The Menu

Director: Mark Mylod Mark Mylod

Overview

Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) visit Hawthorn, an exclusive restaurant on a coastal island boasting an extravagant tasting menu. Led by acclaimed chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes), the restaurant only accepts an elite selection of guests, including corporate leaders, movie stars, and wealthy couples. As the guests consume one course after the other, they soon find out they're part of a bigger, more ominous culinary plan.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/17/2023
UPC:	0786936895469
Original Release:	2022
Source:	Searchlight
Language:	English

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ralph Fiennes	Chef Slowik
Anya Taylor-Joy	Margot
Nicholas Hoult	Tyler
Hong Chau	Elsa
Janet McTeer	Lillian
Paul Adelstein	Ted
John Leguizamo	Movie Star
Aimee Carrero	Felicity
Reed Birney	Richard
Judith Light	Anne
Rebecca Koon	Linda
Rob Yang	Bryce
Arturo Castro	Soren
Mark St. Cyr	Dave
Peter Grosz	Sommelier
Christina Brucato	Katherine
Adam Aalderks	Jeremy
Jon Paul Allyn	Boat Waiter
Mel Fair	Boatman
Cristian Gonzalez	Server 1
John Wilkins III	Server 2
John Cola	Chef
Kionna Townes	Chef
Michael A. Dean	Chef
A. Jae Michele	Chef
Marcus Aveons Duncan	Chef
Alexander Goldstein	Chef
Grant Henley	Chef
Victor Zheng	Chef
Brandon Herron	Front of House
Elbert Kim	Police Officer
Jay Shadix	Front of House
Melisa Lopez	Police Officer
Rachel Trautmann	Chef
Matt Cornwell	Coast Guard Officer Dale

Technical Credits

Seth Reiss

Will Tracy

Seth Reiss	Executive Producer,Screenwriter
Michael Sledd	Executive Producer
Will Tracy	Executive Producer,Screenwriter
Mark Mylod	Director
Will Ferrell	Producer
Katie Goodson	Producer
Betsy Koch	Producer
Adam McKay	Producer
DanTram Nguyen	Producer
Zahra Phillips	Producer
Todd Weaver	Sound Mixer

Editorial Reviews

Screenwriters Seth Reiss and Will Tracy present their first feature-length script with The Menu, directed by Mark Mylod (Game of Thrones). The tight story, with its twists, turns, and dead ends, makes for a riveting and unusual film supported by solid performances from the cast. Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) is excited to have been invited to the exclusive island restaurant of famed chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes), but his date Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) doesn't share his enthusiasm. As they board the ship, nine other guests of varying fame and importance join them. Upon arrival, they are greeted and escorted into the restaurant by Slowik's majordomo Elsa (Hong Chau). As the evening progresses, what was to be a happy outing takes a dark turn. Beginning with revealed secrets that make everyone uncomfortable, things go from bittersweet to deadly very quickly. Now, the guests must cope with the increasingly erratic menu theme and a kitchen staff that will do anything their chef asks of them. Reiss and Tracy demonstrate a skill with writing that goes far beyond their experiences. Both are historically comic writers for television, and the more dramatic concept seems out of their league. But for this, they embrace the style of Alfred Hitchcock - and a great deal of his sense of humor, too. Many audience members will be horrified but unable to look away because the plot twists and unusual revelations make it impossible. Before the film's end, many viewers will alternate between nervous and genuine laughter - and sometimes a mix of both. Mylod moves his performers around the screen well, keeping the camera focused where it needs to be - primarily on Fiennes and Taylor-Joy. This works well because these two have the roles the rest of the cast revolves around. Even a quality performance by Hoult is overshadowed by Taylor-Joy's ability to hold the screen. The soundtrack is subtle but contributes to the sense of unease that the characters, and by extension, the audience, feel. The quickly evolving bedlam is set against starkness in the form of first the island and then the minimalist restaurant where most of the film takes place. This balances order against chaos as part of the overall theme. For this film, part of the set is the food itself. These culinary delights presented to the group by the chef are teasingly intriguing and delicious looking but are combined with shocking twists that reach a burning crescendo at the last course. The Menu isn't quite the film some moviegoers will expect because it caters to a particular acquired taste. But it is definitely a film that anyone who sees it will be talking about as they're leaving because the themes, events, and even some intentionally unfinished thoughts make for a fine satire with a devilish bite.