When I went to see Halloween Ends (2022, my review here), a trailer for this film played before it. And based on that one trailer, I knew almost exactly what I would get from this film; at least, that’s what I thought. And sure enough, I was correct, to an extent. But where The Menu surprised me was how critically it examines art and art consumption, but it does it both ways, pointing the finger not just at us, the consumers, but also the creators.
This film starts like your stereotypical “there is something wrong about this entire thing” flick. We get introduced to our key players, trap them on a remote island and watch the drama unfold. From the trailer (that had to give away a bit more than necessary to get audiences into the cinema), you could presume some form of cannibalism may or may not be involved, and it might be the main “draw” of the film. But again, The Menu surprises you by saying a lot more about how we consume art and how that leads to artists comprising their process just to please us. In a very bizarre way, it reminded me of Funny Games (1997) as you are watching an unconventional movie and you are trying hard to understand why the things that are happening on the screen are happening, only for one of the main characters in Funny Games decides to speak to us, the audience, directly. And that sends chills down your spine.
This film isn’t as “chilling” as Funny Games, though it operates under a similar premise. The obvious message is that when you start doing anything as a passion project, and it turns into your livelihood, it can break you because it is no longer fun, as it becomes your job. And especially a prestigious chef, whose food gets criticized by every Tom, Dick and Harry who has an Instagram profile, must get a lot of that, as he almost has a target on his back. But here is where the film surprised me and “fired back” onto the artists too, and The Menu also becomes about how what you do, your art, does not have to define you, especially the criticism of your art/work.
Another thing this film has going for it is the “eat the rich” theme. There is this class divide between most of the guests, who are mostly wealthy elites, coming from many different backgrounds (from a used-to-be actor to some tech bros), and then we have Anya Taylor-Joy. You can tell she doesn’t “fit in”, not just because it’s mentioned early in the movie she wasn’t supposed to be there. But there is another layer to her character I won’t spoil, and she may be the only one you end up routing for almost by default. Speaking of Anya, yet again, she understood the assignment, and her performance is subtle, but her presence is all over this film.
I also liked Hong Chau and Nicholas Hoult. I admired how Hong never broke her character and was this stoic, almost like a guard, just hovering over the hostages, I mean guests. I also liked Nicholas Hoult because if you don’t recognise part of yourself in his character, you are lying. He is the perfect over-the-top version of somebody who means well (or might have started with good intentions), but his passion for this one thing (in his case, it is food) is actively ruining it for people around him; and making him sound dickish. I thought his performance was delightful, albeit too painful to watch at times because, as someone obsessed with films, there were aspects of his behaviour I (and presume many other cinephiles) recognised. But the main star (alongside Anya) was Ralph Fiennes. It is a shame that the 2023 Oscar Best Actor category is stacked as he deserved to get some recognition for this portrayal of someone who excels, and yet, due to complex issues, he isn’t happy. Therefore, that contrast between her and Anya’s character, especially in “that one scene” towards the end, makes the movie work.
This film is one of the rare ones I wasn’t sure how to rate when it finished. I am usually a decisive person regarding ratings, so believe me when I tell you this isn’t common at all for me. But the more I thought about the different layers of this film, the more I realised this would get better and better upon rewatch as I would find more things to enjoy; I couldn’t go any lower. Plus, we have two perfect leading performances and many near-excellent supporting ones. I honestly believe The Menu will reward you if you accept the film on its own terms and just let it guide you.
Overall, The Menu surprised me with how complex it was. Even in this review, I find it hard to describe it well enough to do it justice because I have only seen it once. But unlike many films, this one needs to be watched multiple times, not because it’s confusing. No, if you get into this film with an open mind and ready for anything, you will want to go back to see what themes you might have missed out on because you were focused on the main crux of the story the first time around. I think this will age finer than some prestigious wine, and when people in 10/20 years talk about the year 2022 in films, The Menu will be one of the films they will recognise as one of those movies that made the year 2022 so outstanding.
That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!
Until next time,
Luke
