Grade: B+
Satirizing the extremely wealthy is a running motif in the movies these days. Last month, we had Triangle of Sadness. Next week, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will have a week-long pre-Netflix theatrical run. And opening this weekend is The Menu. I think we’re good on these types of films, and I wouldn’t mind them being given a rest, but for now, I thought The Menu was damn cool.
Sometimes I arrive at a dilemma when deciding on a grade to award a movie. Give it the higher rating, and I feel like a softie. Give it the lower one, and I get a nagging desire to tell you “but I liked it a little better than that!” I went lower this time. Not everything held water; there were too many questions and loose ends. This is the kind of film that will light up Reddit forums with explanation, speculation, and theories.
What we’re given, though, by director Mark Mylod (The Big White) is an entertaining, elegantly crafted treat, much like the fancy dinner that the group of 12 in the film has paid quadruple digits a head to attend. The super-exclusive restaurant is on an island, which they have to board a boat to get to. These rich, entitled people include a movie star past his peak trying to get relevant again via reality TV, a food critic, and a group of three Bros who try to play the “we know the owner” card as much as possible. The couple we follow the most are Tyler and Margot, played by Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, About a Boy) and Anya Taylor-Joy (Amsterdam, The Queen’s Gambit, Thoroughbreds). All of this is overseen by Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes, whose calmness and quiet is scarier than any volume of yelling he could have possibly done).
Increasingly sinister and shocking things start happening. Some are subtle, and others are much less subtle. The cooks and guests are populated with some wonderful character actors such as John Leguizamo, Hong Chau (Downsizing, Watchmen), Reed Birney (Mass), and Janet McTeer (Tumbleweeds). My friend Matthew Cornwell has a featured small role. I won’t even begin to describe how he’s used here, but let’s just say that all eyes are on him, and he is definitely showcased in his one scene.
Though I could understand him just fine, Fiennes could have landed his diction a little better for a role like this – particularly with words that end in hard consonants, like T. If I was the director, I would have noted him on that. There’s a missed opportunity in the final shots of the movie: I think a cigarette should have been involved. The Menu has some flaws and plot holes, but is a fun, wild, theatrical cinematic journey with a clear consistent tone, and no shortage of enjoyment. And I actually liked it a little better than this grade.
Grade: B+
Film Reviews by Mark 
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