At its core, The Menu is a satire on celebrity chefs, their restaurants, and the arrogant elite who dine there. Janet McTeer plays Lillian Bloom, the pretentious food critic who first brought attention to Slowik. The film attempts to make a point about such critics, and the reputational damage they can cause to smaller restaurants, though the discussion is kept very surface-level. And sadly, this is emblematic of the movie as a whole. While The Menu attempts to address many issues, it barely scratches the surface of any of them, and frankly, left me wondering what the point was.
In fairness, Fiennes portrays Chef Slowik excellently, bringing a great deal of menace to the character, yet also layers of sympathy and intrigue. Each of the many courses is introduced with a thunderous clap and an impassioned description of what’s to follow. And as the night progresses, these introductions reveal to the guests more about the shocking events unfolding around them.
Tyler is a huge foodie. Margot is his last-minute date and has no idea what to expect from the restaurant, its chef or his food. As Slowik’s offerings appear, she acts as the audience’s voice, expressing disgust – much to Tyler’s embarrassment. More than that I won’t reveal, other than to say that I found each dish a fun surprise.
Coastal island settings have an inherent air of mystery, frequently forming the backdrop in the horror and thriller genres in both cinema (Scorsese’s Shutter Island) and literature (Christie’s And Then There Were None). In The Menu, the island lends an ominous atmosphere to many scenes, particularly those set outside. The setting is also crucial to maintaining an air of tension, knowing the characters are very much trapped on the island with no clear means of escape.
The set design for the restaurant is deliberately opulent but, in a cold, sterile way; it lacks personality. This is reflected in the food which, while intricately planned and executed, is ultimately hollow and prepared without love.
Overall, The Menu is a fun, if messy-in-execution, horror comedy. The two lead performances were brilliant, I enjoyed the supporting cast a great deal, and I was intrigued by the mysteries from start to finish. 3.5/5