[Rating: Solid Rock Fist Up]
Only in theatres
This movie is f*cking weird. In all of the best ways.
Don’t you love going into a movie not knowing what the hell to expect? Then seeing it and realizing you still don’t know what the hell just happened? This pretty much sums up my adventure with The Menu, a horrifying and hilarious satire of the idiotic world of snobbery and fine dining, starring Ralphe Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy.
It’s by far one of the strangest, funniest and tastiest movies I’ve seen this year.
Here’s all you need to know: a couple on a first date, Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) and Margot (Taylor-Joy), are attending a very exclusive dinner prepared by the famous and reclusive Chef Slowick (Fiennes). The guests, Tyler included, are some of the most stereotypical foodie douchebags you could ever imagine finding in the gallows of Instagram hell: the egotist food critic, the stuck up older couple, the young a-hole tech guys, the celebrity who is more famous in his own head than in reality. They’ve all been brought here for a very special reason.
Except Margot. She’s….different.
The Menu begins as a satirical dark comedy, but as Chef Slowick progresses further down the evening’s menu and closer to revealing his intentions, the film unveils its true horror nature. It’s an exploration of class entitlement as we get to know each of the “tables of characters” and we start to learn why they have each been invited there by this chef for this special menu preparation.
Taylor-Joy and Fiennes are both incredible, taking turns serving each other chewed scenery as they gnash their way though the clever and original screenplay (from Seth Reiss and Will Tracy). And the rest of the cast, namely Jon Leguizamo, as a Steven Segal-inspired actor, and Hong Chau as the hostess who might hate the customers more than anyone, immerse themselves into the characters — or caricatures they play.
Directed by Mark Mylod (Succession, Shameless), the flick does take a while to get going, pulling out all the stops to set the table for his audience. There are several clever setups, such as the way each menu course is explained on screen, but the first half does require a lot of patience. But once it gets through the main course, if you’re on board, the second half of the film is well worth the appetizers.
The Menu is sure to create a venn diagram of responses from viewers. Some will love it. Some will hate it. Most will be like, “wtf did I just watch?” and even then, waiver on whether to fall into the love or hate circles. But not matter, The Menu is deliciously original, hilarious and tantalizingly entertaining movies of the year. It is the perfect pallet cleanser as we try and digest what has been kind of a crappy year for movies and enter awards season. This may not be contending for any awards but it definitely is worth the price of admission.
Lover of movies and tacos. Ad man. Author. Member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle and the Broadcast Film Critics Association. Founder of the Terror on the Plains Horror Festival. Creator and voice of the Reel Hooligans podcast.
Comments on this entry are closed.