The Menu Reviews

Screenwriters Seth Reiss and Will Tracy present their first feature-length script with The Menu, directed by Mark Mylod (Game of Thrones). The tight story, with its twists, turns, and dead ends, makes for a riveting and unusual film supported by solid performances from the cast.Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) is excited to have been invited to the exclusive island restaurant of famed chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes), but his date Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) doesn't share his enthusiasm. As they board the ship, nine other guests of varying fame and importance join them. Upon arrival, they are greeted and escorted into the restaurant by Slowik's majordomo Elsa (Hong Chau). As the evening progresses, what was to be a happy outing takes a dark turn. Beginning with revealed secrets that make everyone uncomfortable, things go from bittersweet to deadly very quickly. Now, the guests must cope with the increasingly erratic menu theme and a kitchen staff that will do anything their chef asks of them. Reiss and Tracy demonstrate a skill with writing that goes far beyond their experiences. Both are historically comic writers for television, and the more dramatic concept seems out of their league. But for this, they embrace the style of Alfred Hitchcock - and a great deal of his sense of humor, too. Many audience members will be horrified but unable to look away because the plot twists and unusual revelations make it impossible. Before the film's end, many viewers will alternate between nervous and genuine laughter - and sometimes a mix of both. Mylod moves his performers around the screen well, keeping the camera focused where it needs to be - primarily on Fiennes and Taylor-Joy. This works well because these two have the roles the rest of the cast revolves around. Even a quality performance by Hoult is overshadowed by Taylor-Joy's ability to hold the screen. The soundtrack is subtle but contributes to the sense of unease that the characters, and by extension, the audience, feel. The quickly evolving bedlam is set against starkness in the form of first the island and then the minimalist restaurant where most of the film takes place. This balances order against chaos as part of the overall theme. For this film, part of the set is the food itself. These culinary delights presented to the group by the chef are teasingly intriguing and delicious looking but are combined with shocking twists that reach a burning crescendo at the last course.The Menu isn't quite the film some moviegoers will expect because it caters to a particular acquired taste. But it is definitely a film that anyone who sees it will be talking about as they're leaving because the themes, events, and even some intentionally unfinished thoughts make for a fine satire with a devilish bite.