Warning: This article contains spoilers forThe Menu.
Released in 2022,The Menuhas been one of the best black comedies to come out in the calendar year.Directed by Mark Mylod, who previously worked on shows likeGame of ThronesandSuccession, this film featuresan all-star castof Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes, Nicholas Hoult, and many others. It focuses initially on Tyler (Hoult) and Margo (Taylor-Joy), a young couple who have paid to attend a dinner by Chef Slowik (Fiennes). This restaurant is for an exclusive club of people, as it foots a large bill per person and is located on a private island. However, as the guests come in for this dinner, it becomes obvious they are not herefor just the food.
Chef Slowik brings out one of the chefs to introduce his course of the meal, who promptly shoots himself after Slowik embarrasses him. The movie takes a dark, drastic turn as the real purpose of this curated guest list was made: Slowik and his team of chefs want to kill everyone invited. However, Margo is an anomaly — she was not supposed to be on the list, leading to a focus on her as a character and the decisions she makes. If there is one thing to take away fromThe Menu, it must be the commentary on artistry andwhat is sacrificedto make it to the top.
Lacking Inspiration in Restaurants
There is a certain mythology often placed on the food industry and what it means to be a top chef — whether it is Anthony Bourdain traveling the world in Parts Unknown, or celebrity chefs appearing on television shows across America, people have begun to think that the industry is a lot more glamorous than it seems. And there have been major problems exposed by the very same people who participate in these mediums and forms of entertainment.The Menuexposes and builds upon the deconstructing of the various mythologies of being a cook.
In a pivotal scene, Margo calls out the head chef and says she is still hungry. Her companion spends the majority of the dinner praising the food while everyone else is complaining, taking pictures even when he is not supposed to. He represents a form of mass commodification in the food industry — it does not even have to be good. With a price tag of over $1000 a person and a glamorous setting, hebought into the prestigeof existing in this space. Margo is looked down upon by him because of her status and disdain for the food, which leads to Chef Slowik looking down at him in return.
One key thread woven throughout the story emerges with the food critic and her editor eating at the center table. Her perspective is critical to understand the nature of elite restaurants as a performance: throughout the evening’s events, both she and the editor are in denial. They slowly begin to acknowledge what is happening, but in the beginning, they wave it off and pretend to know Chef Slowik’s thoughts and dub everything as mere theatrics. Lilian, the critic, critiques the food openly in front of everyone in a way that tries to make her seem more sophisticated, but ultimately ends up being her downfall.
Related:The Menu Review: Mark Mylod Deliciously Skewers Wealthy Elitists
Following One’s Passion
ThroughoutThe Menu, there is a subtext about selling out and what it means to truly follow your dreams. At the end of the movie, Margo ends up living because she understands and acknowledges where Chef Slowik is coming from. He started in the food industry flipping burgers in Iowa, like so many other Americans, and happened to make it because he was passionate about food. Slowik’s interactions with Margo continue to show how he has lost sight of his passion for becoming a chef with accolades. In the bathroom, he demands why she doesn’t like his food, offering hints of perfectionism in the cracks of his facade.
The Menuseems melodramatic in its premise because of how Slowik, and all the chefs who work under him, would rather choose death and murder instead of completely quitting the industry. Taking the murder part of the equation out makes sense in the context: they all love food and cooking, hence why they potentially became chefs. With their choreographed methods and neat plating, there’s care for the food they are serving. However, if they are going to die, why not have it be done doing something they love? The unity of a group decision also implies a common frustration between them that believes the wealthy elite is the problem.
Perhaps this is where the anger of the movie manifests: the way they are forced to continue in the name of profits and money. The obnoxious businessmen who end up being exposed for their corrupt business practices, the fallen actor and his girlfriend who stole from him, the critic and her editor, Tyler, and the elderly couple who frequent Slowik’s restaurants — they are all part of a performance. They want in on this exclusive world, but are unable to have empathy or even remember the dishes they eat. Without care or passion for the craft, the chefs rise, making a direct comment about what it means to treat food as an art and reject the need for the wealthy to pursue it.
