Even your hot dishes are cold.

On first seeing the trailer for the 2022 film, The Menu, my thoughts on what the film was attempting to be were muddled at best. Is it a dark comedy, or a thriller about a renowned chef that has officially gone off the rails, or a film about the delicacies and artfulness that come within the fine dining experience. Thankfully, The Menu somewhat blends all of these themes, and manages to get your adrenaline flowing a tad, all while having some genuine laughs throughout as well. Did The Menu provide a four course meal, or did we grab the check after our appetizers? Let’s find out on this weeks post of Gaber’s Two Cents.

The film begins in a seemingly simple manner as Nicholas Hoult and Anya Taylor-Joy’s characters board a ship headed for the renowned Island of Tybee, home to the prestigious five-star restaurant known as Hawthorne’s. Here, we are introduced to the head chef, Julian Slowik, portrayed with enigmatic intensity by Ralph Fiennes, who embodies the perfectionist and deranged connoisseur character with ease. While I have always appreciated the past work of Fiennes and Taylor-Joy, I approached Nicholas Hoult’s performance with some reservations. However, I was pleasantly surprised by his portrayal of the ‘Culinary Douche’ archetype. Hoult visibly relishes every scene, infusing it with delightful charm and character through subtle mannerisms and disdainful reactions towards his companions’ lack of decorum. This infusion of exposition, along with our introduction to these captivating characters, sets the film on an entrancing note.

The side characters who join the dining retreat truly shine, and among them, John Leguizamo delivers a standout performance with his restrained yet charismatic portrayal of a washed-up actor whose popularity has waned in recent years. Side characters can only bring so much to the table when attempting to get the audience to care about someone with limited screen time. However, that becomes obsolete when you have excellent performances from your main and supporting cast. Since the film spends most of it’s 107 minute runtime set within a dining hall, it’s reassuring to see that the supporting characters received the same care of writing as our central trio.

Protagonists are great, but what about the films main antagonist? Ralph Fiennes delivers several monologues throughout the film that range from hilarious to down right disturbing. He does it with such comfort that the audience along with the supporting characters don’t know if they should laugh or ask for the check. It’s a relief too, since writers Seth Reiss and Will Tracy could have easily fumbled such a unique character. Good writing can make a performance great, and a good performance can elevate the material, thankfully none of that applies if both sides are firing on all cylinders. Fiennes deadpan comedic style flows well with the ambiguous direction and it shows.

Okay enough about performances, is the story served to perfection, or was it as stale as the bread? Admittedly, the story is nothing to write home about. Some of the biggest issues that plague thrillers today are how absent the actual thrills are within the films. This is no different in The Menu, which actually describes itself as a genre blend, as a Horror/Comedy. While there are certainly laughs to be had, the actual horror aspect of the film is simply not there. This would be fine if the film wasn’t marketed as one, however for a project that wants to get under your skin, it certainly remains reserved on that front. Does this hurt the film catastrophically? No, but it certainly doesn’t help the demographic that the marketing team was attempting to cater to. If a loved one or friend become squeamish from the cheap jump scares and gore contained in those films, then have them check this one out since none of those genre staples are present here.

Without going into too much spoiler territory, the films third act wraps up quite well. With the conclusion going out on a literal bang, all plot threads come to a close without the audience having to assess any lingering questions that have yet to be answered by the films end. Which helps to bring the film full circle by providing each character with an arc that gives both closure and finality.

All in all the film’s story is not the reason to watch The Menu. It is the characters that inhabit this mysterious dinner experience that bring gratification to the viewer. Without the all around excellent performances, the film would have a lot more trouble holding the attention of it’s esteemed guests. The food was great but could have used a touch of seasoning, all that and more is why The Menu received this particular Cent Score.

Cent Score: 3 Cents

The pros outweigh the cons, sit back, don’t think too much and you’ll be fine.

Thanks for checking out this weeks Rojo’s pick of the Month. Feel free to tap that thumb’s up button down below and subscribe if you want to be notified for new posts each week. Check back next week for an all new Comics piece. I’ll see you all next time on Gaber’s Two Cents.