Google Image
Antonio Jackson
Staff Writer
“The Menu” is a horror movie released exclusively to HBO in Nov. 2022. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the movie sits at a 3.5 star rating.
Directed by Mark Mylod, the film’s plot is one of more unique ones in recent years.
In the beginning of the film, there were 12 high class guests loading a boat to a private island where each individual had been invited personally to a restaurant owned and maintained by Julian Slowik, a world-renowned celebrity chef, for a meal that no one had ever eaten before.
After arriving at the island, the 12 guests were checked in but there was an unfamiliar face amongst the high-class guests. Though it did not affect the other passengers it seemed to have affected the island staff greatly.
The movie does well with setting a unique sense of horror, not from brutal imagery or unexpected events, but through an unsettling suspense throughout the entire film. From the brainwashed and almost robotic cooking staff to the food that was served to the guests.
“The Menu” displays a rare talent of putting fear into the audience without resorting to generic, overdone tropes that are expected in a typical horror film.
According to Box Office Mojo, “The Menu” earned $38,449,804 domestically and $40,412,687 internationally.
One thing that can be appreciated about the film is the way it used food to tell the entire story. Each course had its own theme and every dish had its own meaning showing bit by bit how each guest ruined Slowik’s true passion for cooking.
Each guest has a history of shady dealings and activities exposed throughout the film. Slowik secretly planned this dinner to punish and ultimately kill each guest for their corruption in the most unusual way possible, a full course meal.
Another aspect that I admired about “The Menu” is its perfect amount of comedic relief. However, the movie does appeal more to people with a darker sense of humor than others.
With the film not being one of the more traditional genres of horror, it was a nice touch for the writers to add carefully placed comedic touches to keep viewers guessing as to what will happen next.
Overall, I believe “The Menu” was a brilliant masterpiece that prepared a full course meal of suspense, drama, and even fear for the audience to consume. The film did a great job keeping me on edge with each second that passed.
Not many movies have the ability to establish a sense of fear without having to over rely on the generic and cliché horror movie tactics like, such as a jump scare or disturbing imagery.
“The Menu” is commendable for its cleverness and originality, and I recommend it for everyone to experience.
