‘The Menu’ – Directed by Mark Mylod – Comedy, Horror, Thriller – Rated R – 1h 46m

Ralph Fiennes and Anna Taylor-Joy star in the comedical yet thrilling shot at High End Dining.

In “The Menu,” a rapidly aging chef at the end of his career aims to make his final meal something special, but is challenged by Margot (played by Anna Taylor-Joy) in this satirical, and thrilling film.

The film starts with the introduction of the restaurant Hawthorn, which is on an island only escapable by boat. Chef Slowik (played by Ralph Fiennes) runs a tight ship with an army of grill cooks, servers and everyone else one would find in a kitchen. Among the diners of the restaurant are Tyler (played by Nicholas Hoult) , a thrilled foodie who can’t wait to indulge in Chef Slowiks exclusive meal. Which costs more than one thousand dollars. He comes along with his last minute date, Margot. Along with a jaunty food critic ( played by Janet McTeer) and a failing/struggling actor (played by John Leguizamo). All of the diners were handpicked by Slowik himself, except for Margot, for his elaborate meal, which comes with more than just food.

Tyler and Margot, along with the rest of the guests, get a tour of the island, with one group of guests skipping out because of how often they had eaten the exclusive food. The first meal of the night begins with a dish called “The Island” which features rocks and plants as well as some sealife from around the island. As the meal progresses, the courses start becoming increasingly different and come with punishments more severe and threatening than the last. The guests became progressively more shocked because of the fact that this was something that they did not sign up for. Everyone thought they were getting a simple meal.

Mark Mylod beautifully shows the drama and personality of all the characters with his directing. Chef Slowik had become so focused on turning his dishes into art that the very cooking that he does has lost its purpose for him. Margot was the only one to see through his facade and was able to challenge Chef Slowik and his twist on what really is just food. The viewers can very easily tell that the writers had fun making up dishes and the story that runs this kitchen. Some of the twists and turns throughout the film give the thrill that people really like to see, and that makes the movie run perfectly.

Overall, ‘The Menu’ comes with great writing and beautiful cinematography. While still bringing up topics such as class division and different opinions on how our society functions.