‘The Menu’ TIFF 2022 Review – A Scorching Satire That Delivers The Ultimate Dining Experience

An enigmatic chef. Carefully curated meals served as deconstructed pieces of art. It’s every epicurean’s dream. Directed by Succession‘s Mark Mylod, The Menu is a cynical social commentary that explores the culture of haute cuisine. For the upper echelon of society, dining at Hawthorne costs a mere $1,250 a head. Pennies. The exclusive eatery, located on a remote island, serves only 12 customers per seating, and tonight’s guests have arrived with their vanity and wallets in tow.

Run by world-renowned Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) and his entourage of worshippers (a.k.a. his staff), Hawthorne has concocted a particularly special menu for its high-profile guests. Among those in attendance are an illustrious food critic (Janet McTeer) and her colleague (Paul Adelstein), a washed-up movie star (John Leguizamo) and his assistant (Aimee Carrero), affluent regulars (Judith Light and Reed Birney), a trio of Silicon Valley-Esque tech bros (Arturo Castro, Mark St. Cyr, Rob Yang), and an insufferable foodie named Tyler (Nicholas Hoult).

The outlier of the evening is Margo Mills (Anya Taylor-Joy), who accompanies Tyler as his last-minute plus one. The eager-to-please Tyler incessantly word vomits insignificant food-related facts, uses the cringey phrase “mouth feel,” and insists that Margo refrains from smoking, as it’ll spoil her palate. His obnoxious demeanor is a stark contrast to Margo, who doesn’t come from wealth and privilege. Nor does she buy into all the pomp and circumstance – “what are we eating, Rolexes?” Margot asks. Since Chef Slowik creates a carefully curated menu based on his attendees, Margo’s unexpected appearance throws his plans off-kilter. 

When the group arrives, they’re given a tour of the island by Elsa (Hong Chau), the maître d’ and Chef’s second in command. This is where we’re first treated to Peter Deming’s savory cinematography, which captures the self-sustaining ecosystem of the island – the lush gardens, scurrying crabs, and slaughtered livestock. 

The film’s mesmerizing visual language shines in every well-manicured dish created for the guests. Each new item on the tasting menu is served with cheeky intertitles detailing the contents of the dish. The main dining room is an open-concept kitchen that is rather sterile and cold in its aesthetic, with a color palette of dark blues and grays. 

The kitchen staff at Hawthorne are akin to a well-trained militia with a cultist mentality. They respond in unison, march each course out to guests, and follow Chef’s every command without question. Every dish has a purpose – whether it be a representation of Chef’s childhood or a means to expose the secrets of the guests. Each course becomes increasingly insidious, the mounting tension perfectly captured by Colin Stetson’s nail-biting and swelling score. 

The Menu is unnerving and brutish in its satirical commentary on the gluttonous one-percenters and the glaring class divide. The vileness of the ultra-wealthy is clearly a theme Mylod has spent his career exploring through his work on Entourage, Game Of Thrones, and Succession. Chef Slowik expresses his own distaste for the crème de la crème of society. Preparing meals, a once invigorating and passionate affair, has mutated over the years. Serving the wealthy has cheapened the art form for Slowik, becoming a soulless experience. 

Margo, on the other hand, is a different story. Since she’s a sex worker, Chef sees her as an equal. One of them. In the business of providing a service and giving rather than taking. The pair share a moment where Margo reveals her own interactions with hubristic wealthy clients has caused her love for her work to gradually atrophy and wither away. 

The film cleverly explores the stigmatization of sex workers and the culture of disrespect surrounding food service workers – two of many professions that are socially discredited and treated with contempt. It’s a reminder that disparaging remarks and demeaning behavior toward service industry professionals remain prevalent today. But they deserve respect. 

The script, written by Will Tracy (Succession) and Seth Reiss (Late Night with Seth Myers), is smart and inventive. Enough so that it attracted an all-star ensemble with stand-out performances from Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy. Fiennes as the enigmatic Chef Slowik has a masterful air of imperiousness that inspires fervent loyalty from staff. His piercing glare and soothing, yet terrifying voice is like watching Voldemort 2.0, except his wand and Death Eaters are replaced with a spatula and kitchen staff. Taylor-Joy also delivers a sturdy performance with her rebellious attitude and clear intellect. 

Collin Stetson’s score is ostentatious in the best way. It pairs ominous elegance with the meticulous, clean sounds of every scrape of a fork and clink of a glass. These details are woven into Maloyd’s shooting style, delivering pageantry and sleek visuals – all of which culminate in an unexpected ride. Between its spiky commentary and dark comedy, The Menu cooks up one satisfying meal.

The Menu had its World Premiere in the Special Presentations section of Toronto International Film Film Festival 2022. The film will debut in theaters on November 18, 2022 courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. 

Director: Mark Mylod

Writer: Seth Reiss, Will Tracy

Rated: R

Runtime: 107 minutes