IBMovies

Release date: 2022-11-17

Rating: 7.173

Votes: 5396

Genres: Comedy, Horror, Thriller

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.

Reviews

Manuel São Bento

MORE SPOILER-FREE MINI-REVIEWS @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/other-films-watched-lff-2022 "The Menu is one of the biggest personal disappointments of the year. Mark Mylod's film boasts inspired performances by the entire cast - Ralph Fiennes and Nicholas Hoult stand out - and some clever satirical moments, but pretty much nothing else works. Humor falls completely flat - except for the sequences à la Masterchef Australia. Screenplay follows surprisingly generic paths, being a mystery without any minimally impactful shock. Characters lack depth, and the anti-elite message is too evident and insignificant. It should still get an overall positive reception." Rating: C-

CinemaSerf

Arch-foodie "Tyler" (Nicholas Hoult) and his girlfriend "Margot" (Anya Taylor-Joy) are off to dine in a restaurant without parallel. Based on an island of just twelve acres, they join a collection of wealthy and influential people for what has been defined as experience to die for! Upon arrival, we discover that "Margot" was not the originally intended guest of her companion - so first question... Who is she? Next question - why does it seem to matter so much to the fastidious and frankly rather menacing chef "Slowik" (Ralph Fiennes) and his assistant "Elsa" (Hong Chau) who looks like she used "Rosa Klebb" as a role model? As the dinner progresses it becomes quite clear that the menu is not just about the exquisitely prepared and presented food, but is also about an appraisal of the individually selected - and none too savoury - staff and clientele, none of who are quite what they seem! This has something of Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians" to it, and it quite effectively pokes fun at the supercilious and frequently rather pompous attitude of both those cooking and those eating (or experiencing) fine foam dining. That humour is dark and potent, too. Fiennes is entirely convincing and Hoult, as well as Janet McTeer as the self-important food critic "Lillian" and Paul Adelstein as her suitably obsequious companion "Ted" contribute well as the sense of the ridiculous evolves into one considerably more perilous. It could have evolved just a bit more quickly for me - there are certainly enough "get on with it" moments and though ATJ's character is feisty, it doesn't quite work and ultimately served to illustrate the increasing implausibility of the story and unlikely servility of the diners as we head towards an almost Vernean denouement. It is quirkily entertaining this - a well presented, multi-layered, attack on our own senses that is better second time around. Not perfect, but I suspect Michelin would love it.

The Movie Mob

**The Menu began with a tone and tension that made me want more but ultimately ended with confusion and disappointment.** The hype for The Menu intrigued me. The reviews celebrated its genius. So I had to see it. And when I sat in the theater and the credits began to roll, all o could say was, "Huh?" The Menu starts with Ready or Not vibes with a fish-out-of-water real-world character who ends up at a fancy dinner with a collection of high society foodies and critics. The trailer gave me expectations of cannibalism cult or Most Dangerous Game-type plots, but instead, nothing really happened. I think I understood what The Menu was trying to convey with its deeper meaning, but I still came up disappointed. Anya Taylor-Joy and the rest of the cast gave great performances, but there was little that really brought the movie together. Maybe the subversion of the cannibal or hunting expectation was the movie's brilliance? The Menu definitely tried to be clever, but whether it was or not might be open to interpretation. Ironically, I sat through the whole movie and left wanting more… left hungry.

Nathan

_The Menu_ was one of the most unique thriller experiences of the year! The setup is fantastic, and the story gives you just enough information to intrigue even though the story path is somewhat generic. It is dark, honest, and quite hilarious. This unique blend created a thriller like no other. The performances were great. Anya Taylor-Joy was brilliant and is cementing herself as one of the best actresses of the decade. Nicholas Hoult was hilarious in such a subtle way that never takes away from the tense scenes at play. Ralph Fiennes is haunting but also sympathetic, making him a very interesting and genuine antagonist. This was such an amazing film and another smash entry into horror palooza that is 2022. **Score:** _86%_ | **Verdict:** _Excellent_

wlodi

Pretty good but I'm also a little disappointed by it. I really liked the cast and the acting (Nicholas Hoult and Ralph Fiennes were especially good). The story was entertaining enough but I didn't quite buy into it all. It's not as sharp or smart as it could be. It may be that I recently watched "Triangle of Sadness" and really enjoyed the humour and observations on the rich in that film and "The Menu" doesn't quite reach these heights in my opinion. It's still worth watching, with some good reveals and surprises throughout.

5rJoud

"You, Margot from Nebraska (Anya Taylor-Joy), you've betrayed our sacred bond of trust. And you've shown your craft to be careless. I was wrong. You're an eater. You're a taker. You're very hard to look at. And you're no Julia Roberts."

Nate Richardson

> **Jim Jones; Executive Chef** Going to a once-in-a-lifetime tasting at a restaurant headed by one of (if not _the_) most renowned chefs in the world sounds like a dream come true to any foodie. (Myself included, albeit vicariously via the Food Network) Two of these lucky guests are Tyler (played by **Nicholas Hoult**), and Margot (played by **Anya Taylor-Joy**). The issue is, something is already not right. No, it's not obvious; at least not to normal people like you and me. Elsa (played by **Hong Chau**) picked up on it, but she isn't like us. As more and more guest arrive, someone isn't supposed to be there... Ah, don't worry, the feeling will pass. After all, the tasting is just about to start... This is when we meet the executive chef, Chef Slowik (brilliantly played by **Ralph Fiennes**). At first he is charismatic and prepares his guest for each tasting with stories. But this little cult like bigrade eventually let on that they know more about their guests than anyone should... That is except for one. As someone who is enamored with the food world, seeing The Menu satire some of my favorite shows: * Netflix's Chef's Table with the course spotlight cinematography and ingredients cards. * Any Celebrity Chef (i.e. Chef Slowik calling someone a 'donkey', clearly a reference to Gordon Ramsey). ...I was delighted that this film leaned into the dark end of how service work can feel sometimes. This film feels cathartic having lived the life of a service worker, and I feel others who have had that experience should be able to connect to the darker parts of the film as well. The plot culminate in a theme that I think despite what mild morbidity was displayed, most watchers can relate; Be it society's expectations or our own, the more we push toward perceived greatness we run away from that childhood excitement that set up on the path to begin with. The Menu as a whole, is, well... Something you might hear at an actual tasting: A story of life, it's memories (good and bad) told in 5 courses. If you're part of the menu, you deserve to stay until the end... That is, unless your not supposed to be here; perhaps life hasn't beaten you down enough yet... In-any-case, there is always the _cool aid_.

MovieGuys

The Menu is a film defined by one key ingredient, the performance of Ralph Fiennes. His cold, biting acerbic chef, whose every word and nuance expresses a certain irony and a gradually building threat, is compelling. Frankly, it was Fiennes lynch pin performance that kept me watching The Menu. Had it been a less actor, I might well have walked away. Which brings me to the script. A predictable idea, with a certain promise that's far too loosely executed. The result is a plot that has more than a few dead ends and lacks a certain consistency and credulity. Its not awful, not at all. That said, with a more consideration and tightening of plot elements, it could have been so much more. In summary, if The Menu is remembered for anything, to my mind, it will be the remarkable performance handed in by Ralph Fiennes. The bulk of my 7/10 rating is based on his remarkable work. Regrettably, in most other respects, this film is somewhat forgettable, horror fare.

GenerationofSwine

This was my actual last straw with IMDb... I guess you have to like this one or else. And by that I mean they are purging all the bad reviews. So, this is a movie about pretentious people, for pretentious people, that are killed by pretentious people so they can walk away feeling deep. From the start you know what is going to happen, because it's basically the same thing that always happens on ominous deserted islands... and the "they eat the diners" thing was removed because one of the couples were regular diners there. It sort of gives you only one plot direction made clear by the fanaticism of the cult of cooks. So there wasn't any guess work that needed to be done, and from the start you knew which character was going to live because the broadcast that with a giant arrow pointing down at them. But, hey, it's the modern audiance, nothing can be subtle today.

tensharpe

“The Menu” takes anti capitalism and serves it up with a sprinkle or two of violence delivered on a plate by a perfectionist, cult leading chef. Mark Mylod produces a horror comedy that takes shots at culinary snobbery as well as performance art. Margot ( Anya Taylor-Joy ) and her supposed boyfriend Tyler (Nicholas Hoult ) take a boat, along with a number of other diners, to a remote Restaurant called Hawthorn situated on a private Island. The restaurant’s avant garde head chef ( Ralph Fines ) sells both art and home grown, self produced food to a select group of high earning customers with quality and presentation far above any other culinary experience. As the guests arrive they are first subjected to a tour of the Island to see the produce used in Hawthorn being grown and sea food being gathered. Once seated in the restaurant the food begins to be served along with a story from head chef outlining the dish and its significance to the overall experience. Before the final course is served the stories become darker and more extreme culminating in the diners becoming fearful for their own lives. Before we reach the final course one sous chef announces that the menu requires “ an ending that ties everything together conceptually”. At this point in the proceedings it becomes clear that the restaurant staff are very much following the direction of their head chef without question, much in the way followers of any cult leader react. “The Menu” is very unsettling and produces some uneasy, grimacing moments but balances them out well with enough humour and satire to make for a rather enjoyable experience.

Aaaidan

This movie is not nearly as clever as it thinks it is. Without giving anything away, the plot is a unique one and the main villain's motivation is original, but the movie spoils everything by treating the audience like idiots. One example (and this _is_ a spoiler, albeit a small one, so skip this paragraph if you still want to watch the movie) is when one character gets his finger chopped off. This was because he told his wife he was going to 'handle' the situation, and one of the baddies responded by asking 'with which hand?' When he didn't reply, she said 'left hand, ring finger' and one of the other baddies proceeded to chop said finger off. Now that all sounds very clever (handle/hand - what a pun!) if you don't think about it too much, but if you _do_, you'll realize that the baddies had no way of knowing that that character was going to use the word 'handle', and yet removing his finger seemed to have been pre-planned. Were they going to do it anyway, and his use of the word was a lucky coincidence that allowed them to make a pun while doing it? Or in their meeting earlier, did they say "at some point someone might use the word 'handle', at which point we're going to remove part of their hand"? I don't know, and some of you might say I'm being pedantic, but this movie was _full_ of things like this. It really took me out of it. 3/10, wouldn't recommend.

r96sk

Late to the party with this one! Probably a party to avoid anyway... 'The Menu' is a film deserving of hype. It's very good, with some strong storytelling and excellent cast showings. Anya Taylor-Joy continues to be a very reliable actress, yet to dislike a performance from her. Ralph Fiennes, meanwhile, feels perfect for the role of Chef. Hong Chau sticks out too, while it was good to see Paul Adelstein act again - not seen him in anything since 'Prison Break', well aside from a bit part in his (underrated) 'Imposters' show. The movie sets an nice tone, it isn't all that unpredictable (though is in a few moments, tbf) but still manages to build good tension throughout. As someone who hadn't seen either but has now at least seen one of them, up until recently I thought this and 'The Bear' were the same thing; based on a few glimpses I got of each poster. How interesting that they released so close to each other, even the (great) 'Boiling Point' feature film with Stephen Graham basically came out in 2022 too. Year of the kitchen.

griggs79

The Menu starts with an intriguing idea, but don't get your hopes up—it becomes painfully predictable almost right out of the gate. You can see the ending coming from a mile away, and those so-called "twists"? Yeah, they land with all the excitement of a damp napkin. The only saving grace is the fantastic cast—Anna Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes, and Nicholas Hoult—though even they seem to be phoning it in. It's honestly tragic how little they're given to work with. The film's popularity must be riding entirely on their star power, because of the plot? Let's just say it doesn't bring anything fresh to the table. Overall, it's a real letdown, especially with wasted talent like that, leaving a disappointing impact.

griggs79

RalphRahal

The Menu is a sharp, darkly satirical thriller that blends psychological tension with biting humor. The story follows a group of privileged diners who visit an exclusive restaurant on a secluded island, only to find that the experience is far more intense than they anticipated. The plot is well-paced, keeping the mystery alive while gradually increasing the unease. It balances its social commentary with an engaging, almost theatrical structure that makes every course feel like a performance in itself. The direction by Mark Mylod is precise, with every scene meticulously crafted to build tension. He knows exactly when to hold back and when to push the intensity, making the film feel controlled yet unpredictable. The cinematography is stunning, with an almost clinical beauty that enhances the eerie atmosphere. The way the food is presented is almost too perfect, mirroring the precision of the restaurant itself. Every frame feels intentional, elevating the film beyond a simple horror-thriller setup. The acting is one of the strongest aspects, with Ralph Fiennes delivering a chilling, captivating performance that demands attention. Anya Taylor-Joy is fantastic as always, bringing both vulnerability and resilience to her role, making her one of the most compelling characters on screen. The supporting cast does a great job of embodying different aspects of elitism and entitlement, making the ensemble feel dynamic without any weak links. The script is sharp, filled with clever dialogue that keeps the tension high while delivering dry, dark humor that lands well. The score adds another layer to the experience, subtly enhancing the unease without overpowering the scenes. It blends well with the sound design, making every little detail, from the clink of silverware to the deliberate movements of the staff, feel heightened. The film does a great job of making you feel like you're sitting at the table, absorbing every moment of the experience. Overall, The Menu is a well-executed, visually striking thriller that knows exactly what it's serving, and it does so with precision and purpose.

Movie Recommendation

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
2022-11-23
World-famous detective Benoit Blanc heads to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery surrounding a tech billionaire and his eclectic crew of friends.
More...
The Pale Blue Eye
2022-12-22
West Point, New York, 1830. When a cadet at the burgeoning military academy is found hanged with his heart cut out, the top brass summons former New York City constable Augustus Landor to investigate. While attempting to solve this grisly mystery, the reluctant detective engages the help of one of the cadets: a strange but brilliant young fellow by the name of Edgar Allan Poe.
More...
Bones and All
2022-11-18
Abandoned by her father, a young woman embarks on a thousand-mile odyssey through the backroads of America where she meets a disenfranchised drifter. But despite their best efforts, all roads lead back to their terrifying pasts and to a final stand that will determine whether their love can survive their otherness.
More...
Amsterdam
2022-09-27
In the 1930s, three friends—a doctor, a nurse, and an attorney—witness a murder, become suspects themselves and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history.
More...
Black Rain
1989-09-22
Two New York cops get involved in a gang war between members of the Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia. They arrest one of their killers and are ordered to escort him back to Japan. However, in Japan he manages to escape, and as they try to track him down, they get deeper and deeper into the Japanese Mafia scene and they have to learn that they can only win by playing the game—the Japanese way.
More...
Aliens
1986-07-18
Ripley, the sole survivor of the Nostromo's deadly encounter with the monstrous Alien, returns to Earth after drifting through space in hypersleep for 57 years. Although her story is initially met with skepticism, she agrees to accompany a team of Colonial Marines back to LV-426.
More...
Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
1996-01-12
When Ashtray moves to South Central L.A. to live with his father (who appears to be the same age he is) and grandmother (who likes to talk tough and smoke reefer), he falls in with his gang-banging cousin Loc Dog, who along with the requisite pistols and Uzi carries a thermo-nuclear warhead for self-defense. Will Ashtray be able to keep living the straight life?
More...
Coming to America
1988-06-29
An African prince decides it’s time for him to find a princess... and his mission leads him and his most loyal friend to Queens, New York. In disguise as an impoverished immigrant, the pampered prince quickly finds himself a new job, new friends, new digs, new enemies and lots of trouble.
More...
The Banshees of Inisherin
2022-10-20
Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.
More...
Babylon
2022-12-22
A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, tracing the rise and fall of multiple characters in an era of unbridled decadence and depravity during Hollywood's transition from silent films to sound films in the late 1920s.
More...
They Cloned Tyrone
2023-06-14
A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy lurking directly beneath their neighborhood.
More...
Barbarian
2022-09-08
In town for a job interview, a young woman arrives at her Airbnb late at night only to find that it has been mistakenly double-booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgement, she decides to stay the night anyway.
More...
Everything Everywhere All at Once
2022-03-24
An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save what's important to her by connecting with the lives she could have led in other universes.
More...
M3GAN
2022-12-28
A brilliant toy company roboticist uses artificial intelligence to develop M3GAN, a life-like doll programmed to emotionally bond with her newly orphaned niece. But when the doll's programming works too well, she becomes overprotective of her new friend with terrifying results.
More...
Da 5 Bloods
2020-06-12
Four African-American Vietnam veterans return to Vietnam. They are in search of the remains of their fallen squad leader and the promise of buried treasure. These heroes battle forces of humanity and nature while confronted by the lasting ravages of the immorality of the Vietnam War.
More...
Blonde
2022-09-16
From her volatile childhood as Norma Jeane, through her rise to stardom and romantic entanglements, this reimagined fictional portrait of Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe blurs the lines of fact and fiction to explore the widening split between her public and private selves.
More...
The Wonder
2022-11-02
Haunted by her past, a nurse travels from England to a remote Irish village in 1862 to investigate a young girl's supposedly miraculous fast.
More...
Avatar: The Way of Water
2022-12-14
Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, learn the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.
More...
Triangle of Sadness
2022-09-18
A celebrity model couple are invited on a luxury cruise for the uber-rich, helmed by an unhinged, alcoholic captain. What first appears Instagrammable ends catastrophically, leaving the survivors stranded on a desert island in a struggle of hierarchy.
More...
Nope
2022-07-20
Residents in a lonely gulch of inland California bear witness to an uncanny, chilling discovery.
More...