What should be a most divine dining experience for 11 individuals turns into a night of unexpected terror in Searchlight Pictures’ The Menu. The R-rated film from director Mark Mylod (Game of Thrones) is a dark, sharply crafted horror comedy with a wonderful ensemble cast.
The movie kicks off with the introduction of two of the diners – Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) – waiting on a dock to board a boat that will take them to a remote island. Their destination: Hawthorne, an exclusive restaurant that charges $1,250 a plate and promises to be worth every dollar.
Nine other guests join them onboard the boat including a past-his-prime movie star (John Leguizamo) and his lovely assistant (Aimee Carrero), Lillian; a pretentious food critic (Janet McTeer) and her brown-nosing editor (Paul Adelstein); Anne (Judith Light) and Richard (Reed Birney), an older couple who have dined at the restaurant many times before; and the obnoxious trio of Dave (Mark St. Cyr), Soren (Arturo Castro), and Bryce (Rob Yang), colleagues and friends who work for the owner of the Hawthorne.
The dinner guests arrive at the island and are greeted by Elsa (Hong Chau), Hawthorne’s no-nonsense manager and loyal right hand of master world-class chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). Following a quick tour of the tiny island, they finally enter the dining room and await their feast.
The ritzy restaurant’s dining room has a clear view of the kitchen where a team of chefs prepare each course under the command of Slowik, responding to all of his commands as though he’s the leader of a cult and they’re his brainwashed followers. Tyler, in particular, is in awe of everything around him, being a foodie who reveres Slowik’s unique and impressive creations. Margot, a last-minute guest, finds the whole setup and demeanor of Elsa and Slowik odd and a little unnerving. Elsa’s so put off by the whole situation that she barely eats any of the first two courses.
It’s with the introduction of the next course, which Slowik titles “The Mess,” that the evening takes a very shocking and unexpected turn for the wealthy patrons of Hawthorne who quickly realize that the price of dining might have to be paid with their lives.
Two-time Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes ( Schindler’s List, The English Patient) delivers a savory and brilliant performance as the pompous, mad chef Slowik who is determined to create a dining masterpiece for his patrons as well as some brutal punishment for those he views as arrogant and entitled.
Anya Taylor-Joy is absolutely riveting as Margot, the unexpected mystery guest who harbors key secrets and is the only diner out of these self-important customers who seems to be constantly thinking of a way to escape the deadly dinner party. Taylor-Joy perfectly displays the sheer terror her character feels when she first realizes the severity of the situation as well as showing just how intelligent and willful Margot is while trying to find a way out. It’s truly Fiennes and Taylor-Joy’s performances in the film that raise it up to an even higher level of entertainment.
Nicholas Hoult delivers a great comedic performance as Tyler, the extreme foodie who’s more concerned about what Chef Slowik thinks of him – and not missing out on any of the courses – than surviving the night.
The sets and production design are lavish and impressive, and the pacing is tight and suspenseful. Provocative, with excellent performances and clever and witty dialogue, The Menu is an exquisite horror comedy that’s good to the last bite. It’s one of the best pictures of the year.
GRADE: B+
MPAA Rating: R for strong violent content, some sexual references, and language throughout
Running Time: 1 hour 46 minutes
Release Date: November 18, 2022
