A few years ago, I saw a little film called Velvet Buzzsaw. It was a horror movie with its tongue firmly planted in its cheek about the pretentious and self-indulgent culture of the modern art world. It was mostly focused on the horror, but it still managed to be funny with how it presented Los Angeles artists and art critics as smug, arrogant narcissists who were willing to stab each other in the back to get ahead. As someone who has nothing to do with that lifestyle other than a strong distaste for the arrogance one might find at an event like the Met Gala, I was thoroughly entertained by it. I couldn’t help but think about Velvet Buzzsaw again when I saw the recent dark-comedy, The Menu. It’s a film with a much higher budget and a bigger focus on comedy than Velvet Buzzsaw, and the subject matter is food instead of paintings and sculptures, but some of the same spirit is still there in the mocking of the superficial lifestyle.

Pros

• Ralph Fiennes and Nicolas Hoult are great

• Music adds a calm contrast to the rising tension

• Funny dialogue and dark moments that make you laugh

• The use of the zoomed-in, artistic presentation of the food adds to the comedy and tone

• A satisfying, though slightly weird, conclusion

• Under 2 hours

Cons

• A section in the middle that felt unfinished with some weird editing choices

• A few subplots feel underdeveloped

• Suspension of disbelief is required

Plot & Thoughts

Tyler (Nicolas Hoult) is a young food enthusiast who has secured himself a dinner at the most prestigious restaurant, known for its illustrious and notoriously talented chef, Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). Joining Tyler for the evening is Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), who does not share Tyler’s enthusiasm for the food or the affluent experience, but is a good sport, nonetheless. The two of them join several other patrons aboard a ferry that brings them to the exclusive island on which the restaurant is located and are given a tour of the island before they head out to dinner. Before even making it to the restaurant, it’s clear that something is amiss about the place and the people there. It immediately gives off a cult vibe and slowly everyone starts to catch on over the course of the evening. As dinner is served in a series of courses in the restaurant, the weirdness of the event starts as slightly playful until it starts getting more deliberately threatening. Likewise, the cultish behavior of the assistants working for Slowik becomes increasingly apparent until finally someone at the restaurant dies suddenly and dramatically. From that point on, it’s clear that this is no normal restaurant and the patrons all become much more involved in the “dining experience” than they either wanted or expected.

The Menu has a title that is easy to misinterpret. I had several friends ask me if that was the Soylent Green movie. I don’t feel like I’m spoiling anything by laying your fears to rest that there is no cannibalism in this film. While some events take place that rightfully fit in a horror film, The Menu is more concerned with just the pessimistic and sarcastic humor of the situation.

The Menu is very deliberately mocking the “dining experience” that countless people in the upper castes of society pay immeasurable funds to get. They don’t just want to eat the food but experience it. It’s not enough for the food to be tasty. Having someone wax poetry while they describe the ingredients in some fancy venue that looks out over a coastline is more important than the food itself. The character of Slowik embodies this simple understanding in how he approaches the subject with a sardonic contempt for the situation and the people. He still has the arrogance confidence of a chef who has reached incredible heights in his career while he describes his food, but he’s also someone who seems to understand that it’s all a little ridiculous. And since it’s played by Fiennes, there’s a small hint of menace with his delivery that makes Slowik a delightfully mysterious villain.

Nicolas Hoult as the awkward, clueless foody who desperately wants the attention and approval of Slowik is also great in the film. The Menu sets everything about Tyler up really well, and when it finally culminates with one of the zoomed-in views of a prepared dish, I was laughing pretty hard. I admit, I’m not sure how Tyler really ended up at the restaurant, as it’s implied that a few correspondences took place to make it all come together, but it didn’t prevent me from enjoying his character. I chuckled as he took pictures of the food, despite the act being forbidden in the restaurant, and I laughed at all the moments in which he was not shocked or appalled by the events taking place. I also smiled every time Slowik or Margot interacted with him. The dynamic between Tyler’s behavior and Margot’s disregard for the atmosphere works really well and makes Margot an endearing character. She acts as the somewhat rational perspective for the madness that takes place in the movie and as the anchor for the audience.

That being said, there were a few moments in particular that threw me off in the middle of the film. There’s a small scene in which Margot says something about herself that feels needlessly forced into the moment and adds nothing to the story. It seems like one of those clips that the editor threw in to make sure dumb audiences would know that there’s more to Margot, as though we wouldn’t be able to figure things out on our own. It’s also during this scene that a sous chef is discussing things and the dialogue feels all over the place. I’m not sure if I’m really divulging information that is valuable to the plot, or if it’s meant to just make me laugh and failing to do so. There are a lot of little questions I had when I finished watching the film that I feel could have been answered at some point but were cut.

The Menu also only works as a dark comedy, so long as you’re willing to suspend your disbelief that a chef could become something of a cult leader and that the people coming to an exclusive restaurant and experiencing what they do would not try their hardest to escape. While a few escape attempts are made by the customers that are met with injury or assault by the restaurant staff, I never got the impression that enough of a threat had been made to everyone in the restaurant that they had no hope of leaving—it wasn’t as though there was someone standing by the door with a gun at all times. The Menu is definitely more of a comedy than a thriller or horror, as I feel like a movie that was focused on the drama in those genres would take human nature into account a little more in that regard. Nonetheless, I think the film still manages to find a good balance between the comedy and the horror. There are plenty of scenes in which the tension flares up and is then offset by a joke or funny moment. You have to be willing to accept the nonsensical, otherwise, you might get stuck thinking about all the little details that don’t work. The final scene is only able to really occur if you suspend your disbelief about all of it, but if you do, it is a satisfying conclusion that fits the tone of the film.

TL;DR

The Menu was an entertaining surprise. Dark comedies are definitely something I enjoy, but I also like how The Menu isn’t necessarily trying to just make jokes in a bleak situation. It’s also dedicated to ratcheting up tension with some wild scenes and smart dialogue. With some solid performances and a distinct style, I think The Menu is a refreshing dark comedy that succeeds in what it sets out to do.