By all means, make a reservation to see The Menu, a fiendishly enjoyable dark comedy, smartly directed by Mark Mylod and topped with a fabulously sardonic performance by Ralph Fiennes.
The plot concerns a group of well-heeled epicureans, arriving by boat to a small, self-sustained island housing an exclusive restaurant where they will spend four hours eating complex, deconstructed food created by the world-famous Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes).
Nicholas Hoult plays an insufferable foodie named Tyler, whose date for the evening dropped out so he has replaced her with Margot (sensational Anya Taylor-Joy) who is not impressed with the exclusivity and fussiness of the menu. (Her presence also alarms the Chef and crew since she is not “on the list.”) Other diners include John Leguizamo as a washed-up movie star accompanied by his long-suffering assistant (Aimee Carrero); a haughty food critic (Janet McTeer), whose rave reviews put the Chef on the map, and a wealthy couple who have dined at the island before (Reed Birney & Judith Light).
But this is not going to be just any tasting menu. And before long the guests realize, to their horror, that something is very, very wrong. And class, wealth and privilege is not going to protect them.
This is such diabolical fun to watch, and Fiennes adds so much haughty severity and menace that, when he claps his hands and his staff shouts out, “Yes, Chef!” you jump in your seat right along with the increasingly wary dining guests.
A special tip should be left for Hong Chau, who plays the imperious, steely leader of the restaurant crew- Elsa. Every glance and withering comment she utters had me howling, and cringing, in my seat.
