By Sarah Meiselman
Over Winter Break, I saw The Menu at the theater. This movie isn’t a traditional horror comedy, rather, it’s a dark satire that mocks the elites of society and their belief that the world is meant to serve them. The movie takes place at Hawthorn, an exclusive restaurant on an island in the Pacific Northwest. When the movie begins, viewers are introduced to Tyler, played by Nicholas Hoult, and his date Margot, played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Margot, who is revealed to be a last-minute stand in for the date Tyler meant to bring, is the protagonist of the film. Early on, it becomes clear that she has never been to a restaurant with the prestige and exclusivity that Hawthorn has and is the first character willing to point out the absurdity of the meals being served. Tyler, food obsessed and a worshipper of the head chef of the restaurant, is appalled that Margot refuses to eat a single meal, and worse, that she suggests sending a course back.
The movie begins with a boat ride to the island, after which the diners get off and are welcomed by Elsa, played by Hong Chau. She is strict, oddly emotionless, and seemingly content with the fact that her and the other chefs’ lives are completely and utterly devoted to the restaurant. She even shows the diners the chefs’ living quarters, which have a set of maybe a dozen identical twin-sized beds with matching bedside tables and absolutely no indication of the individual chefs’ personalities or interests. If viewers of the movie weren’t already feeling uneasy by how isolated the island was, this scene is sure to put them on edge.
After the tour with Elsa, the diners enter the extravagant restaurant known as Hawthorn, which has one wall made entirely of glass, and beautiful wood finishes. There are 12 diners at the restaurant the evening the movie takes place, and each offers a layer of comedy or insight into the writers’ beliefs about the elites of society, or both. Three of them are a group of close work friends that deal with finance. They pay little attention to the food itself, but rather admit to choosing to eat at the restaurant for status alone. Two of the diners are a well-known dining critic and her magazine editor. Each word that comes out of their mouths represents the stereotypical fancy restaurant reviewer’s tendency to use overcomplicated words and knit pick the food down to every last particle. Then there are two separate couples, each with clear tensions between them, and each as unappreciative of the food at the restaurant as the other diners. Seated toward the back of the restaurant is Margot and Tyler. The final diner is the head chef’s very old and very depressed looking mother, who, even after seeing the entire movie, I believe was only there to add another layer of absurdity to the scene.
The restaurant is run by Head Chef Slowik, played by Ralph Fiennes, and costs $1,250 per person to attend, contributing to the fact that all the diners, except Margot, are some of the wealthiest in the world. At the beginning of each course, Chef Slowik gives a brief explanation of the inspiration of the meal, and these get darker and darker as the movie progresses. The foreshadowing in this movie is excellent, starting with the constant reminders by the chefs to Margot that she wasn’t supposed to attend that evening’s dinner.
The movie revolves around the theme of givers versus takers, the chefs versus the diners. Chef Slowik and his staff treat the diners as enemies. They use the meals served during the evening as a way to fulfill their need to hurt the upper class of society that had taken away their freedom and love of cooking. Slowik claims he became nothing more than a servant to the richest of the world as he got deeper and higher up in the food business. He believes that his guests do not deserve his or anyone’s services, and the movie’s plot follows his decision to take matters into his own hands. The fact that Margot was a surprise guest makes a ripple in his plans, and this ripple keeps the movie interesting. You’ll have to watch to find out how.
As a warning, The Menu is a horror movie and has some graphic scenes, but nothing that will make viewers gag unless they hate the sight of blood. On that note, the cinematography, props, and special effects are incredible. The restaurant looks identical to the exclusive and expensive ones in real life, and the island is beautiful and idealistic. All the characters have outfits that fit their personalities. Best of all are the hilarious plates of food served to the guests. The ratio of décor to actually edible food is comical, and the food that is edible looks so disgusting or mediocre its funny, like the breadless bread plate with dipping sauces to use on that nonexistent bread. The comedy in the movie was genuinely funny and unlike any movie I’ve ever seen, opposed to some of the existing comedy movies that get all of their laughs by playing off a few overused stereotypes and jokes.
The acting in this movie is also spot on. Anya Taylor-Joy is expressive and perfectly portrays Margot’s skepticism in the beginning of the movie, and fear at the end. As the protagonist, Margot’s role in the movie is essential, and Taylor-Joy delivers a stunning performance that captivates everyone in the audience. Her acting makes viewers sympathize with her fictional character and root for her until the very end. Nicholas Hoult, on the other hand, has a knack for making viewers hate his character, Tyler. Hoult’s ability to show Tyler’s arrogant demeanor, ego, and desperation to please Chef Slowik, without making his acting look forced, is truly impressive. Ralph Fiennes’s acting may be my favorite of all. He portrays Chef Slowik’s delusions with such accuracy that viewers are easily convinced that he is insane. With every unsettling smile he gives, every ominous clap he uses to start each meal, every creepy whisper he says, Fiennes raises the hair on everyone’s neck and sends shivers down everyone’s spines. Finally, the movie would not be complete without Hong Chau. The look in her eyes convinces viewers of Elsa’s absolute devotion to Chef Slowik. She is as good as Fiennes in portraying her character’s delusions.
What made the movie really stand out is the depth of the characters and the plot. In some comedy horror movies, the plot is just a murderer killing some people in a funny way. In the Menu, the antagonist, Chef Slowik, has a goal and a backstory that fits it. He doesn’t use violence at random, but rather has purpose to each action he takes, like his purpose for every molecule on the plates he serves to customers. Viewers come to understand him, and even sympathize with him. My favorite aspect of the movie is that I could relate it to the societal structures I notice in real life. The movie took on a common and old issue, elitism, and gave it a fresh perspective that made me think about how I act in my own life.
I would rate the Menu 5 out of 5 stars. I came out of the theater with a huge smile on my face, after laughing so much. When I reflect on the movie, I see a deep underlying theme, which is missing from almost all the comedy horror movies I’ve seen. I love how the movie offered something new, which I feel has been missing from many of the movies that have just been released. Furthermore, the movie is successful because of the incredible acting, the flawless visuals, and the advanced special effects that allowed it to feel real and natural. If you have an opportunity to see this film, you should definitely take it.
