O Menu

The Menu, directed by Mark Mylod, is a dark satire that dissects the world of fine dining, wealth, and artistic obsession. Set on a secluded island, the film follows a group of elite guests invited to an exclusive restaurant, where a renowned chef has prepared a meticulously crafted multi-course experience-one that takes a sinister turn.

At its core, The Menu critiques the pretentiousness of high-class consumerism and the extremes of artistic perfection. The film highlights how privilege and wealth often lead to detachment, where experiences become commodities rather than meaningful engagements. The guests, each representing different facets of entitlement, are confronted with the consequences of their actions, forcing them to reflect on their own role in a system that thrives on excess and exploitation.

Another key theme is the cost of artistic obsession. The chef's relentless pursuit of perfection has consumed him, turning his passion into a prison. Through his elaborate, terrifying spectacle, the film explores the burden of creative expression and the dangers of losing oneself to an ideal that can never truly be satisfied. It questions whether art should serve the elite or remain accessible to those who genuinely appreciate its craft.

Ultimately, The Menu serves as a sharp reflection on power dynamics, consumer culture, and the true meaning of fulfillment. It challenges viewers to consider their relationship with art, privilege, and the pursuit of greatness. Beneath its suspenseful and darkly comedic layers, the film warns against the hollow nature of superficial experiences and reminds us that true satisfaction lies not in excess, but in authenticity and appreciation.

"The Menu" offers a trailer spectacular enough to entice me to set foot in a physical movie theater for the first time in 3 years. Packed with both veteran and burgeoning actors and directed by Mark Mylod of "Succession" fame, this movie has all the goodies to entertain you and make you think at the same time, supposedly. It starts out well enough, introducing quirky mysterious characters starting with Elsa played by Hong Chau. I find her really captivating in this role, a perfect combo of politeness and menace. Why is she dressed like that? Then we meet the Chef who has an agenda that unravels through the perspective of Margot, played by the always-awesome Anya Taylor-Joy. Margot is us, wanting to expose the ridiculousness of it all. Yet herein lies the problem with the movie. Its effort as a biting satire turns into a confusing mess at the end. "The Menu" could have given us something to chew on, instead I walk out of the movie theater scratching my head.

I thought this movie was original, entertaining and very interesting. It has a deeper message about how the world looks today. The constant stress and pressure of performing and pleasing hard-to-please people. People who are spoiled, people who only care about money, people who take life for granted, and so on. This is what the characters in the film, the chef and the guests, represent. The guests represent the worst of us. Constantly feeling pressured about something that you actually think is fun, is no longer fun. That is why the chef has invited these very people to the restaurant. It is such people who have destroyed his passion, meaning and joy in life. If you understand the premise and concept of this movie, you will really like it. The film is dark and exciting, with a chaotic and funny ending, which I liked.

The mix between horror and satire seems undecided or bland, the backstory was lacking and the plot presents itself as something grander than it really is. The same hollowness of the dishes carries onto the essence of the movie. Satirizing something that is hollow and giving the final product value is a difficult task, this movie really tries to do that, but given its nature, it didn't quite stick the landing with me.

The cast is simply great, full of recognizable faces and good acting. The cinematography was good, nothing out of this world but enjoyable.

Overall its entertaining, but the delivery of its message is not strong. Even if this flavor of satire wasn't the best suited for me, it kept me intrigued and while not fully satisfied, I enjoyed it.

Nice try, but the satire doesn't land in this film that skewers pretentious foodies and the chefs who cook for them.

There's already been one satire this year that savages the rich, "Triangle of Sadness," and that's a much better film than this one. I'm ok with an outlandish premise, but if you're going to give me one, then the rules within the world of the movie have to be consistent. In this film, characters act like they're in a realistic horror movie one minute and a goofy satire the next. The tone doesn't stick to one or the other, so what was probably intended to be cutting instead falls flat.

The ending especially is silly. It definitely did not leave me wanting s'more.

Grade: C+