Do not go into The Menu thinking you know what will happen. The trailer seemingly gave a lot away, but you’ll find that in many ways, it misled you about what is happening throughout. The trailer may have instilled in you the idea that something is awry, but while watching, you won’t fully know or understand its extent until they begin peeling back the layers, course by course, unveiling more than you expected at each turn. 

The following hour and three quarters is jam-packed with increasingly egotistical displays of “art” in the form of food (including a scallop on a rock with iced salt water to portray “the ocean” and breadless bread plate with sauces, basically just sauces), brutally disturbing acts of mutilation, and non-stop laughter-inducing satire. The script by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy is the real star here, where it takes center stage and presents itself almost as a character in its own right. Though the idea of “eat the rich” genre movies is at the point of beating a dead horse, or in this case a dead sous-chef, the script manages to never have a dull moment and keep your attention and laughter going throughout while balancing a fine line with enormous precision of thriller, drama, and raucous dark comedy. 

This fine line is aided in large part by excellent performances of the ensemble portraying various different stereotypical rich diners to craft an experience that is at the same time believable, tense, and hilarious. Anya Taylor-Joy is excellent as the layered Margot who is a fish clearly out of water. She sees straight through the chef’s bullsh*t, while the rest of the party accepts all the crazy actions of the chef as a part of the “experience”. She is elegantly contrasted with Nicholas Hoult’s Tyler, who gets increasingly fed up with Margot’s behavior for not buying into the pretentiousness of the dinner and antics by the chef. This contrast leads to some of the best moments of the film, as it is equal parts hilarious and scathing between his groveling to the chef for approval, the blind eye to the crazy shit happening around him as he eats everything in sight (including most of Margot’s dishes) with the culmination of his behavior leaving your jaw on the floor.

However, the real standout here is Ralph Fiennes, as Chef Slowik, as he controls his kitchen with an iron fist while simultaneously giving soft-spoken monologues to the guests about food, art, and its place in society. All the while, we get occasional ever so minimal glimpses into the man behind his façade as the night becomes more and more out of control. He feels dumbed down by his craft, becoming disillusioned that because he has climbed to the top of the industry, the only people that can afford his food are the people who can no longer appreciate it for what it is. The more the night unravels, the less control Slowik has over his persona. This gives Fiennes the opportunity to deliver an exceptionally nuanced performance that is undoubtedly one of his best.

Behind the scenes, technically-speaking, the movie isn’t anything particularly special. Its score is rather repetitive and predictable. The production design is also just what you would expect from a film like this. However, the editing and cinematography are slick and tasteful. The way Peter Deming was able to slide the camera around the room from table to table in this tight space with the overlapping viewpoints of the other diners to foster a sense of community at this rowdy dinner from hell was exceptional. Equally impressive was the way Christopher Tellefsten edited in fabulous shots of these dinner plates as if we’re watching an episode of Top Chef or Chef’s Table (complete with the witty and pretentious captions).

The ending here will divide people, however, because it comes rather abruptly. Honestly, it was a little confusing at first. After thinking about it, while I can appreciate the reasoning for the way it ends, it could have used more backstory to arrive there. The movie clearly wanted to keep itself short, sweet, and to the point to prevent it from becoming the epitome of what it is criticizing; high end, plucked-to-death art. Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of a better understanding of the conclusion and how we ended up in this place to begin with.

The Menu scathingly compares the elite’s consumption of expensive food and experiences for the sake of it to the current state of our entertainment industry. While we consume more and more media than ever before, many of us no longer appreciate it for the art it is. With the endless menu of options to watch on streaming, cable, and on demand, we as a society constantly consume everything in our path with no thought or examination. The Menu exceeded my expectations, and kept me enthralled and in tune with every joke, pun, and satirical slander. The ending winding up being a tad half baked was a disappointment, but a full-course meal with a bad dessert doesn't ruin the entire meal.

8/10