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Hey Fonzies!! Are you a fan of horror/thriller movies or perhaps Anya Taylor Joy from The Queen's Gambit? If so, good news—you have a new movie to add to your watchlist! The Menu is a dark comedy film starring Anya Joy as Margot, Ralph Fiennes as Chef Julian Slowik and Nicholas Hoult as Tyler. In summary, Margot follows Tyler, an overly passionate foodie, to a secluded island to dine at an exclusive restaurant where celebrity chef Julian Slowik has prepared a lavish menu. However, upon their arrival, they’re met with some disturbing surprises. We are also introduced to the different upper-class guests at the restaurant, such as a food critic, a couple of entitled businessmen and a washed-up movie star. Each guest has something to gain from attending the dinner, but we uncover that Chef Slowik has invited them for his twisted reasons too.
Source: IMDb
If I had to describe the movie in one word, it would be “Art”. The movie itself is a work of art—gorgeous cinematography and fantastic acting. Yet, it also manages to show complex messages regarding art itself. We see how the joy of art can become an obsession or a loss through greediness. We also discover how artists are underappreciated since many of us take advantage of their work without sparing them a second thought. Besides that, the movie touches on the perfectionist lifestyle of the top 1% elite in society. These heavy topics are rarely explored in the horror genre, which makes it much more intriguing and unique.
Although the movie is in the dark comedy genre, its “dark” aspects definitely overshadow its comedy, giving it a more psychological horror vibe. The first time I watched this movie, I didn’t even intend to. It was playing on TV and I eventually was glued to the screen. The rollercoaster of emotions I felt during the movie lingered after it had finished, meaning that the director had done his job in making it memorable. And that's one thing The Menu does incredibly well—playing with your emotions.
[WARNING 🛑: This article contains spoilers. Read at your own risk!!]
1. Anxiety.
As the plot progresses, things get weirder and weirder, and the suspense that something is about to go wrong grows. Once we learn that it is Chef Slowik's intention for all the guests at the Hawthorne restaurant to die that night, we feel the impending doom alongside the characters whose fates have been determined. It can be a little claustrophobic to watch the tense scenes of the diners trying everything to escape the small island without any success. Additionally, the colour palette throughout the movie is dark and gloomy. It not only matches the refined and modern aesthetic of fine dining but adds to your anxiety at the same time.
2. Confusion.
As the audience, we are introduced to an array of unanswered questions, with answers only emerging in the latter half of the movie. There are a ton of hidden meanings for us to uncover within metaphors used in the plot and characters. This makes the narrative all the more mysterious. It also pulls you into the story and makes you ask yourself, "What does it all mean?" and "What happens next?". On top of that, some scenes are so bewildering and comedically morbid that they either leave you chuckling, feeling uneasy or perhaps both.
3. Rage.
Without giving away too many spoilers, a scene at the catalyst part of the movie shows the protagonist, Margot, attacking another character whom she found out had lied to her. Anya Taylor-Joy talked about this scene in an interview, calling it "feminine rage" which I found very empowering. In her own words, "I have a thing about feminine rage, which people think is men doing terrible things and women sitting silently, whilst it's like one tear slowly falls. And I'm like: "Oh, no, no! We get mad." And I remember pulling Mark (movie director) aside and saying, "I'm really sorry, but the only way to play this truthfully is to attack him". Thanks to her suggestion, the scene is incredibly powerful and will tug at your heartstrings. It becomes hard not to sympathize with Margot and feel infuriated alongside her when it’s revealed that the awful situation she’s in is due to someone else's selfish betrayal.
4. Shame.
How does a movie cause you to feel shame? Well, through second-hand embarrassment, of course. At one point, a main character attempts to cook in front of an audience but fails to meet their self-proclaimed expertise. As a result, we get to watch a painful and cringe four minutes of on-screen failure. Besides that, we also see the rest of the guests being shamed, mostly by Chef Slowik. For instance, he looks down on Margot who is a service worker and rubs the other guests' privileges on their noses. This "eat the rich" narrative is admittedly pretty satisfying to watch. Additionally, we see the shame Slowik carries of having lost his love for cooking.
Overall, The Menu is definitely worth watching. The plot goes beyond the norm of horror movies, and it doesn’t require you to have a vast knowledge of fine dining. The movie plays a long game in scaring you, not having any jump scares but instead using suspense and an eerie atmosphere to make you uncomfortable. It conveys many unspoken but important messages about consumer culture and makes you wonder if you’re part of the problem. Do you consume art mindlessly without ever appreciating its creators? What do you gain from it—perhaps a better reputation or acceptance by your peers? Whatever it may be, the movie wants you to think and make your own interpretations. So, if you're ready to experience a range of emotions, it's time to watch The Menu—a ride you won't forget.
Written by,
Amanda
The Fonz.
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