The Menu (2022)

Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes star in Mark Mylod’s deliciously disturbing new film “The Menu”. The “Succession” director puts his own deadly twist on the world of high-class dining and lavish culinary culture, mixing delectable food with jaw-dropping reveals. Produced by Will Ferrell, Betsy Koch, and Adam McKay, “The Menu” is an unnerving, intriguing and shocking film that continuously keeps you guessing, right up until the final scenes.

Taking place over the course of one night, “The Menu” follows Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult), a young couple who are heading to an uber-exclusive restaurant on a secluded island to enjoy a night full of delicious food. While the dishes may seem a bit out there, and the servers a bit unusual, all seems fine. That is until one of the chefs shoots himself in the middle of the restaurant and the night quickly descends into chaos. With Chef Slowik’s (Ralph Fiennes) menu becoming more and more alarming as the courses come, the danger grows. So, will the unlucky couple make it out of the restaurant and off the island unscathed? Or will they fall victim to Chef Slowik and his disturbing menu?

Anya Taylor-Joy gives a bold and powerful performance that you just can’t get enough of. The “The Queen’s Gambit” actress holds her own and delivers nothing short of brilliance. Oscar-nominee Ralph Fiennes delivers a performance that feels culinary greatness and the intentions of a madman come together in one person. His commanding performance allows you to hang onto every word, eager to know what he has planned next for his unlucky customers. The scenes Fiennes shares with Taylor-Joy are some of the best in the film, filled with mystery and tension. Hong Chau, who is also appearing in Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale” later this year, starts off the film’s spiral of chaos, with a demeanour that feels unnerving, but not enough to cause panic amongst guests and audience members. These outstanding performances elevate “The Menu” to a whole other level and make the experience of watching a film as twisted as this all the more enjoyable.

Considering all of the film (apart from one scene at the start) takes place on an island in one restaurant, the production design has to allow the colourful performances to pop, and that’s exactly what Ethan Tobman does. The production designer, known for working on some of Taylor Swift’s music videos, including “All Too Well: The Short Film”, and for his work on “Pam & Tommy”, designs a sleek, contemporary set that doesn’t distract from the performances and makes the film a visual feast. Cinematographer Peter Deming “Mulholland Drive” provides the film with cinematography that wonderfully compliments the modern production design and enhances the beauty of the film. While “The Menu” does appear to be near-faultless, the screenplay from Will Tracy (“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”, “Succession”) and Seth Reiss (“Late Night with Seth Meyers”) suffers from small patches that feel as though they don’t fit with the tone of the film.

Perhaps what makes “The Menu” such an exciting film is the way director Mark Mylod builds tension for both the characters and the audience. Fuelled by the complete and utter madness of Chef Slowik and his deadly menu, and the multiple times audiences were led to believe the guests would be saved, the film is tense in all the right parts and consistently shocks its audience. Mylod puts in a directorial tour de force, expertly bringing together a film filled with bold performances, precise pacing, and lavish visuals. While you can see the fate of the guests from miles away, when Chef Slowik’s deranged dreams come to fruition it’s no less jaw-droppingly horrific.

“The Menu” is a film that is brilliantly entertaining, featuring electric performances, lush visuals and an intriguing plot, this is a film fit for foodies, as well as those who want an hilarious yet horrifying film. Mark Mylod delivers excellence from a unique and promising premise. This is a film that constantly pulls the unexpected on its audiences, keeping them guessing right up until the last scenes after grasping their attention and playing with their expectations for the entire 106-minute runtime. While it may not be as big of a splash in this year’s awards conversations, that doesn’t make “The Menu” any less of a masterpiece than it already is.