Le Menu

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+

What I took away from this movie is that nothing ruins true passion like pretentiousness and hunger for monetary gain. It's a brilliant ode to the thin line between love and obsession and the difference between them both. Ralph Fiennes is perfection in the role as Chef Slowik, once again has he achieved the task of making one feel compassion and tenderness for a character committing unspeakable deeds. Anya Taylor-Joy is brilliant as always, her strong portrayal of "Margot" is awe inspiring, what ever life throws at her, she's ready to face it. Another important, and comforting aspect I learned from this movie is that student loans aren't always a bad thing.

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.

"The Menu" is pretty good. It offers a fresh and wonderful visual. The setting itself is on the edge of the island, and they have an elegant set design, so it's great to look at. The cast is excellent, so I could feel all the suspense and thrills throughout the movie thanks to their outstanding acting. Some strange quirks have appeared since the mysterious appearance of Hong Chau as Elsa at the beginning. Then came the unexpected quirks in the chef's and kitchen crew's acts. The tension had risen to the point where I was anticipating and planning too far ahead. So, I was ready to see that something wilder might be coming. And then I was surprised every time the bloody scene appeared. It's brutal, but nothing really happened. So, I might say that it gives me a ready but not-so-ready feeling. Besides, you can tell that the movie is carefully made and directed because there is a representation of food creation and the restaurant experience from the perspectives of customers and critics. I would recommend it if anyone asks, though, not gonna lie, I did expect more from the ending. The beginning is excellent, but the ending is a bit unsatisfying for me. When the movie is coming to an end, I feel like there are still some things I need to chew on before then. Perhaps it's because the background stories have already been given, but they are still lacking, or I just need to rewatch it again to get a clearer picture.