‘You will eat less than you desire and more than you deserve…’
The divide between the rich and the poor has never been more profound than it is right now. In fact, the divide between those in the middle and the rich is also cavernous. This is not the time nor the place to be spitting out facts and figures but I’m sure we’ve all seen the damning numbers. This is reflected in the amount of pop culture concerning the super-rich and their downfall right now. Succession, Billions, Nine Perfect Strangers, Big Little Lies, White Lotus, Triangle of Sadness… people just love watching rich people suffer. The Menu continues that grand tradition but adds layers of meaning and nuance that make it a fine dish indeed…
An eclectic group of honoured guests eat at a ridiculously exclusive restaurant on a private island presided over by Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). These include food obsessed man boy Tyler (Nicholas Hoult), his outspoken girlfriend Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), a pretentious food critic (Janet McTeer) and her sycophantic companion Ted (Paul Adelstein), a fading movie star (John Leguizamo) and his soon to be ex-employee Felicity (Judith Light), three obnoxious finance bros and an old married couple returning to the restaurant for the 11th time to celebrate their anniversary. Over the course of the meal, it becomes clear that the chef has something particularly radical lined up for his distinguished guests.
Where to start? Acclaimed TV director Mark Mylod (Game of Thrones, Succession) has crafted a whole universe for his talented cast to play around in. Each of these characters feels lived in and authentic, and in the moments in which we are ingeniously given a morsel of information about one guest, it only leaves us hungry for more. The script credited to Seth Reiss and Will Tracy is both genuinely funny and genuinely frightening, something that is rare to pull off, but with an ensemble cast this good, it is easy to see why this film is so successful. Taylor-Joy is probably the hottest actor in Hollywood right now, and she, once again, smashes it out of the park here. At once bitchy and somehow likeable, it is Margot that holds the viewer’s hand as we view the increasingly concerning events that are unravelling through her eyes, the eyes of the outsider, and this is one of the things that makes The Menu so compelling. Elsewhere, Nicholas Hoult somehow manages to create a character even more loathsome than the one he plays so brilliantly in The Great and Fiennes is, of course, as wonderful as ever – particularly in the third act when the audience has no idea if he has the strength of his convictions or not. This is truly a film that will keep you guessing until the end, but not in a way that ever feels contrived or forced.
The Menu is another wild horror success and confirms that 2022 could well be the greatest year for horror movies ever – and I don’t say that lightly. Mylod has crafted a truly unforgettable cinematic experience with as much care and grace as the many chefs that make up the menu here.
Bon appetit.