Menu ★★★
THRILLER (2022)
Directed by: Mark Mylond
InterpretationsCast: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult

The venomous tirades come and go, making for some truly enjoyable moments on a cinematic… menu that we’ve probably tried before.

Known for directing TV hits like Game of Thrones and Legacy, Mark Mylond is taking on a special thriller with gastronomic references here. A young couple (Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult) arrive with a small select group of guests at a famous top chef’s restaurant on an isolated island. There, as the menu begins to unfold, everyone realizes that their host is determined to offer them an experience full of surprises that can turn out to be more than terrifying.

The idea of ​​an isolated environment, where established relationships between people are disrupted, has been beaten up in cinema lately, but the wrapper is too charming to miss. As with Ruben Östlund’s recent The Triangle of Sorrows, the guests here are either wealthy or powerful, or both. Three international executives, a politician, a famous restaurant critic, a (decadent) movie star, and so on. Standing in front of them is a genius chef – Ralph Fiennes is quite convincing in this role – along with his team, who have prepared an exquisite menu, as well as specially designed … presentations for customers.

The purpose of all of the above is, of course, a satire that is actually directed in both directions: both at the increasingly extravagant luxury food industry, which is acquiring ramifications that have little to do with food itself, and at those who judge the hard work of charismatic people. like the other chief judges. All in all, venomous ranting comes and goes, and black humor is ubiquitous, providing some really enjoyable moments on a cinematic…menu that we’ve probably tried before.

On the other hand, the one who ultimately represents the film’s catalyst is Anya Taylor-Joy’s character, who in some ways also represents the viewer. Ralph Fiennes says this about his chef: “It’s a weird connection because it’s not romantic. He identifies with her. He sees the world as divided into those who serve or give and those who take or buy. She doesn’t believe it, and she doesn’t like his food either. He thinks it’s all a big scam.”