The Menu (2022) Movie Review | Horror? Comedy? 

I think the reason they didn't react more at the end was set up earlier. Chef Slowik says "ask yourselves why you didn't fight harder, you probably could have escaped if you tried" and in the same scene he asks the actors PA "what school did you go to?" "Brown" "any student loans?" "No" "you're going to die", which is the part where Margo comes in after the fight. I took their acceptance at the end of another commentary about classism: the "common folk" himself and Margo got where they are because they had to fight to survive. He fought his dad, Margo fights Elsa. Margot gets to leave because she fought to leave, because she was used to a life of struggle and scraping. The rich in the film aren't used to fighting, they're used to life being handed to them, so when death was ultimately handed to them, they accepted it. That's how I took it anyway.

I found kind of cute that for a moment "Margot" seemed to remind Julian the joy of cooking with love, back in the day when he started flipping burgers. It was kind of wholesome to me. His subtle expression during that sequence was really enjoyable.

it was so funny when the caption said 'Tyler's bullshit' hahaha

I think you answered your own question about why nothing happened to the men when they were caught… I feel like it was a commentary on even when men are caught being harassers they still get to go free.

Best laugh for me was "tortillas deliçiosa"

Two things that I thought were going to happen in this movie but did not are: 1) the guests were being poisoned, but for the poison to work they had to eat at least a bit of every dish 2) it was going to be revealed at the end that one of the ingredients of their meal was human flesh, maybe Hoults ex girlfriend.

if you work in a kitchen, the comedy in this is spot on. i saw it with a couple of cook friends and we were cracking up in the theater. the moment when the chef yelled "there are no substitutions!" almost broke me

I love how it takes a jab at the rich high society people and all of the foodies and food critics 😆

I don’t think this is a spoiler, but… I REALLY wanted to know what was on Margot’s tortilla.

If Willy Wonka 1971 and Ratatouille had a demented baby, this movie would be it.

I didn't realize how much pitch-black dark humor would be in this film. And I too was seriously entertained. I'm really wanting to go again, just to see the cast dig into their roles again. One of my favorite things this year!

I think that them accepting death is a part of the horror actually

for me it felt like it was commentary on the relationship between art, artist, and audience, as well as struggle of making art under capitalism in particular, because the audience members give you the money you need to survive, but in return they feel so entitled to do what they want with you, all the criticism, unnecessary input, and the way they may not respect/understand the work or consume it the way you intend can drive you mad. it's clear when you see that he is punishing people who don't care about the art and just wanna flaunt their wealth, people that don't care about it and consume without thinking and don't bother to commit the experience to memory, the one who goes too far as to idolise him, the critics that are so careless that they ruin people's art and livelihoods with their words, and so on. i think at one point he even said something like "you ruined my art and my life" to all the patrons. it really resonated with me as an artist lol.

Tell your cat I said "pssp pssp pssp", so cute! I'm really looking forward to seeing this once I can stream it, the cast looks so good

"How do we describe this movie?" "MREOWWW" Love it. More interrupting cat content!

The dish before the hunt was called "The Folly of Man". The folly of man in this instance is that the men believed they could get away or escape. The women sat around and ate a dish and calmly spoke. At least, this is how I interpreted it.

i saw the menu last night and it was so interesting. I didn’t expect it to be as funny as it was but i think it helped the story. the only thing is it was kinda predictable but i enjoyed the strangeness of it. nicholas holt was great bc i haaated his character the entire time and ralph fiennes was amazing. the jabs at the food industry were hilarious with the little one liners. my favorite part was when tyler was cooking.

i wasn’t that excited for the menu because i absolutely thought it was going to be another cannibalism movie so when i watched it i was pleasantly surprised. i also went in completely blind, and that definitely made the experience better. one of my favorite films of 2022!

Definitely went for a cheeseburger after watching this movie 😜

Spoilers ahead: Great review overall, I especially agree with your point that although Emma Stone is a great actor; She'd probably have played a little too comedically here. But I gotta say something; I think you're thinking about the assistant lady from a normal persons point of view when you have to think of it from a crazy persons point of view for her worries to make sense lol; Sure she's ultimately going to die, but she wants to be an important part of the final sacrifice. By choosing Anya to be part of it and "replacing" her even if only for the last few hours of their lives would feel like a huge dishonour to her. She's not like "oh I'm going to die so who cares?" She's more like "this is an important thing to fulfill the menu and I hope to make an impression on the head chef in the process"

This just solidifies how perfect Anya Taylor Joy is in suspense-dramas. *SPOILERS* I thought this was going to be about cannibalism where the guests were on the menu. But the clues were there when you saw the other cooks barracks type housing and how obedient they were to Julian. I like how the Movie Star (John Leguizamo) was chosen to be a guest simply because Julian didn't like his last film. Most of the guests at the end all had that, "Yeah, I deserve this punishment" look on their faces. I hope Ralph Fiennes gets at least an Oscar nomination for this.

Saw “The Menu” two days ago and OMG I loved it!!! So much fun and I would watch anything with Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor Joy!!! They are both excellent!!!!

OK first, my cats were freaking out at your cat 😸 Second: I've been anticipating this one! I went to college with one of the writers and back in the day was a fan of his radio show and sketch comedy group. He was a few years ahead of me in school but I recognized his name immediately when I saw the trailer for the first time! I didn't manage to get out to see it this weekend, but it's part of my holiday weekend plans for sure.

I was completely expecting the hunted down men to be turned into the next meal 🙃

“It’s the emoji for me” made me and my friends crack up 😂. We quote it all the time and it’s our own inside joke haha

Margo (Erin's) final act of ordering a cheeseburger was one of the best endings I've seen in a film. I've seen so many different "takes " on this scene and explanations for why it saved her life, but I think the message is rooted in one service industry person working for another service industry person for an affordable rate. Erin is a working class social servant who is only at the restaurant because she was hired by a super wealthy man. When she sees the photo of Chef working at a burger joint, it is the only picture that shows him smiling. She is able to understand this joy as only another service industry person can--the joy of serving kind customers who also are working class servants. As a lifelong public servant who -*-barely-*- makes a living, I relate to this on a deep level. I have worked hard in my field for over 12 years and because of my financial needs (medical, housing, etc), I have needed to find employment in a wealthy town in order to make enough. I work for rich elites who treat me like trash, but I am able to push past that part of my job and remember that I serve nature and the public as a whole before anything else. When Chef cooks the cheeseburger, he is cooking for a person in the working class who will appreciate and savor the food for the sake of the food itself. And beyond the incredible flavors of a well-made classic cheeseburger, it also fulfills the most basic human need: hunger. Because Erin is a working class person who has been forced to serve her entire life to survive, she has real hunger at the restaurant. She is hungry not only for food, but for life itself. By surviving and fighting for life, we become hungry for life in ways that the wealthy elite will never understand. Much like mortality, surviving gives music to the blankness of temporal existence on earth. When Erin savors and enjoys the cheeseburger, Chef is able to finally serve someone he respects after a long road into darkness from serving only the wealthy and losing his purpose. When she asks for it "to go", he realizes that she is not part of the Menu he created for that night and finally allows her to leave in order to finish the meal as designed. She is saved because she is the only person still hungry to live and eat. The rest of the group is emptied from the sheer uselessness of their existence and lack of experiencing need. I have a short anecdote from my own life that helps to summarize my analysis. In 2019, I moved to one of the richest towns in Vermont to work for a tree company as a climbing arborist. The company paid me $18/hour and I lived in a tiny apartment and rode my bike to get around. I barely made enough to survive because the cost of living in the area was very high. Eventually I made a few friends and one of them was the great-grandson of Irving Berlin. He had been given a nice house in the mountains by his wealthy father and his family had paid for all his expensive rehab (from drugs) and most everything else. He worked as a bartender in order to "get life experience" as part of the deal for getting a free house. He paid for almost nothing. One day, after seeing a movie together, we were driving back and he literally said (outloud) that he wished he "could suffer like me". He went on to say that he had never struggled or fought for money in his life and felt he was missing out on the experiences I had as a lower class person trying to make it. He said that he wished he could have the same kind of fear and anxiety around existence so that he could actually enjoy his life in a more holistic way. Needless to say, it took my entire self-control to stop myself from yeeting out of his moving vehicle. I never wanted to hang out with him again because it was the most tone-deaf, ignorant speech I had ever heard (since this occurred I have heard worse, unfortunately). But one thing stuck with me-- he truly didn't understand what it meant to live fully. He didn't understand the fight to survive or the joy of succeeding in small ways as you grow. Even though he will always have more material comfort and money, I have something greater: substance and drive. I have the flavor of life because I truly understand what it feels like to want to die from the suffering and then rise out of the ashes of that ruin and want to live. He can burn with the rest of the vile and corrupt wealthy classes. The Menu is one of my favorite films of all time because it was a true love letter to the modern serving class. It isn't for the rich. They will never understand or enjoy the flavor of this meal because it is only for those who have experienced the hunger.

Ana Taylor joy is a phenomenal actress. Last night in Soho was the first where i saw her! (From ur review actually 😁)

So happy to hear you review this one, I'm super excited to see it! Ive always loved horror movies and have found some amazing films because of your channel. I never would've watch Triangle had you not recommended it and now it's a favorite of mine! Thank you so much for all the effort you put into these videos!!!

For me, I feel like this was more of a slow burn horror rather than a straight up horror

I love pet appearances! I think The Menu needs a second viewing. I had some questions too plot-wise, but I thoroughly enjoyed the film and so glad I saw this in the cinema with an audience!

can't believe we are nearly at the end of year xx been alright year for horror I think looking forward to hearing your 2022 fav and omg that cat content in this vid was so cute xx

Movie of the Year contender for me I loved it so much Edit: Also my theater was completely empty so nobody except my dad heard me laughing so loud.

I really liked the movie. It definitely read more as a thriller than horror to me and I love thrillers so I was just as happy.

Ralph was the best part of the film. *The Menu* made me think of an R-rated Hitchcock hour ep from the early 60's TV. And yes, *Midsommer*.

Loved this one! Nicolas Hoult seemed to be playing a modern version of his character in The Great, also a gourmet and frequently an ass. One thing I wondered about-Tyler cuts Margot/Erin off before she shares the name of the best restaurant where she was from. Does anyone else think it was Chef’s burger place?

Your cat wants to be a star, and I am here for it.

Certainly not a horror movie but if you haven't seen it, Ralph Fiennes is fantastic in Grand Budapest Hotel as well 😊

I just saw this and really enjoyed it. I laughed and laughed at the end. But then, I've always enjoyed "dark" humor. I laughed at the end of Midsommar too, by the way. As far as the parts that Sarah doesn't quite understand (in the **SPOILERS** part).... in all honesty, I'm glad that she doesn't because that's where some of the darker parts of this movie really are. All of those parts offer a commentary, but it's a very specific commentary that's a little bit hard to explain. It's mostly about making your job your life and so much an integral part of your identity that you literally *live* your job. And the people staying at the end are because they know that they are all really awful people, and they therefore accept their fate. "Margot" was not an awful person and knew it, and therefore she was spared.

I thought it was so much fun! I was really expecting it to be a lot more dramatic and thriller-y but it was such a welcome delight. Very unique and interesting.

yaaayyyy i just got home from the movies, the perfect timing! love you ❤

OoooooooOOOOIIoOooooohhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to hear your opinion because me and a friend of mine went to see a special viewing of it last Wednesday night before it came out last Friday. I thought it was SO GOOD!

The cooks are as brainwashed as the customers about the industry, which is why Elsa fights Margot. Even through she knows where they're going, she sees her position as prestigious and important as the customers see the restaurant/chef/exclusivity/etc. He's involving his cooks for the same reason he's involving the clients: he's done with ALL of it.

I absolutely loved this film, I went in to it having seen none of the trailers and it was an incredible experience

As a person who has worked in kitchens my entire career I really liked the movie. I found myself rolling my eyes both at the over indulgence of the dishes described by the chef as well as the customers trying to convince themselves this is fine dining even when they’re being literally directly insulted, like with the bread dish. At the same time I was laughing at some of the pettier things you might imagine doing to àsshole customers, like the big bowl of split emulsion he gave that one critic when she was being deliberately picky for the sake of it I didn’t read that one fight scene as pointless. A big part of kitchen culture and such is this idea of working yourself to the bone, emotionally, physically and mentally. Think back to that one scene where the same woman is asked if they get burned out and she gets almost offended. There’s a weird twisted sort of pride in allowing yourself to be work past your 8 hours, or working through your owed break because the kitchen is more important. The scene is obviously over dramtisizing it, but as much as you think. There are so many people who will work them selves practically to death and give up their entire lives, again think back to the beginning when we see their living conditions and are basically told they just work and sleep, just for the chance of being recognized. And in the end it’s useless, cause as she said, the chef never told her about the barrel. She is literally willing to give her life for this and yet he only acknowledges the mistakes that aren’t even hers. Same with that first sous chef and when he does, you see so many cooks go into the kitchen with big dreams based around the televised version of cooking, and then after working themselves to the bone, they can never achieve what they feel they must, and end up finding there’s a lot about the kitchen and that kind of career that they actually don’t want. And then you see them enter this sort of burn out, where they don’t want the life, but don’t know how to leave, now that they’ve been over worked, underpayed and under appreciated and don’t really have the resources to make a suffer career shift.

Spoiler Alert! * ** *** **** The ending of this moving felt like a good blogger watched Midsommar and wanted to do the same thing but with a restaurant 😂

Saw this today, and enjoyed it more than I was expecting ! I would also give it a 4/5. The ending scene actually reminded me a lot of Ready or Not.

I want to see this so bad but I'm afraid I might have to wait for streaming :( Can't wait to hear your thoughtsssss

i'm going to see this in an hour!! so excited!!

Aww, your cat is adorable. His coat is really unusual for a tuxedo cat. Love his alternating white and black toes. Such a cutie. ❤😻

Favorite movie of the year :) but yeah I said the same to my partner, it’s not really a horror movie. But yes the ending reminded me of Midsommar too!

I just came from watching your "Megan is Missing" review that was recommended to me and awwww

I saw a trailer, I knew things where gunna go down. Oh boy! I was not disappointed! But husband didn't see any trailers or the movie poster (it didn't even load for him when he was looking up the show times lol)

I just have to say I find the maternal vibes toward the kitty here extremely heartwarming. 🥰😆

As much as there was commentary about class, food, etc. it almost felt like a commentary on “pretentious” films like Ari Aster’s works or what someone might expect when viewing an A24 movie. Maybe the message as far as that aspect is that a lot of these movies are like the food, made with high art value but lacking in substance? I really enjoy those movies and I’m only making the comparison to Ari Aster’s works because of the similarities to Midsommar and the fact that the soundtrack was similar and done by the same person who composed Hereditary’s soundtrack.

Heyyyy! Didn’t expect to be early

There were definitely some scenes that didn't make sense, tbh. However, I enjoyed the humor aspect of the movie. I actually love the cheeseburger scene.

I love your stickers on your laptop. Especially the one about The Village. I kind of need that in my life! Do you remember where you got it?

Good video! For your question, I think why Elsa attacked Erin knowing they're dying anyway, that is because for them, it's like a religion or a cult, which side you're on while dying. Slowik even asked Erin which side was she, chef's side or smores side. Maybe they even believe some sort of afterlife for their cult. So Elsa was kinda mad and jealous knowing her close position with Slowik will change (maybe in afterlife). Maybe. As for the fighting back from the customers, Slowik even addressed in the movie, why didn't they fight even harder. I think that because they're simply not a brave fighter. They even discussed about weak knife skills compared to Slowik's strong knife armed chef/bodyguard. Without planning and only Short time, they're just scared and helpless.

Happy Monday ❤️

do we know on what platfform will The Menu be streaming?

I knew literally nothing about this movie before going into it and LOVED it! It’s exactly my type of movie and there were goats I couldn’t have asked for more.

Great review. Exicted to watch this.

Only got a few seconds in, but I realized, for movies I’m excited about, I prefer watching your reviews after I’ve watched. So, I’ll be back later!

I was looking forward to your review of this because the trailer was interesting to me, but there was something about it where I was worried it just wouldn’t *hit* I wish my theatres still did morning showings- it’s all just kid movies now 😞

My take is that the rich don't know how to fight back or survive. They never had to fight for anything in their lives so when it was clear they could not leave they didn't do anything about it. Whereas, Margot/Erin is used to surviving she never gave up in finding ways out.

Very few movies worth going to the theater for this year. Hope next year is different, I miss going to the theater.

Did anyone feel like some instances this movie reminded them of Midsommar ??? The ending some of the music at the end was very similar! Over all it was a good movie.

I saw this last night Honestly didn’t know what to expect and didn’t think I’d like as much as I did but I really liked it a lot

Seen it last night and went in having only seen like a 20/30 second long trailer and that was enough to intrigue me but not give any major plot points away, I loved that as a film I just didn’t know where it was going or how it was going to end, absolutely loved it but I agree it’s not for everyone because I feel like a lot of people want a copy and paste of a film they have seen before and this is not that kind of film

Okay firstly, i went into this movie without knowing a single thing! Literally didn’t even know it was a “horror” comedy. It was worth not knowing anything about it though.I was wondering too about that chase scene as well. But it was kinda like a hide n seek kind of ordeal. The last person who was captured got a special meal from the chef. I mean before the first guy started running, chef was going to explain the rules and everything but got interrupted. I think it’s just the funny aspect and the anticipation for us viewers. Director probably wanted us to feel the same way as the characters in the movie. We thought something terrible was going to happen but ended up being something not so bad 😂. Another thing, the fight scene with the waitress or whatever, I think she said “you will not replace me” because even tho she knew everyone was going to die ,including her, she didn’t want those last moments of her life to be replaced with someone chef just met. I’m guessing the waitress wanted to kill Margo because she saw her as a threat and she just wanted to get rid of her before she could replace her

i went into this movie COMPLETELY blind (didn't watch a single trailer, didn't even read the synopsis) and watched it bc of anya and nicholas, and i had a wonderful time watching it! i do agree that they could've gone more graphic too

A lot of fun. Great Acting & nailed the tone.

Congratulations 🎊 to you and your fiance and your new born soon to be and happy Thanksgiving!!!

Your cat (Pepe?) looks so much like my cat Bubby who is also an escape artist 😂🐈‍⬛

This movie was great for me... The casting was totally on point. The plot was intriguing enough... And that's after all the recent offerings based on the sentiment of 'eat the rich' (White Lotus, Triangle of Sadness). It was definitely a fun watch and I have revisited bits post the first time viewing. There are quite a few pointers that don't and won't make 'logical' sense but that's the idea I infer. It's somewhat open to interpretation. Read about the religious undertones which aren't blatantly brought to fore but are there and it's good that there are layers.

just watched the movie, haven't seen any trailers, i just assumed it was something related to cannibalism, which would have been an easy route, but i'm glad it wasn't. i thought it was really unique the way they shot everything and presented it like a cooking series, putting the name of the courses and everything. it has a subtle humor and i think that people who have worked in the service industry will find some parts funnier than others, because of the lived experiences they might have had.

I love pet interruptions! Bring Pepe more often 😍

This may be me projecting, but I find it funny that the first half of this video, she is essentially trying to find the nicest way to say that this movie isn't for...."simple" people, lol.

Loved the film and the performances. Love your cat : )

Awe, your kitty is gorgeous!

Are you gonna review bones and all since is somewhat of a horror

This is probably categorized best as a thriller. Most channels here call it a dark comedy but it’s a really slow burn thriller for me

Just saw the movie in theaters and the first thing I said when I saw the ending was that it reminded me of midsommar, even the music!

2:41 so according to this video the genre of 'the menu' is MEEEeoooOw, a must watch

I actually managed to avoid all spoilers and trailers before I watched it. I didn’t even know the genre, just the cast and I saw the movie poster and that’s it. It made the experience SO much more thrilling and anxiety inducing. Really really loved this film.

It definitely lacks some dusk till dawn type of gore for perfect seasoning. Nevertheless, one of more pleasant and picturesque cinematic experiences for a long time. Beautiful camera work and acting.

I wasn't really sure what to think of this movie but the ending/twist was just so absurd and funny to me that I decided I love this movie now :D

I absolutely loved this movie, my second favorite of the year. First being Barbarian

Happy thanksgiving 🍽🍁🦃

I'm definitely watching this movie after this review. I'm sold with the dry humor. Thank you!

My cat's name was Mew. We called him Mew because he didn't meow. Now Mew was a very very big part Main Mountain Coon cat. It was quirky, but also adorable to see then hear his mew, for it was so dainty and soft. Mew would bring me gifts from his outdoor ventures, and tuck them away in my bed. One time, after returning from being away for a couple of days, I showered and went to lie down from exhaustion, but I couldn't figure out why I smelt so bad, and then the elusive secrete was revealed underneath my bedding, Mew's gift. Mew was an outdoor cat. We spent hours in the barn where we had once lived, and he would follow me through the tall-bladed Medows, down to the lake where I would fish, both of us sitting and waiting for a bite on the line. I do miss my outdoors buddy very much. Yup, I had a hunch about what they all might be having for lunch, but it's ok if it doesn't turn out that way, I'll still take a look at the Menu and decide what I might have for dessert there afterward.

I felt there was heavy commentary about how pretentious people will do "anything" if someone tells them it's art+expensive lol. They're sheep hence the lack of fight they had, which ray Fiennes points out. Not thinking for themselves even when their lives are at stake. Margot gets to leave cause she didn't fit in in that way which is why I think chef was annoyed by her presence.

I was lucky enough to be invited to walk into this film by a friend who has very similar tastes to mine, which is why I trusted him blindly and didn't watch the trailer. I was definitely not disappointed and am glad I went into "The Menu" blind!

Great video! I had a blast watching The Menu!

I agree with you about the Metaness. The commentary about the world of culinary is very easily translated to the world of cinema, with the clients being the spectators. The sense of of entitlement, blind fandom, arrogant critics...

I love the fact that the Menu is a satire. It made me interested in over food horror movies like this. Also, it's in my number 1 ranking of Horror of 2022. I do own the DVD and Blu-Ray. Had watched the Menu a few more times. 🥰

This wasn't what I expected, but for me I still really enjoyed this. The marketing made me think this was going to be like another literal eat the rich/most dangerous game movie. I fully agree about the comparison to Bong Joon Ho.

love the review and the guest

I only recently saw "The Menu" for my first time and loved it... I didn't know anything about it going in, so I was pleasantly surprised. For some reason, the tone kinda reminds me of "Rubber"..

I get what you mean by meta but no being able to out it into words! I think the best way I could describe it would be how the commentary of the patrons is also reflected in us the viewer, similar parallels! 😆