The world of elite cuisine is the subject for the new Horror/Comedy “The
Menu” and all is not what it seems at first glance for the well-heeled
social elite who are fortunate enough to be selected to dine at the elite
and remote restaurant of Chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes).
His restaurant Hawthorne is on a remote island with no cell-phone service
and small groups of by approval only guests pay lavishly to dine at the
locale where everything is locally sourced and prepared.
Those fortunate enough to dine on this seating include a fading movie
star, investors, socialites, and a Foodie named Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) and
his date Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) who was a last minute addition to the
reservation which seems to be an annoyance upon check in.
After a tour of the island the group is seated and the lavish dinner
service begins. Each course is introduced by the Chef and his staff then
prepares and serves each dish to the delight of the guests.
As the courses arrive what is at first dismissed as eccentric ego by the
Chef soon takes a darker turn in the form of a menu item which has
embarrassing and confidential information about some of the guests seared
into Tortillas.
When a guest attempts to leave the reality of their situation is made
clear as Chef informs them that everyone will die that evening including
his staff and they are all more than willing to go along with this.
What follows is a dark and at times humor-laden thriller as the method to
the madness and how each person plays a part is slowly revealed.
Like fine dining “The Menu” does not rush to get to the final course and
the film keeps you engaged while you watch the insanity that follows.
While it may not be for everyone, the film does have a great cast and
engaging premise which delivers enough laughs, chills, and suspense to
make it one of the more enjoyable films of the year.
4 stars out of 5
