Director Mark Mylod’s The Menu is a dark satire with clever commentary on the food industry, taking shots at elitist consumers, ostentatious food critics and egocentric celebrity chefs. Lord Voldemort himself Ralph Fiennes is as brilliant as ever, stealing every frame of screen time with his sinister, cold, snobbish, and obsessive Chef Slowik. Every time Slowik gives one of his perfectionist high concept food monologues, it fully demands the viewer’s attention. Anya Taylor Joy does a fine job at portraying what is essentially the audience’s perspective, providing a realistic sense of skepticism about the theatricality of Slowik’s dining experience. Nicolas Hoult as dinner guest Tyler had me dying laughing, with his performance perfectly emulating the pretentious social media wannabe chef persona that many food critics have. Supporting ensemble cast is stellar. Hong Chau as the deadpan house manager Elsa is a standout, as her interactions with the guests makes for quite a few tension filled moments sprinkled with an appropriate amount of dry humor. The first half sets the tone and gives us just enough information about each dinner guest so that when things really get out of hand, it’s every bit as darkly funny as it is unpredictable. The delectable close-up shots of each course will surely make you hungry. Having essentially the entire film take place on this remote island in this restaurant made for an effectively claustrophobic feel. Themes of obsession versus love, givers versus takers, and the sad reality of the service industry are better realized than some of its more muddled commentary about the ultra wealthy and power. Despite its familiarity to films such as Willy Wonka or even SAW, The Menu is distinct enough in its writing and execution to stand on its own right. Overall, while The Menu oftentimes bites off more than it can chew with its under-explored concepts and thin plotting, it is able to successfully rise above the typical foodie flick with a darkly satirical approach, A+ performances from Ralph Fiennes/Anya Taylor Joy & the ensemble cast, and an emotionally resonant third act that left me with a full stomach. 🍴🍱
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