A couple of weeks ago, Jay and I saw the movie, “The Menu,” with Ralph Finnes, Anya Taylor Joy, and Nicholas Holt. We didn’t know much about it going into it other than the trailer:
I’m glad we went in fairly blindly. This movie is not at all what we expected it to be – and for once, that was a good thing. It’s dark, funny, and even though you strongly suspect midway through how it will end, it still wraps up in a profound, unexpected way. The ending – and the entire movie in general – really made me think about it, too. I liked it a lot.
I don’t want to say too much more about the plot other than that because I don’t want to spoil the fun for anyone, but here is the general premise: An world-famous chef hosts these elaborate, exclusive, multi-course dinners for the elite on a remote island. Getting tickets is basically a status symbol. One weekend, a young couple (Joy and Hoult) manage to score a table. Other diners include a wealthy couple, a bunch of hedge fund bros, a famous food critic, and an actor and his assistant. Let’s just say the evening does not go as planned for anyone. Mild spoiler: There are a few scenes that are graphic in terms of violence and – more importantly – *Trigger Warning for on-screen suicide.*
As I said above, I really liked The Menu and am glad I didn’t know the plot beforehand because if I did, I don’t know if I’d have gone to see it. The writing was clever, suspenseful and humorous and acting was great. I cannot see anyone other than Ralph Fiennes playing Chef. Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult were both great in their respective roles. I also need to go a shout out to Hong Chau (Lady Trieu from Watchmen), who plays the head server in Chef’s restaurant. She’s absolutely fantastic.
Okay! I’ll say no more. If you saw The Menu, let me know what you thought in the comments!
