The Menu (2022) ****1/2

 

They say that if you could see what goes on in the kitchen, you would never eat out at a restaurant again. The same might be said of “The Menu.” This dark comedy may make you resolve to cook at home more, or at least consider takeout.

Anya Taylor-Joy plays Margot, who finds herself on a very fancy date to a legendary restaurant on a private island. Charging $1200 a plate, Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) is known as an eccentric genius, but as the night wears on, and Chef introduces each course in an increasingly bizarre fashion, the guests have reason to question their dining choice.

I have been complaining that 2022 was not a great movie year, but I had not yet seen “The Menu.” This absurdist satire is, in turns, funny, shocking, scary, and ultimately, satisfying. The ensemble cast, including Fiennes, Hong Chau (From HBO's “Watchmen” series), Nicholas Hoult, John Leguizamo, Janet McTeer, and the rest of the supporting crew, is perfect. Taylor-Joy is transcendent. I don't know if she is getting any Best Actress buzz, but she should be.

If you read some synopses of the film, you may be tempted to dismiss it as another eat-the-rich screed, but it is much more than that. Wealthy, entitled people do take a few barbs here, but this is really more an exploration of the relationship between artists and their patrons. Chef is an artist who has risen to the top of his field and then finds himself tired of serving the kind of people who will pay $1200 for a meal: name-dropping celebrities, finance-bros, smug food critics, and foodies who obsess over cooking shows, techniques, and molecular gastronomy. “The Menu” delightfully satirizes a food culture that is so obsessive and precious that it is already self-parody.

Much like the meals Chef serves up, “The Menu” belongs in that pantheon of films that are a true experience. It should appeal to viewers who liked "Parasite," "Ready or Not," or "American Psycho." I was also reminded of “The Cook, the Thief, his Wife, and Her Lover,” although I think “The Menu” goes down more easily.

Just as “Parasite” was the must-see film of 2019, “The Menu” is one of the few, absolute must-watch films of 2022, especially if you like your steaks rare and your dark comedy well-done.

4.5 stars out of 5