#REVIEW: “THE MENU”

Review by David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) is on a date with Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy). We do not know much about them initially; what we do know is they are waiting on a dock and that Tyler is such a serious foodie that he chastises Margot for smoking and potentially ruining her palate. More people begin arriving and they are quickly whisked off to Hawthorn, an exclusive posh restaurant located on its own remote island. Run by the world-renowned Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes), Hawthorn caters to the richest of customers with a constantly changing and evolving menu that commands a $1,250 price tag per guest.

Saying anything other than “shenanigans ensue” would be a disservice to THE MENU, Chef Slowik and the various twists and turns the Film takes. The bleak, biting satire at its heart is razor sharp from beginning to end, often sprinkled between moments of sheer psychological terror and unbearable tension. It certainly caught me off guard when I watched it at TIFF ’22, just as it left me breathless seeing it again earlier this week. Writers/Executive Producers (and former Late Night Writers) Seth Reiss and Will Tracy have crafted a deliciously vicious film that targets both the haves and the have nots in ways you will not always expect. Even if you do have a vague idea of what is coming, the pair have a knack for recklessly throwing in outrageous tonal pivots that threaten to derail THE MENU at every turn.

I would not blame those who jump off this train once it leaves the station. Reiss, Tracy and Emmy-winning Director Mark Mylod have crafted a picture that is deliberately provocative, shocking and downright twisted throughout. It falters in some areas, but if you revel in chaos, then you will not come away disappointed after witnessing THE MENU. Just incredibly hungry.

The eclectic Cast of Character Actors assembled here is an absolute delight, ranging from John Leguizamo as a fading Movie Star to Janet McTeer as a pompous Food Critic to the acid-tongued, scene-chewing Hong Chau as Slowik’s Assistant Elsa. They all deliver exquisite work, each embodying their characters and archetypes easily, while assisting the Film in maintaining both its momentum and its wild tonal structure. Hoult slays as a vile, arrogant shit weasel, embracing every awful line and trait with infectious glee. His clueless, bone-headed performance is one of the Film’s key highlights, as is Taylor-Joy, who continues to prove her worth as one of Hollywood’s best and brightest talents. She is a lamb among lions, getting all of the best lines while gracefully unpacking her character’s backstory. She has no problem holding her own against everyone and commands the screen without breaking a sweat.

The only one who can even pretend to compete with Taylor-Joy is Fiennes, who is an absolute madman as Chef Slowik. He is brilliantly enigmatic right from the start, bringing his trademark brand of intensity and deadpan humour to the role. He walks circles around almost everyone and is acutely aware of just how terrific he is at playing psychopaths. I would rank his work in THE MENU as his most unsettling and unhinged performance to date, and would go so far as to say he is even more terrifying in this Film than he ever was playing Voldemort in the Harry Potter series. Much of the Film itself, you will be too scared to look away.

Searchlight Pictures release THE MENU in theatres on Friday, November 18, 2022.