The Menu

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, Paul Adelstein, John Leguizamo, Aimee Carrero, Reed Birney, Judith Light, Rebecca Koon, Rob Yang, Arturo Castro, Mark St. Cyr, Peter Grosz, Christina Brucato
Directed by: Mark Mylod
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Thriller
2022

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A group of wealthy gastro-tourists visit a secluded island for an incredibly culinary experience by one of the world's top chefs (Ralph Fiennes). They soon discover the evening is not at all what they expected.

Review:

Tim: I feel certain that The Menu will be too dark, too extreme for the Academy and similar institutions. I don't expect Mark Mylod's film to win many awards, which is a shame. I think his film is brilliant and easily one of the best movies of 2022. It has a few flaws, but the positives are so overwhelmingly strong that it was simple for me to forgive some of these mistakes. This is definitely a film unlike any other.

Like so many great movies, the story is helped by its narrow focus- a group of gastro-tourists arrive at an island for an extremely expensive dinner put on by a world renowned chef. It has all the trappings of an elitist, rich person's holiday. The dinner is odd, though, defying expectations and eventually turns into pure horror. You don't often sit down to watch a culinary horror movie, but that's a big reason why The Menu is so unique.

I absolutely loved the script. The dinner is filled with the world's elite (each representing a different of the seven sins, which the movie never outright stresses). These scenes are fascinating because they just eviscerate these snobby, wealthy people that we often see in the media. You have a group of techno bros who reveal in their power and wealth. You have an insufferable food critic and her wealthy partner? Friend? They look down upon everything and every one. You have a man who believes he can buy women. You have the obsessed foodie who treats everything like a work of art, who worships at the altar of the head chef. You have a rich movie star who long ago cashed in. It's this collection of people likely beyond the scope of people like you and I, people who are self-important, untouchable. They're the guests at this dinner of horror and it's all wildly entertaining.

I actually found the beginning of the movie as fascinating as the eventual horror elements. The beginning introduces us to these characters and the format of the dinner. This is where the movie becomes great. Mylod makes watching people have dinner absolutely riveting. We get to know the diners, their background, their hopes and expectations. We watch as they react to the different courses- the bread course minus the bread, the obscure and forced story that accompanies the meal, the brilliant (or not) circumventing of foodie expectations. It's all a bit ridiculous, but played straight. How each diner reacts to the courses became so fascinating. I was mesmerized by this secluded island, this insane, posh dinner, and those in attendance. Mylod whisks us away to a setting most of us would never be in person (in this case, thankfully), surrounded by people we'll likely never dine with. I just loved stepping into this world.

Before the outright horror elements arrive, the movie is steeped in mystery. I felt so compelled by this- what exactly was happening? Is it real, or all part of the show? Were people in on it, or is everyone innocent? There's so many questions, you start to feel a sense of distrust in everything the movie shows you. I was questioning everyone and everything and I loved the film's ability to make me feel paranoid and uncomfortable. By the time the real horror elements start, it almost feels like you don't even need them. Now, at this point, the movie does require you to suspend your disbelief. I bet there's a contingent of viewers who enjoyed the movie up to this point and then it lost them. I get it and I do believe this transition to the more horrific elements is likely the weakest part of the film. I was mostly okay with it, though. Sure, I wondered why more people didn't try to do something, but I was able to go along with it. It bothered me, but not nearly enough to tarnish my feelings about the film.

The cast is fantastic. Ralph Fiennes is a truly exceptional actor, one of the greats. I loved his performance as chef here. He channels Gordon Ramsay and these other celebrity chefs, but brings great ambiguity to his role. Was he insane or brilliant? The line between those is blurred and he tiptoes down both sides so you truly question his character. He gets to make a few speeches and Fiennes is just fully committed to this role. He was incredible in it. I truly believe Anya Taylor-Joy will one day be considered among the all-time great actresses. She's simply remarkable in everything she does. That's the case here, too. Her character starts out in a supporting role but eventually takes her place in the spotlight. Taylor-Joy brings her unique sensibilities to the part and makes this character memorable. I loved the scenes between Taylor-Joy and Fiennes. Both of them give great performances and while I doubt either will be nominated for Academy Awards, they should be.

Nicholas Hoult may be the unsung MVP of this film. He fully commits to this character and plays him with such breezy ease that you never feel like you're watching an actor. I was mesmerized by Hoult's complex character. He gets to showcase a wide range of emotion and he does everything brilliantly. I loved his performance here. Hong Chau was effective- she's able to tap into this stoic creepiness that you just can't shake. She was really, really good. Janet McTeer and Paul Adelstein were wonderful together. They revel in playing these self-important, unlikable characters. I found myself leaning forward, not being able to wait to hear what they say next. John Leguizamo is good, but I wish he had more interaction with the rest of the cast. It's not a secret he based his performance on Steven Seagal, which makes it all the funnier. Reed Birney added a nice performance and it was a pleasant shock to see Judith Light here. Rob Yang did good work and while I didn't care for Arturo Castro's character, his performance was effective. Mark St. Cyr worked well, I do wish he had a bit more to do. I always like seeing Peter Grosz and enjoyed his small role here. The whole cast works exceptionally well together, bringing these unique characters to life.

I really did love The Menu. I acknowledge it has some flaws, but this is a fantastic, original movie. Mark Mylod brings something to us that is wholly unique. It was also incredibly entertaining, far more entertaining than some of the other films that will likely win a bunch of end-of-year awards. I seriously believe Mylod's film will likely be overlooked by the Academy, which is a shame. It's brilliant, farcical, unique, unexpected, and one of the most memorable films of 2022. Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Last Night in Soho, In Bruges, The Grand Budapest Hotel