Warning: Movie Spoilers Ahead!
Trigger Warning: Suicide, Graphic Death
Whew. The Menu, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes, and Nicholas Hoult, is nothing short of unexpected and it is a wild ride. This movie has been described as a dark comedy and a horror film, but I think it best fits in the drama category. At almost no point did I laugh, but I think horror is a bit of a stretch when it comes to this film. The suspense of this film is admirable, and definitely the best thing about the entire plot.
This film received a 89% on RottenTomatoes, a feat which it definitely earned, but the actual movie critics were a bit more mixed in their reviews. One critic, Candice Frederick of the Huffington Post, wrote “it’s easy to point and laugh at the rich, or feel a sense of vindication... But you still walk away feeling hungry,” a sentiment I do not agree with. The film is definitely trying to poke fun at the horror/thriller genre and is attacking the pretentiously wealthy, but it is by no means a comedy and it does not leave anything wanting.
Several times throughout the film, there are scenes where the audience expects something completely horrific. Notably, the murder of the financial backer of the restaurant. He is suspended above a lake with costumed angel wings, and both the patrons of the restaurant and the audience watch in terror because it’s obvious that this man is about to meet a brutal death. Instead, however, he is gently lowered into the water, where it is presumed he drowns to death. Not exactly peaceful, but not at all the suspenseful and graphic death that is anticipated.
The film does, however, have graphic and sudden deaths. The very first death on screen is a graphic suicide where a sous chef shoots himself in the mouth. The blood splatters back on the kitchen, and the patrons look on in disbelief. It’s this graphic scene that alarms the audience that this film won’t shy away from graphics, but then the film holds back. It’s this give and take of graphics and horrors that make the film so successfully suspenseful and dramatic - you can’t take your eyes off the screen because you never know what will happen!
This movie easily made its way onto my list of top ten favorite films, and I’m eager to hear if it does for you too! Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments!
Frederick, Candice. “‘Glass Onion’ And ‘The Menu’ Might Punish The Rich — But They’re Profoundly Empty.” The Huffington Post. 2022 September. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/eat-the-rich-glass-onion-the-menu_n_63222989e4b0ed021df8de45.
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