The Menu Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A disgruntled chef, tired of pretentious rich people, decides to turn dinner into a fiery finale, but one guest just wants a damn cheeseburger.

🍿 The Menu: Detailed Plot Synopsis

Arrival at Hawthorn Island

Margot Mills accompanies Tyler, an obsessive foodie, to Hawthorne, an exclusive restaurant on a remote island run by celebrity Chef Julian Slowik. The other guests include a food critic, wealthy patrons, and a washed-up movie star. From the start, Margot feels out of place among the pretentious clientele and Tyler’s fanatical devotion to the chef.

The Menu Unfolds

As the elaborate tasting menu progresses, Chef Slowik delivers increasingly unsettling monologues about each dish, revealing dark secrets about the guests and exposing their flaws. The meals become more than just food; they represent critiques of consumerism, elitism, and the loss of artistic passion. Tension rises as the night takes a sinister turn with shocking acts of violence and reveals.

Margot’s True Identity Revealed

Margot’s outsider status becomes more apparent when it’s revealed she wasn’t Tyler’s original guest. Chef Slowik confronts her, offering a choice: align with the staff or the doomed guests. Her true identity as an escort named Erin is exposed, further complicating her position and leading to a confrontation with the chef and his carefully orchestrated plan.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes): A renowned chef who has become disillusioned with his craft and plans a deadly dinner for his exclusive guests.
• Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy): An escort who accompanies Tyler to the exclusive dinner and becomes an unexpected variable in the chef’s plan.
• Tyler (Nicholas Hoult): An obsessive foodie who is eager to experience Chef Slowik’s cuisine, even at a deadly cost.
• Elsa (Hong Chau): The Maître d’hôtel at Hawthorne who is fiercely loyal to Chef Slowik and enforces his rules.
• Lillian (Janet McTeer): A powerful and influential food critic attending the dinner, representing the pressures of the industry.
• George (John Leguizamo): A washed-up movie star seeking validation and representing the fleeting nature of fame.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Chef Slowik: “We are going to eat the ocean. It sustains us. It connects us.” – Said during the ‘Ocean’ course, highlighting Slowik’s artistic and philosophical approach to cuisine.
• Chef Slowik: “Don’t eat. Taste.” – Slowik’s instruction to his guests, reflecting his desire for them to appreciate the artistry and intent behind his dishes rather than simply consuming them.
• Tyler: “It’s… it’s breadless bread.” – Tyler’s pretentious comment when served a dish without bread, trying to appear knowledgeable about the chef’s avant-garde approach.
• Margot: “I’d like a cheeseburger. With fries.” – Margot’s simple request to Chef Slowik, challenging his artistic pretentions and reminding him of the joy of straightforward cooking.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $35,000,000
• Domestic Gross: $38,501,125
• Worldwide Gross: $79,628,200

💥 The Menu Reviews

Personal Review

I was hooked from the start. The tension builds so perfectly, and the performances are phenomenal. Ralph Fiennes is genuinely terrifying and Anya Taylor-Joy is fantastic as the outsider. The cheeseburger scene? Brilliant! I walked out craving one. If you enjoy dark humor and suspense, you have to see it.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of dark comedies and thrillers”
  • “Viewers interested in social commentary on class and wealth”
  • “Those who enjoy films with unexpected plot twists”
  • “Foodies with a sense of humor”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Violence and gore”
  • “Suicide”
  • “Strong language”
  • “Disturbing themes”

Professional Reviews

• Variety: “Mark Mylod blends satire with suspense, creating a deliciously unsettling viewing experience. The film skewers foodie culture and class divides with sharp wit and unexpected twists. Fiennes delivers a chilling performance, while Taylor-Joy provides a grounded perspective amidst the chaos.
• The Hollywood Reporter: “The Menu is a darkly comedic and thought-provoking thriller that explores the artist-audience relationship. While the satire occasionally veers into the obvious, the performances are uniformly excellent, and the film maintains a compelling sense of dread throughout.
• RogerEbert.com: “A sharp and unsettling satire of the ultra-rich and the artistic compromises they demand. Ralph Fiennes is mesmerizing, and Anya Taylor-Joy brings a refreshing cynicism. The film leaves you pondering the true cost of creative fulfillment.

Audience Reactions

Anya Taylor-Joy’s grounded performance provided an audience surrogate in a sea of eccentric characters.: Viewers raved about the unexpected twists and turns that kept them on the edge of their seats.

Ralph Fiennes’ portrayal of Chef Slowik left audiences both terrified and strangely sympathetic.: Many loved how the film used dark humor to explore themes of class, obsession, and artistic integrity.

Overall Consensus: A sharp and suspenseful satire with stellar performances, though its dark humor might not be for everyone.

Awards

1. Critics’ Choice Movie Award (Best Supporting Actress)- 2023

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “Screenwriter Will Tracy got the idea for the story while on his honeymoon in Bergen, Norway, when he took a boat to a fancy restaurant on a nearby private island and realized they were stuck there until the meal was done.”
• “There are numerous references to restaurant Noma (Copenhagen) in The Menu, starting from the location, idea, concept, and ending with the menu itself.”

🖥️ How to Watch The Menu?

The Menu is available to stream on platforms like Hulu and HBO Max. You can also rent or purchase the movie on demand via Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu. Check your local listings for cable on-demand options as well.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed The Menu, you might like these similar films:

• Ready or Not (2019): Features a dark, suspenseful atmosphere with a focus on class dynamics and a deadly game involving the wealthy elite.
• Triangle of Sadness (2022): A satire that savagely critiques the rich and their incompetence, offering a similar skewering of societal elites.
• Parasite (2019): Explores themes of class warfare and social commentary through a darkly comedic and suspenseful narrative.
• The Wicker Man (1973): Classic horror film involving outsiders being drawn into a remote community with dark secrets and rituals.

🛒 The Menu Related Products

• The Menu: A Novel: Relive the suspense of the movie with the novelization that dives deeper into the characters’ backstories and internal thoughts. Experience Hawthorne’s menu like never before.
• Chef’s Knife Set, High Carbon Stainless Steel Kitchen Knife Set with Sharpener & Cleaver: A professional-grade knife set perfect for aspiring chefs who want to create their own culinary masterpieces, or perhaps just prepare a simple cheeseburger with precision.
• Anya Taylor-Joy Signed Movie Poster: Own a piece of The Menu history with a limited edition movie poster signed by Anya Taylor-Joy herself. A rare collectible for dedicated fans.
• Gourmet Food Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by The Menu: Create an exquisite, multiple-course meal with inspiration from The Menu, focusing on exquisite garnishing and locally-sourced ingredients.

🎧 Soundtrack

The Menu features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Happy Birthday to You” – performed by Traditional
• “Main Title” – performed by Colin Stetson
• “Menu Item” – performed by Colin Stetson

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

The Menu Explained | What the Cheeseburger Really Means

Have you finished watching The Menu and are still left wondering what it all meant? This video will help you understand the symbolism and motifs that went over your head during the movie. It also offers a very reasonable explanation for the significance of that intriguing cheeseburger scene.

Binging with Babish: Cheeseburger from The Menu

Do you crave the cheeseburger from The Menu but don’t want to travel to a fancy island restaurant? This step-by-step recipe from the renowned Binging with Babish will help you recreate the dish in your own kitchen. Get ready for a culinary adventure that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you feeling like a true foodie!

What THE MENU Is Really About

Beyond the suspense and gastronomic delights, The Menu also delivers a sharp commentary on our modern obsession with content creation. This video delves into the film’s satirical elements, exploring how it cleverly skewers our collective addiction to likes, shares, and followers. It’s a fascinating watch for anyone who enjoys a thought-provoking take on the impact of social media in our lives.

✨ Rate