Despite being what one might consider a ‘fussy eater’, I do like food and I’ve watched enough episodes of cooking programmes such as Masterchef and Great British Menu to have at least a basic understanding of, and appreciation for, fine dining. So, when I first saw the teaser trailer for screenwriter’s Will Tracy’s The Menu, the dishes alone were enough to tickle my tastebuds but throw in a cast consisting of Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult, and well, that is a recipe for success in my opinion. 

Chef extraordinaire Joseph Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) caters only to the most privileged of clientele at his ultra-exclusive restaurant The Hawthorne, where only 12 guests dine at a time and a seat at the table will set you back $1250 per person. We are introduced to the guests as they embark on the boat that will take them to the isolated island on which the restaurant is situated, and this most of prestigious guestlists include a group of Wall Street frat boys dining on the company credit card, a washed-up actor and his assistant, the ruthless restaurant critic and her pandering editor and the cheating husband with his ignorant wife.  

Seemingly out of place in this prestigious group is Tyler (Nicholas Hoult), a self-proclaimed foodie who reveres Slowik to the point of blind adulation and his date Margot Mills (Anya Taylor-Joy), a last-minute change to Tyler’s original invited guest which, along with her less than impressed attitude to molecular gastronomy is the proverbial fly in Slowik’s soup for he has prepared a very special, once-in-a-lifetime dining experience specifically tailored to his guests. 

Upon arrival, perhaps to work up more of an appetite, the guests are led on a tour of the island by Slowik’s right-hand woman, Elsa; they see the smokehouse, stroll through the vast vegetable garden and observe the fisherman diving for the very same scallops that they will later be eating before taking their seats at the restaurant where the great Chef Slowik introduces each fantastic dish, put together and presented with military precision by his army of culinary foot soldiers, with a commanding clap of his hands.  

Tyler informs his date fairly early on that the menu will only make sense at the end, as the overarching theme that ties all the dishes together is unveiled. The theme and the direction of the evening as a whole becomes clear pretty quickly to us in the audience, and it is thoroughly entertaining to see the guests squirm as they begin to comprehend the inevitability of their demise and the part they ultimately played to earn their place at the table. 

Whilst this film won’t be to everyone’s taste, it will likely find a place in my top ten films of the year. Stylistically, there is a Midsommar-esque feel to the set design and shot selection that automatically puts you somewhat on edge, and this tension is amplified by Colin Stetson’s playful score. But the key to making it all work is the stellar performances from an excellent cast. 

Nicholas Hoult, typically the quintessential good guy, delights here as the pretentious yuppie, Tyler, whose adoration of the culinary world is superficial at best, a damning caricature of all those influencer types who carefully craft what they put out into the world, focusing on the status that it provides them rather than appreciating the years of work, effort and talent that it takes to create something meaningful. 

 Anya Taylor-Joy adds another entry to her impressive resume and continues to demonstrate why she is such a hot commodity with a performance that is both mysterious and no-nonsense. Whilst she may not be in the same class as the other guests, she does have her own secrets that come to the fore.  

Taylor-Joy’s compelling performance is complimented by the intensity of Ralph Fiennes’ Chef Slowik, a portrayal that appears to ‘borrow’ some trademark tendencies from well-known celebrity chefs whilst remaining wholly his own. Just as his victims/diners are not all sympathetic innocents doomed to die at the hands of a madman, Slowik is not a simple straight-cut villain and Fiennes manages to deliver chilling psychopathy whilst evoking a sense of sympathy in the viewers. 

Overall, Will Tracy’s story, inspired by a trip to a fancy restaurant in Norway, is part black comedy, part psychological horror and part social satire which requires careful handling and a delicate touch. Thankfully, under director Mark Mylod’s careful eye, The Menu manages to balance all of the parts and deliver a veritable feast for the senses, packed full of delicious cinematography, exquisite tension and biting satire.