‘The Menu’ Plates Up a Delicious Lite Horror Fare | Review
There has been no shortage of unsettling, yet delectable films this year that sit outside of the mainstream fare. Yet Mark Mylod manages to plate up a delicious new morsel with The Menu, which will keep audiences on the edge of their seat right up until the last bite. Seth Reiss and Will Tracy’s screenplay expertly builds the intrigue with a cast of characters that, on the surface, appear to be the average—albeit annoying—patrons that might frequent a Michelin-style restaurant, before revealing why most of them deserve the fate that Chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) intends to plate up for them.
Image via Searchlight Pictures
When The Menu starts, there is no indication that Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) and Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) are about to set out on a deadly night out. On the surface, they seem like a slightly mismatched couple; Tyler is ate up with going to Slowik’s restaurant and Margot is just going along for the ride. In a lot of ways, they come across as what society thinks of upscale millennials who are willing to shell out serious cash for an experience and a few good Instagram pics. The rest of the cast of characters follow a similar stereotypical pattern like something out of Clue, with the washed-up Movie Star (John Leguizamo) in the “hosting” phase of his career and his apathetic assistant Felicity (Aimee Carrero); the hoity-toity and cruel food critic Lillian Bloom (Janet McTeer) and her yes-man editor Ted (Paul Adelstein); an adulterous leach Richard (Reed Birney) and his poor little wife Anne (Judith Light); and three scummy finance bros named Soren (Arturo Castro), Bryce (Rob Yang), and Dave (Mark St. Cyr).
While Taylor-Joy gets the chance to showcase her potential as the next horror final girl, The Menu’s real main course is Fiennes. In the midst of a film that pokes and prods at pretentiousness and explores a far more satirical side to the horror genre, Fiennes delivers an award-worthy performance. Fiennes is well-known for giving impressive performances, but there is something about the hollowness in his eyes as Slowik’s true intentions are revealed with each new course, paired with the bitter taste of his slow-brewing anger towards the world, that makes for a wholly unsettling, yet tantalizing dish. Even as horrible things unfold, his expression never wavers until he’s reminded of the joy that cooking once held for him. But by then, he’s already bitten off more than he can chew. This is the last supper and he’s serving up a meal to die for.
The Menu is a horror film designed to appeal to moviegoers with a more delicate palate. Despite the shocking suicides that are transformed into avant-garde meals, which are paired with healthy pours of self-loathing, revenge, and humiliation, Mylod never tips the scales into crafting a meal that turns the stomach. The modest bloodshed pales in comparison to the horror of seeing a chef spiral out of control once the joy has been cooked out of his meals, in favor of performative art. The script fully skewers the notion of art—both cuisine and cinema—being stripped of the tastes that make it special. It can’t go unnoticed that Mylod’s six-course meal of a movie clocks in at a cozy 1 hour and 47 minutes, rather than embracing the trend of overstuffed movies that weigh heavily on the patience of audiences. Is that also part of the satire at play?
The Menu is a delectable dish of revenge, which contrary to Lillian Bloom, is a dish best served cold. With this ensemble cast, Mylod has all the right ingredients to create a memorable experience, and audiences will leave the cinema perfectly satisfied with all its twists and turns. Once you’ve had your fill, there’s no chance that you’ll be asking for s’more.
Final Verdict: B+
