Fantastic Fest 2022: The Menu — A Well-Plated Dark Comedy That's Sharp And Flavorful
A couple (Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) travels to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.
The Menu is a hilarious multi-course meal of fine-dining fuckery that makes a delectably dark feast of the wealthy, thrill-seeking foodie. Well-plated and flavorful, it’s easy to see why the film was such a hit with the festival crowd; it’s sharply written, savagely funny, and features a strong cast who all give terrific performances (Nicholas Hoult, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Ralph Fiennes being the biggest standouts). The film is directed by Mark Mylod who’s no stranger to helming a feature film (he directed Ali G Indahouse, amongst other things), but The Menu marks the first notable win of his 20-year film career. Mylod has primarily worked in television, on HBO series like Entourage, Game of Thrones, Shameless, and Succession, the latter of which seems to have helped prepare him for this, as he feels totally at home with The Menu’s pointed comedic jabs and its skewering of capitalist-focused elite types, which he churns into one entertaining slice of cinema.
Our main concern with The Menu was that the marketing may have spoiled some of its jokes and showcased a bit too much of its ride, as is too often the case with trailers these days. While this is true to a certain extent, it isn’t exactly the case, fortunately. Although there’s not too much to its “revenge is a dish best served decadent” plot, there are some untainted curveballs to its chefs vs foodies narrative that remain to be seen. There’s also a lot of funny bits and gags that were withheld, and some slices of comedy that are laugh-out-loud funny no matter how many times you see them (like Nicholas Hoult slapping Anya Taylor-Joy’s hand away from a plate so he can snap a pic or commenting on the “mouthfeel” of a dish). There’s entertainment value to the unveiling of its plot (which is steadily revealed over the evening’s many courses), but the true joy is in how it relishes in the snobbery and smugness of its characters and the twisted delight it takes in their michelin-star torture.
The film is an interesting blend of Succession and Midsommar in the form of a food-focused ensemble chamber piece, and it gropes for meaning with its symbolic dishes with an overarching connection. The top-dollar dining experience boasts a meal with a message and an overarching theme that connects each course. Needless to say, murder is on the menu here, and with each passing course, things slip further and further into outrageousness and violence. The evening’s festivities would be fairly straight forward, but they’re complicated by and unexpected guest in form of Anya Taylor-Joy’s Margot. As a last-minute plus-one replacement for Nicholas Hoult’s Tyler, Margot is the odd woman out in terms of the guest list, and this causes conflictions with the head chef, Chef Slowik (wonderfully embodied by Ralph Fiennes).
As we mentioned above, the writing is incredibly sharp. The script from Seth Reiss and Will Tracy marks their first film-writing effort, and it’s sharp-witted, devilishly funny, and deliciously twisted. Together they craft some excellent dialogue, which is wonderfully delivered from its strong cast of performers, who all showcase a firm grasp on the material. In particular, it’s a delight to see Taylor-Joy (who gives off some Thoroughbreds vibes with her ferocious quips) and Fiennes butt heads, both of whom have a commanding presence and shine at the center. Hong Chau, Nicholas Hoult, and John Leguizamo also give superb supporting performances. There’s an admirable quirk and a light meta leaning to the whole affair, which Leguizamo plays perfectly into (credited as “Movie Star,” he’s clearly having a blast playing a fictional version of himself). Colin Stetson’s score is the cherry on top, giving the proceedings a lush and haunting quality that amps up the sophistication and decadence.
The third act gives way to a few surprises, but it doesn’t really stick the landing. It’s a satisfying enough meal, but it still leaves you feeling a bit hungry. Quibbles and gripes aside, The Menu still makes for wickedly fun ride that will have you howling with laughter. Between this and FX’s The Bear, it’s turning out to be a pretty big year for “Yes chef!” There’s much to revel in here, so indulge in the feast.
Recommendation: The Menu is an entertainingly tasty dish seasoned with excellent performances and peppered with dark humor. It goes down smooth, but may still leaves you a bit hungry, so much so that you might want to go back in for s’more. It’s best enjoyed amongst a crowd, so go catch this one in theaters if you can!
Hungry for more?! Check out the links below:
Fantastic Fest 2022 articles
Fantastic Fest 2022 reviews
Fantastic Fest 2022 podcasts
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!