Outrageous. Perfect blend of black comedy and social commentary. Ralph Fiennes as Chef Slowik is just * chef's kiss * brilliant.
Absolutely fantastic. A well-executed original idea, packed with brilliant performances, impactful suspense, and many absurd laugh-out-loud moments.
The movie just made me want a cheeseburger.
Comedy? You mean there's supposed to be humour in this? ... Uh. Okay then. Can't tell where, but whatever.
The acting is solid, although I'm not sure it's enough to carry the movie as a whole on its back. In trying to offer criticism, I think it ends up being just like the thing it criticises: cold, obsessive, and indeed in Margot's very own words: "fancy, deconstructed avant-bullshit". After which we are left hungry, too, because despite all the display, there isn't much substance to it at all.
This is an excellent movie.
The characters are hilariously insane, the whole premise is absolutely ridiculous, and I love it. One of the best movies I've watched this year (although, tbf, it is only February)
10/10
A film to savour. Some of the courses are a little overdone but when the closing credits started to roll, I felt more than satisfied - and hungry for more!
Chefs Table meets Midsommar with a streak of dark humour, The Menu is a tension-filled night out that can't quite balance the richness of it's message with the smoothness of it's cast, but somehow manages to still come out delicious. While I feel a little targeted by this movies critique of the artist/critic dichotomy*, I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't fully satiated at the end of this lengthy, multicourse meal; the appetiser didn't match the main course, and worse the dessert was bitter and unbefitting of what preceded it. While on reflection I enjoyed each piece of this movie individually (and there are some very memorable moments throughout), it didn't quite gel together as one cohesive whole for me. Maybe that's by choice, a reflection of the chaos of creation and the immense pressure placed upon the creators by critics such as myself? Eitherway, something feels unfinished, regardless of how delicious the individual courses themselves are. Good, even very good, but not great.
*I will say, the movie has made me feel a little existential with the way it called out critics for not understanding the work that goes into the things they haphazardly cast aside with a sentence and a snarl. As an armchair film reviewer on this very website, I completely teardown peoples work on a near daily basis; work that has taken them years to acquire the knowledge to craft and present to me through the medium of film, just for me to attach a score and a quick review laden with pokes and quips at their expense. As someone who hasn't the foggiest idea of how to even begin to make a movie (outside the basics of point a camera and start rolling), I'm now questioning my position in this creator/consumer situationship I find myself in. To further add to this, I feel like Tyler and his obsession with Slowiks work in respect to my love of video games. I understand the in's and out's of game production, who developed what and a rough year of when it came out, but if I tried to apply any of the knowledge to the actual act of making video games? Well, mine would probably come out bullshit too. The more I muse on this movie and the way it has made me second guess myself, maybe my impression and score will increase with time. Maybe a second viewing is in order for me to fully appreciate everything on show here. We shall see.
Solid movie. A perfect balance of levity and psych thriller. I didn’t come away feeling 100% satisfied, but it was very enjoyable nonetheless.
No.. to all the comments... you will be surprised.. It's a banger of a movie and I refuse to give any spoilers. Next to Midsummer and Hereditary, my favourite so far!
This thing is quite annoying, it’s essentially Tár if the protagonist was turned into a cartoon villain and the movie lacked any subtlety in its messaging.
Within 15 minutes I had a grasp on its shtick (artistic ego; pretension; wealthy people being out of touch), and it never surprised me in an interesting way beyond that shtick, so the movie got old for me very fast.
Not only that, but I could see it potentially leaving those who label any piece of art that requires thought as ‘pretentious’ feeling empowered, which we don’t need in a world where people are getting more illiterate by the day. Not that I think that that’s the film’s intention, but it’s the most obvious read and a better director would’ve made sure that the film can’t be interpreted that way.
It’s completely predictable if you’re paying attention, and most of the comedy I found to be absolutely eye rolling; it’s so obvious and on the nose all the time because it keeps recycling the same joke over and over again. Look at these ridiculous, pretentious descriptions for food, aren't we clever? Yes, but maybe don't do that joke for every single course.
The characters are non existent (everybody is playing a caricature), the logic and character motivations are paper thin and the directing/cinematography are completely average.
The only thing I genuinely liked is the acting (Ralph Fiennes is amazing), and I guess it’s decently paced. The food and sets look nice, but this script needed a bunch of rewrites.
4/10
for me, it was a little bit unfinished. i wasn't satisfied with the ending, but still a very enjoyable movie. Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy were great in this movie! I really loved their characters, they carried the whole movie.. Too bad I feel unfinished after this movie.
Went straight to Five Guys for a burger after this. :joy:
A bizarre, suspenseful, twisted, darkly comic, elegantly crafted horror thriller. This film is aimed to satire upper-class snobs and pretentious critics without coming across as obnoxious. And let's be honest, making fun of snobs will never not be funny. Not only this film nails what it aims for, it offers some nice surprises as well. The suspense continues to just build and build and build. Ralph Fiennes performance in the role of the Chef is simply outstanding. There's something so intimidating about his presence and I really was the edge of my seat the whole time. I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I'm glad that I went in knowing very little about it. Definitely going into my top 2022 horror list.
This is an "art piece" of a movie, where the limits of a regular world do not apply and the world everything happens in has no rules either.
Where the story, no matter what, is the centerpiece of it all and everything else must bow down to enable the story.
To fully enjoy such movies you have to suspense your disbelief in amounts that I cannot.
Well acted by Fiennes, well shot, but unbelievable throughout.
Too arrogant and pretentious in its criticism about high society, out of touch people or however you want to call it without being self-aware anywhere which would have helped. Characters except Chef Slowik and Margot are stage pieces for the story and nothing more. Stupid all around.
That's why I prefer an ordinary kebab or burger than this sophisticated inedible thing. ;)
Why this movie has gotten great reviews is a mystery to me. It’s pretentious, boring and has a completely inane plot. It’s the least bit scary, suspenseful or even creepy. A lot of people like it so give it a shot I guess…
We join The Menu on a private pier, alongside a dozen snooty, well-dressed guests awaiting transport to an exclusive island retreat. There resides a world-renowned chef, plus an eerily devoted kitchen staff, who have prepared a culinary experience like no other. As we’re led through a tour of the grounds, curtly seated and served our first expensive wine pairing, a sense of unease settles over the room. There’s tension in the air, a mutual holding of the breath that disturbs the once-cordial atmosphere between dining partners and envelopes the celebrity chef like a cloak as he stands before the room to introduce the first course.
The film’s basic premise is that everyone has something to hide, no matter how they choose to disguise it, but it’s crafty about illustrating that point. Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) has a personal bone to pick with all in attendance, save for one last-minute substitution (Anya Taylor-Joy), and uses the contents of the meal to voice those complaints. Dished in gratuitous detail and served with an itemized list of ingredients, it’s half high-end food porn and half salacious tell-off, with a spicy side tray of dark humor. Like its thematic contemporary, Glass Onion, The Menu works a fine balance between witty laughs and creepy suspense. Helplessly, we guess (often wrong but sometimes right) about the next surprise. We laugh at the absurdity of the menu, the vapidity of the social elite and the icy boldness of the staff. And, in the end, we’re left a little unnerved. Well done, all around.
This movie suffers from leaning too heavily into comedy when really it would work better as a mystery/thriller. However, the comedy threw off the whole tone of the movie as it was hard to take it seriously and the payoff of the mystery in the end felt really lazy. Anya Taylor-Joy was a bright spot but I could not stand her date Tyler who I thought either gave a really bad performance, or was very poorly written.
Well I'd say they all got roasted huh
Is "The Menu" subtle? No! Are the authors of this film perhaps a bit pretentious? Absolutely! Are we being served a profound analysis of the state of our society? Certainly not! Did I have a blast with this episode of "Chef's Table" from Lord Voldemort's restaurant? Hell Yeah!
In all seriousness, "The Menu" is a satire with bitterly dark humor that takes aim at the rich, influencers, and consumerism. The film is carried by the strong performances of Ralph Fiennes and the always wonderful Anya Taylor-Joy. It is well directed and never gets boring. With the right expectations, you can have a great time at the movies.
Well, damn.
Actual rating: 8.5/10
I really love the sense of humor this movie has, dark and playful and it’s a blast to watch unravel. While not the same, it kept reminding me of Ready or Not which I feel hits some higher highs for me.
Besides some decent acting and nice visuals the movie was one of the worst I have ever seen. The plot doesn't make any sense and it's extremely boring.
It was weird (not in a good way) and I really hated it.
If you like movies like Vivarium or the platform, you might enjoy this one. If you don't, don't waste your time.
None sense and pretentious. It wants to be a dark comedy but there is no comedy; it wants to be a social criticism but it is just the same that it criticizes. The story and the character building is weak. Not worth the time.
I'm not sure what the movie was trying to do. The art it purported to show was superficial (lazy elitism -> bad, bad -> die, art is weird in nonsensical ways). I didn't get the impression that the movie was mocking itself either, saying that the movie itself should be treated with the same superficiality.
More than that though was the sense I got early on that I wouldn't learn or feel anything from the movie. The characters were stereotypes. The plot was obvious and executed mediocrely.
I had no idea what this movie was about so assumed it would be something bland and drama based around eating.
BOY was I wrong.
This similar to a fine dining experience was well presented with a good build up and introduction to the characters and the location. However more like a succulent cheeseburger this had some real meat in it, each course was presented with shock and intrigue as the master plan was realised, as cheese topping the acting was outstanding with ralph fiennes giving one hell of an amazing turn as chef. But all the characters were great, and extra props to Hong Chau as his assistant, she was superb.
For dessert the ending wrapped everything up in a clever and satisfying way that was very smart and popped the cherry on top of the whole experience.
9/10 easily especially if you know nothing going in!!! Excellent!
The first mainstream film from director Mark Mylod and writers Seth Reiss and Will Tracy is deliciously funny. It is a black humor film with a very simple plot: the protagonist reaches a place where she soon realizes that something is not right. Will she be able to find the exit? Anya Tayor-Joy is becoming one of my favorite new wave actresses; her presence in each film is captivating and fresh, and The Menu is no exception. It is a film that uses black humor to establish a social criticism. Honestly, the social criticism part falls way short, taking quite a bit to execute, but the humor does work well. Nicholas Hoult is hilariously fatuous. Ralph Fiennes plays the culinary dictator role of him well. It's surprising that almost everything happens in a small restaurant. It could have been better, but as a comedy it doesn't disappoint.
as a chef, i felt incredibly seen through this movie, it highlights so many wrongs in this industry... from the overworked and lifeless cooks to the nitpicky and self indulgent critics in an almost comic manner. all the actors did a splendous job, i had a blast.
A story about egos, aloofness and art appreciation, but somehow it tastes bland. Despite good ingredients, none of the characters leave you wanting more.
"I've been fooled into trying to satisfy people who could never be satisfied, but that's our culture, isn't it?"
Too predictable and unbelievable (not possible for me to let go the disbelief) in my opinion... And felt quite similar to Midsommar (the end? lol) .
Nearly as stupid as Triangle of sadness
simply Fantastic ! there's not a single downtime as it keeps you on your toes, not knowing what will come next. All the actors played their part beautifully from start to finish as I'm not sure if it's intentional or not but each characters seem to represent the 7 deadly sins !
. . . just superb !!!
Oh what a lovely horrible film.
I thought it was just going to be some light cannibalism but in the end it was so much better and worse than that.
With some great acting and a very dark and genius humor, it falls totally apart on the credibility of the secondary characters, specially those that did not know what they were there for and did nothing.
This was an excellent movie! And so very well played.
It is an experience to watch this movie, I highly recommend it.
It’s a smart and fun comedy with an incredible cast and a surprising plot. The movie tells the story of a couple who go to an exclusive restaurant, where the chef prepares exotic and unusual dishes. What they don’t know is that the menu hides some secrets that will change their lives forever. The movie is full of humor, suspense and twists, and made me laugh and tense at the same time. I highly recommend it for those who like original and creative movies.
I will never forget this movie while eating a cheeseburger in the future :)
Started with so much hope, then downward spiraled into sheer madness towards the end. The plot twist were ( yes, there's multiple) mind numbing. As the movie went on, the endless questions it left the viewers asking made for a rather uncomfortable watch.
OVERALL, ONE VIEWING WAS ENOUGH AND IT'S NOT A MOVIE I TALK ABOUT OR RECOMMEND
If not taken seriously, this is a great and funny movie :wink:
What did I just watch? Definitely not my type of film. Boring and nonsense AF.
I can feel the juice of the hamburger running down my chin!
The only horror aspect of this is that it's horrendously bad.
It has continuity errors like a 1970s B-movie.
Fiennes (who I otherwise adore) drifts seamlessly between a British and American accent and Anya Taylor-Joy goes from a face covered with blood to fresh out of make-up back to a face covered in blood several times in the second half.
A really shallow made-for-streaming production that is instantly forgettable.
An "alright" movie with incredible performances.
If this movie was to be rated on Ralph Fiennes performance, it would be an easy 10/10, but i'm not going to do that. I'm going to rate it as a movie, and as a movie the start was overly abrupt, very little is given enough attention, there are very little twists and turns once the main twist that everyone, including the staff, are going to die by the end of the night has been revealed, and there are no emotional beats I can think of at all.
It was an okay movie. But the story was pretty simple, the characters not all that memorable, and if they hadn't managed to get someone as great as Ralph Fiennes as the Chef I dread to think how much lower the score would be.
i literally did not get the point of this movie at all
"You will eat less than you desire and more than you deserve."
I went in blind and absolutely adored this. I could spend hours watching Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy go back and forth as the most bougie food gets served to the undeserving. While I do have unanswered questions, it left me satisfied and happy that it was something different, fun and exciting.
Well the service was great from the chief, the menu was well done, definitely filled my appetite, the customers were nice, i had room for pudding and didn’t want it to end and wanted s’mores.
such a good cast and such a good movie. i don't have anything exciting to say, i just loved this ride
Weird but in a good way! Ralph Fiennes is awesome!
Amazing movie, I highly recommend watching it!
Thrilling, visually stunning, brilliant acting.
This movie is a mixture of genres put together and it worked. First off; Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy are excellent in this movie and that alone should convince you to go watch. Secondly; it might not be for everyone but if you like to stay guessing as to what's to come and you enjoy the thriller/comedy genre, this one could be for you.
The story progresses in such a way that it becomes darker and darker very gradually. Like a menu it is served in courses. It's disturbing in the way that you feel there is something off the entire time. The climax is great and honestly... Chef might even be a bit relatable in the way that he is just so fed up with the elite that he snapped. Murder aside though... because he went full bananas there.
There is a subtle comedic tone to the otherwise grim story which I really enjoyed as well. I feel like they could have easily made this movie very dark and bloody but chose to focus more on the overall vibe combined with some 'shock' moments.
One of the better movies I've seen!
Enjoyed every bit, or, should i say, "bite" of this film! The plot's originality, the director's creativity, and the brilliant performances are all part of its flavorful ingredients! This one here is a truly exquisite and satisfying work of art!
Cerebral, Superb. A clever roller-coaster of twists and turns that will whet your appetite for thrills and suspense with the final course satisfying your hunger. Enjoy the food, EAT!
:heart:x9
This is an absolutely fantastic watch. We already know based on the trailers that something is afoul in this story. It's how it all unfolds and why that is very interesting to watch and it's well done. The performances are top notch especially that of Fiennes.
How I rate:
1-3 :heart: = seriously! don't waste your time
4-6 :heart: = you may or may not enjoy this
7-8 :heart: = I expect you will like this too
9-10 :heart: = movies and TV shows I really love!
Love Fieness in n these psychopath like roles I with he would do more. Clever and different throughly enjoyed.
Definitely not what I expected
Never saw it coming
Very well acted
This was excellent - both funny and creepy in equal measure, beautifully directed and acted. Just when you think you have a clue where It’s going, you think again. Very clever and a surprise which thoroughly entertained me! 8/10
I thought we would have some Hannibal action. Shame we didn't but still a gooden.
I intentionally didn't read any spoilers before this and went into it thinking about other hypothesis that were floating around, so I was a bit split on if I wanted to watch this.
First off, there's nothing particularly gross in this, it's not horror, it's thriller. And it was an interesting, but disturbing, premise that was well acted. If you are on the fence for this because you think they will be doing something really gross or gory, they are not, the twist is unexpected (but revealed about half way through) but not gross.
It has the virtue of quickly realizing that the anti-consumerist message is running out and turning to other paths, although I'm not sure that between the first course and the dessert the social message will end up being effective. But it is an enjoyable film (delicious would be the best word), which, if viewed with the necessary ignorance of its development, can surprise as much as the menu designed by chef Slowik. "Eating without eating" is the best definition of the superficiality of a society that looks without observing, hears without listening and thinks without deliberating.
It's kinda lame of a movie.
First 70% of the movie is amazing, then the rest came. At first I thought it was a joke, but it wasn’t. The movie was the joke.
Judging from the ratings, this is one of those that you either love or hate, and it was the latter for me. It was so dull that it bored me to the point that my brain started dripping out of my ears. The ending for Margot was pleasant, but that's about it. The movie felt adrift, in an ocean, on a windless day. Hardly will make the mistake of watching this again.
the true horror all along was the breadless bread plate
You know when you watch a movie with a great premise but you wanted more than what you were offered?
In its attempt to comment on the corruption of the wealthy, The Menu just falls on its face. Best served cold.
The Menu
It's an extremely trashy movie, until it gets to the middle, from then on the movie gets good, and a story unfolds as it gets to the end the movie goes back to what it was at the beginning.
The Menu, is a work of "haute cuisine", demonstrating the follies and pressures that a great chef suffers during his trajectory to perfection.
I definitely can't say it's amazing, just a huge fail as far as good storytelling goes. The menu takes participants on a journey through incredible dishes, with ingredients of the highest gastronomic standard. Failures happen, and your participants realize, of course if you discover here lies your life. Appreciate and taste your work, and thus you will live.
Your night is over as soon as you've had dessert, well it would be, if you didn't insult the chef by "saying you prefer a cheeseburger to his super sophisticated food" - And I savored his work, and finally, as in any restaurant, take it to travel and be happy.
The Menu is a great work of haute cuisine and the madness of a psychopath. It never was and never will be a cinematographic work of respect. Good, a movie that you would easily see on a tour of the short and thick catalog of Netflix.
Note for gastronomic night: 10/10
Overall grade: 08/10
Watched it earlier today. Overall we enjoyed the film. The different characters were fun to see reactions from as the show went on. There are a few of those oh shit moments which help move the story. My only issue would be the ending. Like others have said it just didn't feel complete.
I'll also throw out that if I was paying $1500 for a meal and got served the food they did I'd be pissed.
Movie is good, absorbing and definitely worth your time but it is either Anya or Zendaya these days. Seeing the same face in every movie kind of feels weird.
I somehow liked this movie. It had more than a few oversights, but I found the plot development quite well written.
I loved every second of this movie
Calling it now: bet it's cannibalism
great movie! very original and the idea was very well executed ! it’s been quite a long time since I’ve been entertained like that by a movie
sorry did i watch something different then all of here? what was that? i didnt get it. what was this about? its neither funny nor scary and definitely not thrilling. too many questions and no answers. was not my cup of tea.
Can someone tell me why Anne was condemned too?
Like a entering a discourse with Helen Keller: it's better to go in blind.
The only thing I knew about The Menu beforehand was the poster so I expected a drama along the lines of Boiling Point and, man, was I gaping out loud as the movie quickly rushed to the heart of the matter.
The Menu moves along at a good pace thanks to the stylish directing and the solid story. Sadly, they ran out of surprises by the time they got to the third act, but what they served up until then was enough to tide me over.
Amazing cast, amazing writing. Anya Taylor Joy's best movie.
I'd like a cheesebuger please.
It kept me glued to the screen, but with absolute disgust. I wanted to stop this restaurant-version of Alice in Borderlands. Seriously what a f'ed up story. Maybe I should rate this nightmare of a burger joint higher for the amazing acting performances, but... ugh. No. Just dont waste your time on this movie and just order a cheeseburger with fries.
I actually flipped on this movie after getting an AWFUL review from a friend. He said it was incredibly boring and I should skip it. Naturally, I do not skip movies, so I gave it a go. I quite loved it! It was stylishly made and engaging start to finish! Feels like an A24 film, and I wouldn't be surprised to learn that someone high up making this film was connected to A24 in some way!
Rating: 4/5 - 8.5/10 - Would Recommend
if i hadn't gone with my mom i would have cried when i saw the hamburger
Enjoyable, albeit rather pretentious and contrived. If its story centered more on the three main characters, this might've been something truly special.
Loved both the mockery and celebration of high-end restaurants. Found it hilarious, especially "I hope you enjoy your unaccompanied accompaniments".
Nicolas Hoult was delightful as usual. Enjoyed this movie.
This movie would be a lot better if the chef was vegan and made his guests think they were eating animals, before treating them the way animals are treated.
I really enjoyed this. Tons of suspense that kept me engaged the whole time.
I saw "The Saw" with different set-up. I didn't like the girl's acting but the chef gave me creeps. Enjoyed it very much. Solid 8.
3 Thoughts After Watching ‘The Menu’:
He was definitely channeling Voldemort at times, trading in his cloak for an apron.
I enjoyed the doses of humor peppered throughout. No pun intended. “Tyler’s Bullshit,” in particular, was an unexpected hoot.
It was an entertaining journey of a film, but I can’t help shake the thought that they could have tried a liiittle harder to escape.
No wonder Chef looked familiar, he was also M. Gustave in Grand Budapest Hotel. No wonder his acting struck the most too.
Am I too stupid to get this movie? What was the point? Wouldn’t recommend to others
I don't know what I expected, but it turned into something entirely different and unique. Something between a dark comedy and a slasher horror movie, with about as much distaste for foodie culture and critics as the chef in the movie.
Anya Taylor Joy and Ralph Fines are absolutely brilliant, and even if Nicholas Hoult gets annoying and one-dimensional very fast, it kinda works for the character.
Unique movie, should watch at least once.
A very hysterically twisted plot with an amazing cast of a movie!
Plenty of fun to be had here, but the lack of motivation for the deaths of so many staff strains plausibility.
Interesting movie, would recommend to give it a watch, I wonder if the actions of the cooking crew could be explained as shared psychosis.
Hands off to Ralph Fiennes' and Anya Taylor-Joy's acting in this piece. It's well shot, well made, well acted. It's an honest dark comedy that is set out to be a psychological horror movie. But it's not actually that scary, it's just a nice experience. So taste, don't eat.
Annoying and pointless a waste of time.
There's one significant downside to this film, otherwise it's a tense, darkly funny thriller. That downside is Nicholas Hoult. I generally like his work, but his performance/character here is insufferable and took me out of the movie whenever there was focus on him. But when you were dealing with Fiennes or Taylor-Joy, it was delicious. Overall a clever film that may have a few plot contrivances and a potentially weak ending. Horror and thriller fans should love it.
Was genuinely expecting cannibalism, was shocked to find out it wasn’t. Also genius to make this his initiation to the new owner
Shout by Alejandro ARBlockedParent2023-01-04T20:18:19Z
This is the weirdest burger commercial ever.