The Menu

SPOILERS! Such potential. And such a mediocre film. Instead of an intelligent sociological study of the conflict between social classes, The Menu turned out to be a bittersweet tale about an angry chef who punishes some for once criticizing his cooking and others for something else completely unrelated. And this tale is told in an unimaginative and, in places, even silly way (the theatrical punishment of the angel investor, without whom the chef wouldn’t even have had a restaurant). The main villain is worthy of zero respect. Even the character of the restaurant critic is not construed as a metaphor for the film reviewers who would like to rip this film. The main character (Anya Taylor-Joy) is the only one who makes sense with her perception of the situation and her reactions to it. She also gives the plot concept the only imaginative creative impetus by revealing her identity. A weak three stars. (11/23/2022)

An entertaining satire, only lightly tinged with horror, that sacrifices pure genre pleasure in the second half, which would have required at least a basic believability of the characters' behaviour to keep the concept going, and, as a result, it ironically becomes part of what it’s mocking. That said, the fun more or less doesn't let up, and the great actors pull it off. (11/17/2022)

Another shallow satirical slurry built on prefabricated procedures and assiduous masking of fast-food ideas with a conceptual masquerade. It’s neither insightful, nor funny, nor shocking. It’s nothing. They invite you in for a refined dining experience and serve you something that looks fancy but tastes like a burger from the drive-through window. No compliments to the chef. (01/07/2023)

A satire through the culinary arts (not original in that respect) that initially combines tension with humour while setting up the characters for a "breaking point" in an exemplary way. But everything it wants to say, it's said in the first half and... And then nothing. In the second half it's just gropes and somehow stumbles to the conclusion. Moreover, after the "break" it's downright woeful in the character work, which retroactively devalues the beginning. Everything is "aptly and sophisticatedly satirised" in the first half and the second half works just fine thanks to the actors, who do their best not to let it sink completely. It should have been a short instead of a feature film. (11/16/2022)

Original, fun, smart, chilling, disturbing, refreshing and very tasty. The Menu is a well-crafted psychological thriller/satire that I rank among the films of the year. Combining a foodie film with a thriller is a hit with me and the setting in a top gourmet restaurant is a delight. The film immediately caught my attention with its unconventional approach and great actors. Anya Taylor-Joy here confirms her position as the best young actress of the moment (again stealing the film for herself !!). Nicholas Hoult plays the least likeable character and a terrible loser, but he plays it convincingly, and the excellent Ralph Fiennes, who has quite possibly his most distinctive role since Voldemort, commands respect and is mysterious and sharp. I enjoyed the whole experimental running of the menu, which the maker play with a lot. For a foodie and culinary fan and viewer, it's a very charming and mature film with original ideas (Boiling Point may have delivered a one-shot from one hectic night, but The Menu pushes those boundaries even further and I haven't seen a better film on the subject). As soon as the first shocking twist occurs, it switches to a more serious mood, where the smile will disappear from your lips, the chills come and there is definitely no shortage of tension. I liked where this was going, though I could imagine the situation could have escalated more explicitly and been more off the rails, but given the premise I'm satisfied without that. The finale will show who is the only one who has grasped the rules and the essence of the Chef. Excellent, I look forward to seeing it again. 9/10. (11/21/2022)

A refreshing social horror film that at times pretends to be something more, but in the end doesn't want to be anything else. We like ordinary things and therein lies the twist! Black humour and revenge for the emptiness caused by empty people + the captivating Anya Taylor-Joy are the best ingredients of this culinary treat. It wasn’t completely flawless, but sometimes striving for perfection is enough. (01/04/2023)

And I was looking forward to Ralph Fiennes so much... If Chef Slowik was supposed to be a demonic psychopath, then my favorite actor made very little effort. His performance did not even come close to his portrayal of Amon Goeth from Schindler's List. Since I know what the actor is capable of, his performance seemed somewhat dull, as if he didn't even want to do it. And similarly, the story itself had a similar effect on me. At first, it seemed interesting, but my interest gradually faded. The film didn't evoke any emotions in me and just passed me by. I'm not saying it was boring; it just didn't make me feel anything; I was completely indifferent to the characters' fates. Plus, I never bought into popular foodie trends. My idea of good food is something that tastes good; I don't need a thirty-page brochure explaining why and in which sector of the plate a piece of cauliflower should be arranged and why the sauce on my plate looks like partially dry brush strokes. Snobbish debates about such plates strongly remind me of similar discussions about visual art, only to find out later that the night guard tripped and accidentally spilled coffee on the wall. / Lesson learned: If someone serves me a stone, they will have their teeth smashed with it. (03/20/2023)