The performances were awesome and I loved the journey this movie took me on! It’s a wild ride filled with so many great elements and moments! I loved the movie — it’s one of my favourites of the year and frankly, one of the best films of 2022. Go see it, you’ll have a great time with the satire, dark comedy, and thrills of it! It’ll have you salivating over its artfully decorated cuisine and laughing out loud through its regimented chaos. And take it from me, you’ll want to get a cheeseburger after!
“The Menu” blends its dark comedy and horror ingredients into a triumphant mixture of class system satire and restaurant culture. The thrills are at an all-time high and the comedy is so uncomfortably funny that there's no possible scenario of looking away in awkwardness. This is one exquisite film. It's delightful, it's delicious, and it's to die for. Highly recommend!
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Fun Fact: The lavish 'food' layouts were prepared by renowned French chef Dominique Crenn, the only female chef in the United States to attain three Michelin stars for her restaurant Atelier Crenn in San Francisco (as of 2016). Though many of the cast and crew were often tempted to taste the delicacies between takes, they had to be reminded that the food items were predominantly props, and thus inedible.
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