Movie Review: The Menu

 

I had very little prior knowledge of the dark comedy film The Menu prior to sitting down and watching it on the big screen. This lack of expectation I believe worked out in this film's favour I think, because it made what I ended up experiencing all the more surprising. 

The Menu is a dark comedy/horror film which is directed by Mark Mylod. I didn't really know Mark Mylod prior to watching this film but that isn't to say I've not been exposed to some of his work. His work on the British comedy show Shameless is probably what he's most notable for but he's also got directing credits in Game of Throne too. Alongside him the film also consists of a plethora of well known actors including Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult and John Leguizamo. 

The premise of this film follows a group of high-class individuals who pay to dine at a exclusive restaurant owned by the famous chef Julian Slowik. The appeal of this restaurant is tied behind it's high quality courses which are prepared to sheer perfection and the themes they follow within the menu. The main character Margot accompanies her boyfriend Tyler as the group travel via boat to a remote island which holds the restaurant on it. Once they arrive the group soon come to learn that the theme of the menu for this event is far darker than they expected and as the night progresses they realise their very lives are on the line as the courses are being served.

As far as premises go, this is a wonderfully creative piece of work. I like the idea of putting a dark twist on the idea of dining out. It's a premise I've never really seen done in film before and I can confidently claim the originality serves as it's core strength. What helps the story keep it's momentum is it's mix of both dark and comedic writing. The dialogue and sequences which these characters take part in are all rife with so many elements to get drawn into. I love how much suspense the film builds up as it progresses towards the climax yet how it helps the audience offset the tension with a lot of dark comedy. The attendees of the restaurant are all varied in their own ways with different characteristics which help individualise them to an extent but also tie them all together with why they are all invited to dine here.  

What also supports the films compelling narrative is it's direction and cinematography. As the restaurant and it's courses serve as a fundamental structure of the film, there's a serious amount of love and attention given to presenting these meals in a prestigious fashion. There's an almost cathartic response you get in seeing the pain-staking detail the film goes to presenting these meals in a truly artistic form. Ralph Fiennes' character loves the art of cooking and he sees every course he presents as a expression of his inner soul so it helps that the film goes to so much effort to express that on the camera too. 

The supporting cast behind this film really helps to sell the film in my opinion. I started the year with saying Ralph Fiennes deserved more starring roles and I am very happy to see him getting more opportunities to showcase why he's such a good actor. The character he plays is so calm and precise but there's a clear sense of cruelty in his nature that Ralph delivers with such clarity. Anya Taylor-Joy also steals the show a lot during the film, completely filling the role of her character as she seeks to survive the night.  Nicholas Hoult and a lot of the other supporting cast also put in everything they have to selling the high class toxicity of there characters too, everyone just really delivers with this film.

I really recommend anyone who's out for new and interesting film experiences to go and watch The Menu. It's a truly fascinating film which delivers it's premise with complete confidence. It's premise is captivating in all the best ways and it does a fantastic job in projecting the artistry in fine dining with a beautifully dark twist.