The Menu

The Menu is a thought-provoking and darkly comedic thriller directed by Mark Mylod, based on a screenplay by Seth Reiss and Crazy Rich Asians writer, Michael Lesslie. The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival and features an exceptional cast, including Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Nicholas Hoult. George Hadley, a well-to-do tech mogul, and his girlfriend, Margot, arrive on the remote Chef's Table island for a unique dining experience at Hawthorne, a high-end restaurant infamous for its exceptional cuisine and extravagant price tag. Managing the restaurant is a rigid and menacing Chef Julian Slowik, a master of his craft who takes great pride in his art. Behind the scenes, Chef Slowik's passion for innovative cooking is mixed with a desire for revenge and a dystopian vision. He has carefully crafted the night's eight-course meal, each dish designed to disrobe societal pretenses and expose the guests' true nature to those they think they are. Those guests include a billionaire with a taste for the finer things, a group of A-list celebrities, and an art dealer with an unstable reputation. One of the guests is also named George and is known by the nickname 'George the Whale, after his well-published and very extensive wealth. Throughout the evening, Chef Slowik navigates each dish through philosophy-laden monologues, along with searing observations of the restaurant's exclusive patrons. George and Margot soon realize that they are not the only guests; they find themselves surrounded by a constellation of eccentric and self-indulgent individuals, who, with each passing course, are slowly unraveling due to Chef Slowik's masterful manipulation. All through the night, a quiet harmony is maintained between the guests, who believe themselves to be more substantial than they genuinely are. Eventually, though, their external pretenses fall away, and their disarming fears, insecurities, and tragic flaws come alive, slowly stripping away their composure and dignity. Between each course, Margot questions whether the meal's ultimate price will be the price to be paid. And as for Chef Slowik, his unwavering dedication to his mission gives every indication that he cares very little about the price being paid by the elite patrons, as long as the night goes off without a hitch. As the final course approaches, tension builds among the guests, with a smoldering realization that they are, in reality, about to become the final ingredient of Chef Slowik's extravagantly calculated recipe for disaster. Their collective anxiety and impending collapse hint that they are running out of time, but the one last dish awaited is an intricate and macabre symphony of a feast. Throughout the meal, the guests showcase their finest and worst traits, and George and Margot are torn between outrage and disgust. Finally, George becomes trapped by his own contradictions, exposing the futility of his existence as he reaps the consequences of his careless spending. Eventually, his long-extracted insecurities are cruelly stripped away by Chef Slowik's meticulous intentions. The film draws to a close with Chef Slowik recapping the highs and lows of his carefully constructed evening of brutal social critique. At that point, Margot and her boyfriend George must determine the balance between resistance, and when it comes, they do not merely decide which side they are on – they are moved closer toward Chef Slowik's sense of culinary destiny, a harsh realization that cannot be easily shaken off. The Menu delivers an engaging narrative filled with exceptional drama, outstanding satire, and fine performances from the cast.