Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.
The Menu is a sharp, wickedly funny satire of elite foodie culture and the performative nature of luxury. Ralph Fiennes delivers a commanding, nuanced performance as the unhinged chef, and Anya Taylor-Joy holds her own as the only guest with genuine grounding. The premise is bracingly original — skewering art, class, and obsession through the lens of haute cuisine — earning high marks for novelty and acting. Cinematography is clean and purposeful but not especially distinguished. The plot mechanics are clever in setup but grow somewhat schematic as the film proceeds, with guests reduced to types rather than characters. The ending is memorably theatrical but divides audiences — it delivers on its dark comedic logic while feeling slightly too neat in its resolution.