The Menu

Director Mark Mylod’s latest work comes to fruition in the form of The Menu; a satirical take on the pretentiousness of the food world, filled with plenty of twists and turns. Mylod, known for his work on Succession, Game of Thrones and Shameless is not one to shy away from tension and wit, which his latest film thrives on.

When couple Margot and Tyler are invited to dine at celebrity chef Julian Slowik’s invite-only restaurant, aspiring foodie Tyler, along with a group of seemingly random guests are quick to jump at the opportunity to savour Slowik’s latest menu. Taking a boat to the remote island and restaurant, Hawthorne, Slowik’s guests range from couple Tyler and Margot, to food critics Lillian and Ted, regular customers Richard and Anne, a group of tech bros, and a movie star and his assistant. Unfortunately for the dinner guests, their chef has a little more in mind than a multiple course meal, designed to assault the senses.

The fantastic Ralph Fiennes dominates the screen as chef Julian Slowik, who seemingly meets his match in Margot, who is played by scream queen Anya Taylor-Joy. Taylor-Joy is an obvious highlight in the film, much like everything else she stars in, and has truly cemented herself as one of this generation’s standout actors. Her attitude and general uncaring of how unimpressed she is by the industry throughout The Menu is in a way, a response to the ridiculous characters around her. Starring as mega fanboy Tyler, Nicholas Hoult borders on coming across as an obsessed, pathetic fanatic at the best of times, which is incredibly entertaining to watch.

Supporting the main cast is Janet McTeer who plays critic Lillian Bloom, who leans into pure food critic wankery easily, which is constantly backed up by her yes man and editor, Ted (played hilariously by Paul Adelstein). John Leguizamo stars as a has-been actor who grasps at any possibility of staying relevant, which has his assistant Felicity (Aimee Carrero) working around the clock, while tech influencers Soren (Arturo Castro), Dave (Mark St. Cyr) and Bryce (Rob Yang) are just there for the clout. Rounding out the dinner guests is Hawthorne’s strict and scary maître d Elsa, who is portrayed by Hong Chau, who easily switches between comical and chilling.

The film’s events are broken up into courses, much like Mylod is serving up each shock and horror on a silver platter. The scenes in which dishes are actually served play out like typical food presentations from Chef’s Table, complete with some hilarious captions (‘Tyler’s bulllshit’ being a highlight). The film is paced well, and doesn’t fall into the trap of a rushed ending – making for a movie that keeps you on your toes at all times. It isn’t until about a third of the way through that the film takes a shocking turn, which can only be described as an extreme escalation of events, that had us and the rest of the audience gasping.

As an incredibly enjoyable film, The Menu is a fun, fresh take on the comedy horror genre, and one that should be relished by those looking for something a little different. The Menu hits cinemas November 24, so book your tickets now for a real palate cleanser.