The Menu (2022): Honest Movie Review

Screenwriters Seth Reiss and Will Tracy scripted The Menu to perfection. This was also facilitated by the emergence of a group of players who are focused on a solid set and far from boring.

The story of how high society falls prey to its own hypocrisy is undoubtedly the main focus of Reiss, Tracy and director Mark Mylod on The Menu.

The idea of ​​the story is played beautifully through the innings of the players who alternately influence the story, starting with Anya Taylor-Joy and Tyler at the beginning of the play.

They deserve credit for delivering dialogue that so describes the upper class society that is the food in this film.

Review of the film “The Menu”: This film is a twist of fate. The menu really tries to satirize prestige culture in the most pretentious way.: (doc. Netflix via IMDb)

Of course, Ralph Fiennes’s role as chef Julian Slovik, who has the secret “recipe” for gourmet food at the Hawthorne restaurant, is well presented, even as an important soul to the whole story.

It is also clear how Mylod meticulously executes the various recipes from his imagination in the Menu, especially when it comes to placing scene after scene which is intensively created. Plus, most scenes only come in one set.

The various implied messages from character behavior, menu names, guest comments to Slovik’s loud applause are something this film will never forget.

To me, Tracey and Reiss did it all as a form of mockery of the pretentious culture of haute cuisine.

For example, as renowned food critic Lillian Bloom (Janet McTeer) puts it, “we eat the ocean!” while eating the main menu with seaweed belonging to Slovik, whose appearance is not clear.

This scathing critique of the pretense element was made by Mylod in a slow style. In other words, he invites viewers to become witnesses of how naive communication between rich people is only for the sake of self-affirmation and nourishment of awe.

The theatrical detour in this movie through the third menu is something epic. Especially in the wings scene, Taylor-Joy shows off a cool and daring character action that fits so well.

Mylod continues to engage the Menu audience in tense rounds as the story deepens. At this stage, meaningless gastronomic terms are no longer in the spotlight.

Prior to this, Mylod had given new meaning to the presence of Chef Slovik, who was seen as the antithesis of the dull and dishonest haute cuisine culture.

The presence of the Taylor-Joy character in The Menu is also interesting because he is Slovik’s catalyst in fulfilling his mission in the food show, especially in the last scene, which I like the most.

In this last scene, the principle of using the symbols used by the Menu is very precise and efficient.

But in general, “Menu” is a misnomer. This film is so trying to show the prestige culture in the most pretentious way.

Aside from the ensemble cast, which was present so neatly and stunningly, I saw that the writing and stage direction for “Menu” actually replicated too much fine food culture, which is its ultimate satire.

You don’t need deep interpretation to understand the main message of this entire movie, which is greed and pretentiousness that will kill you.

For me, The Menu is certainly in a comfortable position to be considered one of the best films of the year with all the merit and “luxurious” plot of this film.

The menu is like a cliché, an alternative to other boring blockbusters available on the big screen and regular streaming services.

Also, get ready to hold back saliva when you see a cheeseburger eaten by Anya Taylor-Joy.