The Menu

What I took away from this movie is that nothing ruins true passion like pretentiousness and hunger for monetary gain. It's a brilliant ode to the thin line between love and obsession and the difference between them both. Ralph Fiennes is perfection in the role as Chef Slowik, once again has he achieved the task of making one feel compassion and tenderness for a character committing unspeakable deeds. Anya Taylor-Joy is brilliant as always, her strong portrayal of "Margot" is awe inspiring, what ever life throws at her, she's ready to face it. Another important, and comforting aspect I learned from this movie is that student loans aren't always a bad thing.

I thought this movie was original, entertaining and very interesting. It has a deeper message about how the world looks today. The constant stress and pressure of performing and pleasing hard-to-please people. People who are spoiled, people who only care about money, people who take life for granted, and so on. This is what the characters in the film, the chef and the guests, represent. The guests represent the worst of us. Constantly feeling pressured about something that you actually think is fun, is no longer fun. That is why the chef has invited these very people to the restaurant. It is such people who have destroyed his passion, meaning and joy in life. If you understand the premise and concept of this movie, you will really like it. The film is dark and exciting, with a chaotic and funny ending, which I liked.

The Menu, directed by Mark Mylod, is a dark satire that dissects the world of fine dining, wealth, and artistic obsession. Set on a secluded island, the film follows a group of elite guests invited to an exclusive restaurant, where a renowned chef has prepared a meticulously crafted multi-course experience-one that takes a sinister turn.

At its core, The Menu critiques the pretentiousness of high-class consumerism and the extremes of artistic perfection. The film highlights how privilege and wealth often lead to detachment, where experiences become commodities rather than meaningful engagements. The guests, each representing different facets of entitlement, are confronted with the consequences of their actions, forcing them to reflect on their own role in a system that thrives on excess and exploitation.

Another key theme is the cost of artistic obsession. The chef's relentless pursuit of perfection has consumed him, turning his passion into a prison. Through his elaborate, terrifying spectacle, the film explores the burden of creative expression and the dangers of losing oneself to an ideal that can never truly be satisfied. It questions whether art should serve the elite or remain accessible to those who genuinely appreciate its craft.

Ultimately, The Menu serves as a sharp reflection on power dynamics, consumer culture, and the true meaning of fulfillment. It challenges viewers to consider their relationship with art, privilege, and the pursuit of greatness. Beneath its suspenseful and darkly comedic layers, the film warns against the hollow nature of superficial experiences and reminds us that true satisfaction lies not in excess, but in authenticity and appreciation.

The Menu isn't the first to satirise the rich and their incompetence and isn't saying anything new but that definitely doesn't prevent it from being a great satire that pokes fun at everything it can in ways that are often consistently funny, playful and extremely stylish.

Ralph Fiennes gives a terrific performance full of awkward unease that only enhances his commanding screen presence. Anya Taylor-Joy is a perfect audience surrogate amongst a sea of deliberately unlikeable characters of which the best is Nicholas Hoult whose almost too good at making his character hilariously pathetic.

Mark Mylod's direction is excellent, the film has more than enough visual style to match the pretentiousness of its characters and is really good at building tension. The music by Colin Stetson is fantastic, striking a unusual balance between beautiful and unnerving.

THE MENU is a good and unusual little thriller that proves a breath of fresh air in this day and age. One for the more jaded among us, it provides the kind of surprising, satirical modern-times scenario that I was hoping from GLASS ONION (and which didn't land). This one is variously a mystery, a comedy, a horror film and more besides, and it has depth and a careful skewering of a whole industry which I found more than satisfying. The cast is remarkable too, with each particular actor - from Fiennes to Hoult, Leguizamo to Taylor-Joy - carefully chosen to fit the perfect role for their talents. Appealing!