Mark Mylod, the filmmaker knowns for directing some of the most intense episodes of both Game of Thrones and Succession, has released a new tantalizing tidbit, but this time, on the silver screen. Written by Seth Reiss (Comedy Bang! Bang!) and Will Tracy (Succession), The Menu is a new horror-thriller-comedy that stars Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter series, Red Dragon), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road), Hong Chau (The Whale), Janet McTeer (Ozark), and John Leguizamo (Land of the Dead).
The Menu follows Margot (Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Hoult), a young couple invited to an exclusive dinner party at Hawthorne, one of the most famous restaurants in the world, located on a private island. The restaurant is run by Chef Julian Slowik (Fiennes), and the couple joins a smattering of other invited guests, all of which have a close and personal connection to the chef.
Not only does the chef plan to deliver a world-class, five-course meal, but he also has a plan in store, unknown to each of the guests. Everyone at the restaurant will experience two things; one, they will enjoy the best meal they’ve ever eaten, and two, everyone at the restaurant will die.
Starting off with the story, although The Menu was marketed as more of a whodunnit, it’s much more in line with a thriller-horror story. The film gave me vibes from both Ready or Not and Would You Rather, with a culty premise peppered in throughout. Much unlike most whodunnit-style movies, the mystery and intensity of this film came from whether or not the plan would come to fruition, not from within its characters. The audience is let known about what’s happening pretty early on; we’re just gripping our seats, wondering if the film will actually pull it off.
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The performances in The Menu are what make it stand out. Most of the movie is confined to a kitchen-dining area, as the camera moves around to different tables, exploring the characters and developing them little by little. Fiennes and Taylor-Joy are powerhouses in the film. Fiennes’ Chef Slowik is like if Gordon Ramsey was serving ceviche in hell. His dark, focused views on food and how it should be consumed are palpable, and his kitchen staff will literally die for his acceptance and approval.
Much of the film’s intensity and horror come from Fiennes. People sometimes underestimate him as an actor, but it’s roles like these that make us truly understand why he was chosen as one of the biggest pop culture villains of all time. He’s a faulty firecracker, ready to explode at any given moment, especially when you walk up to check it.
Anya Taylor-Joy is quickly becoming a household draw to horror movies, which started with her breakout performance in Robert Eggers’ The Witch. Between Last Night in Soho and now The Menu, it’s safe to say that Taylor-Joy shines in the genre. Her character of Margot is a perfect contrast to Nicholas Hoult’s smarmy, obsessive, and downright weird portrayal of her boyfriend, which elevates her to the star of the show. She’s officially an A-lister in my book.
The plethora of side characters was equally fun, bringing their own talents and likability (or lack thereof) to the table (no pun intended). The characters ranged from funny and nervous, like John Leguizamo’s movie star character, to Janet McTeer’s unbelieving food critic, who was convinced the whole thing was some dramatic, theatrical set-up. Special kudos to Hong Chau as Chef Slowik’s house manager Elsa, who provided some of the most entertaining moments in the movie.
Two things that really brought The Menu together were its genius cinematography and its brilliant score.
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Peter Deming, the cinematographer, simply put together a beautiful movie and brought in a lot of experience in the horror genre to build up the intensity and provide a genially scary and intimidating setting. Deming got his start as the director of photography for Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead II and went on to work photography and cinematography for a couple of the Scream films, Drag Me to Hell, and two of David Lynch’s films, Mulholland Dr. and Lost Highway. After seeing the close, wide-angle shots in The Menu, it’s no surprise that Deming started his horror chops with Sam Raimi.
Colin Stetson provided a gorgeous and driven score, all the way to the breathtaking final scene of The Menu. Stetson is also no stranger to the horror genre, as he composed the scores to both Ari Aster’s Hereditary and the most recent entry in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. An absolute banger version of The Menu’s score can be found over at Waxwork Records and is totally worth it.
My only issues with the film came from a bit of the predictability of the story. I kept hoping for a last-minute change or something to thwart the direction it was going, but the film stuck to it, which was a little disappointing. There were also a few moments that felt disjointed or thrown in to make the story feel a little wilder, but even with the unpredictability of the main character, these wild-card moments didn’t make much sense. Let me be clear, though, these moments are few and far between. This is a very good movie, and I completely recommend it.
