Today on horror, we bring you movie reviews of one of the most chilling thrillers of 2022 or 2023—depending on when you finally throw down the gauntlet to stream it. Either way here’s The Menu Movie review you’ve been dying to read from us.
The movie was released on 18 November 2022. Fans are asking if the menu movie review will explain the confusing ending. As well as some scenes that just didn’t add up.
From our standpoint, The Menu movie is more than just a psychological thriller with enough nail-biting tension. As the usual horror movie tropes, there are murders, a killer with a motive, and unexpected twists and turns. Yet, the mother of all surprises is the spine-chilling ending of this movie. It leaves you questioning every scene, move, and character.
The Menu movie is a satire of upper-class society, directed by Mark Mylod. Written by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy. It chronicles a group of wealthy socialites who attends a food-tasting event held exclusively on a remote island. With each course served, the attendees realize that something sinister is going on, but why?.
The movie stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Margot Mills, Ralph Fiennes as Chef Slowik, and Nicholas Hoult as Tyler, among others.
Let’s delve into The Menu movie review.
What Is The Menu Movie About?
Visualize this, you pay heavily to take part in a private dining event that will claim your life even before the event comes to an end. Yikes!. Put simply, this is what The Menu movie is about.
Two young couples Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult are among the group of wealthy guests who travel to a secluded island destination for a luxury dinner prepared by a gourmet chef Ralph Fiennes.
In the menu movie, the name of the restaurant is Hawthorne, and is as high-end as they come. Even as the guests arrive on the island, the reception and cryptic replies from the tour guide suggest that something is off. The seating arrangement is strategically organized and each elite member is seated in pairs. The dishes are equally painstakingly planned to complement each other astronomically in five courses. Unknown to them, it was all an elaborate plan of Chef Slowik to annihilate them all.
The movie starts well—as every good horror movie does. The chef and his cooks serve the high-society guests comprising of jaded movie stars, arrogant food critics, corrupt millionaires, etc. With each course, the chef gives a resounding clap that unsettles everyone, which some of the guests quickly dismiss as part of the show. Since Slowik is not just a renowned chef, but a storyteller, his act of storytelling is what adds to the beauty of the event.
Who dies first in the menu movie?
Everyone seems to be immersed in the dishes. Tyler(Nicholas) gobbles every drop of food while Lilian(a food critic) criticizes nonstop with her partner and editor. The guests are held by Slowik’s haunting gaze and disturbing monologues filled with dramatic flair, except Margot(Taylor-joy). She’s not buying Slowik’s over-the-top acting or culinary skills and immediately calls him out on his bullshit. Unknown to Margot, she’s been on Slowik’s radar since her arrival.
Things soon take a dark turn when Slowik drowns the owner of his restaurant’s island, who is also a corrupt billionaire and makes the guests watch. Everyone is horrified as they watch this unfold. While everyone scrambles to leave, the chef signals one of his minions to sever the ring finger of another elite guest and this further elicits fear among the guests.
As they try to make sense of the situation, Chef Slowik then proceeded to serve tortillas with the guests’ private information laser printed on them. The accompanying protein for the tortillas is chicken thighs stabbed with tiny kitchen scissors which upsets everyone. Slowik hauntingly recounts how he stabbed his abusive father in the thigh years before when he wrapped a telephone cord around his mother’s throat. Slowik’s mother was also present at the event but was seated in a corner in a drunken state.
The plot thickens when Slowik orders Jeremy, one of the sous cooks to serve the fourth course called ‘The Mess.” Jeremy went ahead and pulled out a gun from his apron, then shoots himself in the mouth, blowing his brains out. By then, it is clear to the diners that none of them are making it out alive.
Why Did Chef Slowik Spare Margot?
Spoiler alert, everyone dies in the movie except Margot, who is the protagonist and the only one who put up a fight against Slowik’s sick plans. Margot is sent to retrieve a barrel from the smokehouse and wanders off to the Chef’s quarters where she discovers a replica of the restaurant. Along with Slowik’s room containing photographs, awards, newspaper clippings, and Slowik’s previous life. There, she realizes that Slowik is a tortured cook who has lost interest in feeding people. She glimpses at Chef Slowik’s former life through the photographs and concludes that what people genuinely think of his food matters to him more than the price they pay to eat it.
Armed with this revelation, Margot goes back to the restaurant with the barrel and confronts Slowik. After verbally trashing all of Slowik’s previous fancy dishes, she orders a non-fancy cheeseburger. This, he makes with pure relish—although it was just a tiny smile he wore. He serves Margot the cheeseburger which for the first time since her arrival on the island, she enjoys. After telling him how good it was, she pays and requests for a to-go pack. Surprisingly, Slowik lets her go.
Then for the final course, we see Slowik and his staff prepare dessert, which was an artful display of s’mores. Slowik’s lineup of cooks dress the guests up in marshmallows and chocolate hats and after emptying the barrel Margot brought, he stands in the center and lights himself, the customers, and all the staff up. We see Margot eating what’s left of her cheeseburger on a coast guard boat that she found after she left the restaurant. An explosion rocks the restaurant and we hear the resounding clap that Chef Slowik usually uses to announce the arrival of a dish.
The Menu Movie Ending Explained
One might ask, why does Chef Slowik kill everyone in this movie?. In the movie, Slowik reveals little pieces of information regarding the customers and his disdain for those who eat from his restaurant because they can afford it. What he refers to as ‘takers.’
His motive for doing this? Slowik was no longer passionate about his craft. Is that enough reason to commit mass murder? Most people villainize Slowik for his distorted mindset, but if you’re able to look past the sicko you get to see how he no longer cooks with relish or passion. He cooks with an obsession to make the perfect dishes for his insatiable customers. Who is never pleased with his dishes? Rather, they choose to condemn dishes they can’t even make.
We see classism at play from the beginning of the movie till the end. The food critic nitpicks every single detail of the dishes served and it was further revealed that she was the reason several restaurants that didn’t meet her standards were closed down. Slowik mentions how she never allows upcoming chefs to showcase their talent and Slowik was a victim too.
Save for the fact that Tyler’s date dumped him last minute, Margot wouldn’t be in attendance and this shows how disposable commoners are to members of the upper class. Tyler’s hype of his knowledge about food is excessive and when called on to cook, it was an epic fail that led to Slowik ordering him to hang himself. He presents himself as a cook and foodie, but couldn’t cook to save his life. This portrays the ostentatiousness of the elite.
If you enjoyed The Menu movie review, click the link here to read the Wednesday Netflix series review.