A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.
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- 2 wins & 66 nominations total
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Summary
Reviewers say 'The Menu' is a darkly comedic satire critiquing pretentious fine dining and elite culture. Themes include social commentary on class disparity and the absurdity of high-end dining. Critics praise Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Nicholas Hoult's performances. Some find the satire inconsistent, questioning pacing, plot coherence, and character development. Despite mixed feelings, many appreciate the unique premise and stylish direction.
Featured reviews
The mix between horror and satire seems undecided or bland, the backstory was lacking and the plot presents itself as something grander than it really is. The same hollowness of the dishes carries onto the essence of the movie. Satirizing something that is hollow and giving the final product value is a difficult task, this movie really tries to do that, but given its nature, it didn't quite stick the landing with me.
The cast is simply great, full of recognizable faces and good acting. The cinematography was good, nothing out of this world but enjoyable.
Overall its entertaining, but the delivery of its message is not strong. Even if this flavor of satire wasn't the best suited for me, it kept me intrigued and while not fully satisfied, I enjoyed it.
The cast is simply great, full of recognizable faces and good acting. The cinematography was good, nothing out of this world but enjoyable.
Overall its entertaining, but the delivery of its message is not strong. Even if this flavor of satire wasn't the best suited for me, it kept me intrigued and while not fully satisfied, I enjoyed it.
What I took away from this movie is that nothing ruins true passion like pretentiousness and hunger for monetary gain. It's a brilliant ode to the thin line between love and obsession and the difference between them both. Ralph Fiennes is perfection in the role as Chef Slowik, once again has he achieved the task of making one feel compassion and tenderness for a character committing unspeakable deeds. Anya Taylor-Joy is brilliant as always, her strong portrayal of "Margot" is awe inspiring, what ever life throws at her, she's ready to face it. Another important, and comforting aspect I learned from this movie is that student loans aren't always a bad thing.
I thought this movie was original, entertaining and very interesting. It has a deeper message about how the world looks today. The constant stress and pressure of performing and pleasing hard-to-please people. People who are spoiled, people who only care about money, people who take life for granted, and so on. This is what the characters in the film, the chef and the guests, represent. The guests represent the worst of us. Constantly feeling pressured about something that you actually think is fun, is no longer fun. That is why the chef has invited these very people to the restaurant. It is such people who have destroyed his passion, meaning and joy in life. If you understand the premise and concept of this movie, you will really like it. The film is dark and exciting, with a chaotic and funny ending, which I liked.
The Menu isn't the first to satirise the rich and their incompetence and isn't saying anything new but that definitely doesn't prevent it from being a great satire that pokes fun at everything it can in ways that are often consistently funny, playful and extremely stylish.
Ralph Fiennes gives a terrific performance full of awkward unease that only enhances his commanding screen presence. Anya Taylor-Joy is a perfect audience surrogate amongst a sea of deliberately unlikeable characters of which the best is Nicholas Hoult whose almost too good at making his character hilariously pathetic.
Mark Mylod's direction is excellent, the film has more than enough visual style to match the pretentiousness of its characters and is really good at building tension. The music by Colin Stetson is fantastic, striking a unusual balance between beautiful and unnerving.
Ralph Fiennes gives a terrific performance full of awkward unease that only enhances his commanding screen presence. Anya Taylor-Joy is a perfect audience surrogate amongst a sea of deliberately unlikeable characters of which the best is Nicholas Hoult whose almost too good at making his character hilariously pathetic.
Mark Mylod's direction is excellent, the film has more than enough visual style to match the pretentiousness of its characters and is really good at building tension. The music by Colin Stetson is fantastic, striking a unusual balance between beautiful and unnerving.
I waited months for this film thinking it would be so much better than it was. There is nothing quite like the let down of expecting something great, and it turning out to be just good.
While the plot is pretty original (which normally scores high points with me) and while the film is at times quite beautiful to look at, it missed some of the main point: sweet gratification and satiation.
Scares are not included on the menu; what there is of comedic value is presented as filling; it is unsatisfyingly light on gore; hints of interesting dialogue exist, but they are only scantily peppered throughout; the build-up of characters and backstory is distinctly and unpalatably in short supply, as well as somewhat bland; intentions are nondescript; it wore on and became progressively less, instead of more enjoyable; and, the main course was both 'cheesy' and a bit less than fulfilling. Yes, I greedily took it all in, but by the time dessert was to be served, the previous dishes laid still undigested and leaden.
I'd like to speak to the manager, please.
While the plot is pretty original (which normally scores high points with me) and while the film is at times quite beautiful to look at, it missed some of the main point: sweet gratification and satiation.
Scares are not included on the menu; what there is of comedic value is presented as filling; it is unsatisfyingly light on gore; hints of interesting dialogue exist, but they are only scantily peppered throughout; the build-up of characters and backstory is distinctly and unpalatably in short supply, as well as somewhat bland; intentions are nondescript; it wore on and became progressively less, instead of more enjoyable; and, the main course was both 'cheesy' and a bit less than fulfilling. Yes, I greedily took it all in, but by the time dessert was to be served, the previous dishes laid still undigested and leaden.
I'd like to speak to the manager, please.
Did you know
- TriviaScreenwriter Will Tracy came up with the idea of the story while on his honeymoon in Bergen, Norway, when he took a boat to a fancy restaurant (Cornelius Sjømatrestaurant) on a nearby private island and realized they were stuck (or trapped) on the island until the meal was done. There are numerous references to restaurant Noma (Copenhagen) in The Menu, starting from the location, idea, concept, and ending with the menu itself.
- GoofsIn the opening shot of Margot lighting a cigarette, the cigarette color changes from all black (presumably a clove cigarette) to a traditional looking tobacco cigarette.
- Quotes
Chef Slowik: Where did you go to school?
Felicity: Brown.
Chef Slowik: Student loans?
Felicity: No.
Chef Slowik: Sorry, you're dying.
- Crazy creditsOPENING CREDIT: "Searchlight Pictures Invite you to experience 'The Menu.'"
- ConnectionsFeatured in Chris Stuckmann Movie Reviews: The Menu (2022)
- SoundtracksHappy Birthday to You
Written by Patty S. Hill (as Patty Hill) and Mildred J. Hill
- How long is The Menu?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- El Menú
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $30,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $38,501,125
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $9,004,957
- Nov 20, 2022
- Gross worldwide
- $79,628,200
- Runtime1 hour 47 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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