The rich came to be fed. The chef came to serve the truth.
The Menu (2022), directed by Mark Mylod, is a razor-sharp dark comedy that blends horror, satire, and culinary art into one of the most deliciously twisted films in recent memory. Set in an exclusive island restaurant where the guests are rich, refined, and terribly full of themselves, the film skewers the world of fine dining—and the entitled elite who feast on it—with unsettling precision.
Ralph Fiennes stars as the enigmatic Chef Julian Slowik, a world-famous culinary genius who has invited a select group of affluent guests to his remote restaurant, Hawthorn, for an unforgettable night. Among the attendees are food critics, tech bros, washed-up celebrities, and one unexpected guest: Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), whose presence wasn’t part of the original plan—and whose sharp instincts quickly set her apart from the rest.
What unfolds is not just a multi-course meal—it’s a masterfully orchestrated takedown. Each dish is a statement, each reveal a revelation, and as the tension simmers, the true purpose of the evening becomes disturbingly clear. The guests came expecting luxury, art, and indulgence. What they get instead is judgment, humiliation, and a serving of existential dread.
The genius of The Menu lies in its biting commentary. It mocks foodie culture, performative appreciation of art, and the way the ultra-wealthy consume everything—meals, people, experiences—without gratitude. Chef Slowik’s kitchen runs like a cult, and the film invites us to question: is he the villain… or is he just serving justice à la carte?
Anya Taylor-Joy provides the perfect foil to Fiennes’s controlled fury. As Margot, she’s grounded, skeptical, and unimpressed by empty decadence. Her growing defiance adds a pulse of survival to a dinner that becomes increasingly surreal and sinister.
With a stunning visual style, biting dialogue, and a final course that will leave your jaw on the floor, The Menu is a satirical feast that doesn’t just entertain—it devours the pretensions of high society with relish.
