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‘The Menu’ May Leave Your Stomach Feeling Empty

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Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for “The Menu.”

“The Menu” is a wry concoction of horror, psychological thriller and comedy that was released on Nov. 18. Unfolding the tragic dining experience of an upper class, the film borrows the pretentious culinary attitudes of “Chef’s Table,” the black comedic tones of “Ready or Not,” and the satirical nature of “Knives Out.” However, the film’s disproportionally stale commitment to these genres, accompanied by a few flat plot twists, never satiates the audience’s big appetite and leaves its viewers hungry for more.

The obsessive foodie Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) and his indifferent, unimpressed plus-one Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) join an affluent lineup of esteemed dining guests for their special night. Led by their maitre d’ Elsa (Hong Chau), they travel to a remote island somewhere in the Pacific Northwest to dine at a hyper-exclusive restaurant. However, the diners are unaware of the awaiting torturous meals from a menu specially curated by the highly-praised Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). As the night draws closer, the stakes grow higher for society’s upper crust.

Slowik brings a menacing and intimidating presence to the kitchen, one that the stoic Margot defies and challenges with her blunt criticism of his pretentiousness. The pair play off each other’s clashing personalities well, and their tense dynamic brings much to the table. The talented cast also brings life to the restaurant, playing caricature-like roles that mock those of the fine dining world. From the overly pretentious food critics to the smarmy movie star, their egos gradually crumble with each torturous dish. As the film pivots from the dining experience of each character, it’s sadistically fun to watch unlikable diners be served with such humbling dishes.

Billed as a black comedy, horror movie, the film richly toys with some subdued political commentary on the world of fine dining and haute cuisine. “The Menu” critiques the cultish praise of celebrity chefs and the classism present in the fine dining of elite socialites who feast on the meals prepared by underpaid staff workers. But, in every way, “The Menu” is subtle with what it presents to its audience and never feels too forced or too on the nose.

Photo from IMDb

One of the film’s strongest assets is how it utilizes dark comedy to push its satirical commentary on consumption and capitalism. Tyler is a firm believer that the camera eats first, an instance many people can relate to and have poked fun at on Tiktok. He is quick to praise every meal the chef prepares, even though his girlfriend is not shy about shutting it all down. The restaurant also seats Lillian (Janet McTeer), a reserved food critic that makes the unfolding tragedies of their fine dining experience all the more merry. The film comedically juxtaposes her relaxed and yet ignorantly entertained demeanor with the horrific events unfolding. Even at the face of death, Lillian is quick with her culinary jargon and snotty remarks about the chef’s food.

While the film skillfully succeeds with its comedic timing and witty satirical punches, it faces some difficulty sustaining that relief. These moments only last for a few seconds before the plot quickly diverts and, unlike other films of the same genre,  “The Menu” fails to fully embrace its comedic nature as most one-liners seem to occur only in passing.

In other ways, “The Menu” bites off more than it can chew. An elaborate amount of time is spent setting up the film’s suspenseful twists that quickly turn into scattershot non sequiturs. Margot is eventually revealed as a sex worker who has also slept with one of the diner’s husbands. On top of that, Tyler hired Margot in replacement of his ex while knowing that she would die by the end of the night, and Margot’s actual name is Erin. While the film answers all the questions that it builds upon, most twists fall flat as they are anticlimactically resolved within the span of a few seconds and would not pass off as anything vital to the story overall.

In the middle of the film, Margot is faced with a moral conflict. Under a waning 15 minutes granted by Slowik, she must choose whether she wants to stay as a diner or advance from her status to become a chef in the kitchen. Once the timer goes off, she visits him in his office, and the plot barely advances from their interaction. Margot returns to her table, and it’s as if the conversation never occurred. While the film could have easily taken a drastically different and more intriguing turn, “The Menu” forgets to spend its time relishing in its moments of high tension that never seem to move the plot anywhere.

Photo from IMDb

By the third act, the film descends down a more traditional horror film route, pegging Margot’s character as the classic final girl. On a quest to fetch a missing ingredient for the chef, Margot takes a detour and explores the uncharted territories of his house. Margot then equips a knife — a moment punctuated by an ominous tone. She later encounters Elsa and survives by stabbing her in the throat. Margot, however, never picks the knife up again to defend herself or attack any of her enemies later on in the film, and all permeated importance of the knife is lost.

Margot continues her exploration and discovers Slowik’s most prized possessions in a closed-off room of trophies and awards, dating back to his humble roots as a chef cooking cheeseburgers. She later returns with this knowledge and subverts Slowik with a peculiar order of an all-American cheeseburger with crinkle-cut fries. The chef maliciously criticizes her choice, commenting on her family’s financial inability to afford anything of a higher price.

However, once Slowik begins preparing this meal, he is full of life again. Margot has found a way to escape while freeing the chef from his descent down culinary madness and reawakening his true passion for cooking. After Margot enjoys a bite of her meal, she cleverly follows restaurant etiquette as a procedural way to escape, requesting to take her order to go and paying the restaurant with cash.

Although the movie serves a harrowing haute cuisine of shocks and turns, it’s hard to shake off its unseasoned build-up suspense and flat delivery of its promising potential. The flaws of “The Menu” can be encapsulated by one scene that occurs in the second act, where the guests are served with a plate of exquisite, bread-dipping sauces. However, the diners are refused to be provided with any bread, and its absence stands to artistically underscore what the guests are only given. At its best, the dish is complex and enjoyed by a few, but as a whole, it lacks substance and doesn’t quite constitute a full meal. While the dish is intriguing in theory, some diners grow impatient and eventually are outraged by its impracticality and insufficient portions.

Overflowing with potential that’s never fully plated, the film’s satirical tone serves as an analogy for its own flaws in storytelling. It dishes a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but it is never fully enough to fill an empty stomach.

Raymond Dinh is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the fall 2022 quarter. He can be reached at raymontd@uci.edu.