The Christian Newsletter

Movie Review: The Menu

(Warning this review does contain spoilers!)

This movie was just...wow.

The other day, I was scrolling through Tik-Tok, and I stumbled upon a video by (@ horror_chronicles), and she was reviewing the movie, The Menu. I was immediately interested in it and decided to rent it. Anyway, I watched it and wow, just wow. Firstly, the plot was AMAZING. I loved how it didn't take ages to get to the plot, and from the beginning of the movie, the plot was building towards the climax of the story. Most mystery/thriller/horror movies are kill, kill, kill, etc. There isn't much plot besides that some killer is killing people. But with The Menu, there was so much room for both the plot to form and killing that it came together beautifully. And the murders weren't outrageous where you roll your eyes because there's really no way they can realistically take place. The murders in The Menu were so realistic it was captivating because they could really happen (besides the ending mass-murder that was a little much). I was never really scared throughout the movie, which is something I like. When I watch a movie, I don't want to be scared, I want to enjoy the masterpiece that it is.

Anya Taylor Joy's character (Margot) played one of the best female protagonists in a movie that I've seen in a long time. I love how Margot wasn't over-dramatic or girly-girly as most female protagonists are in mystery/thriller movies. She held confidence throughout the movie, and I loved seeing how at first when the murders began, she was scared but then when Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) kept seeking her out, she stood up to him and never backed down, a tool that helped save her in the end. I loved how when Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) began to be rude and down-right awful to Margot, she calmly told him that he didn't have the right to speak to her like that and he needed to apologize. I also loved the part where she quite literally on her hands and knees raced/flew over the table and punched him when she found out that Tyler in fact knew that going to island would end in them dying.

I think that was my favorite part because I loved how Chef Slowik never stepped in to stop her, he allowed her to beat him up of course two of the guards pried her off Tyler, but Chef Slowik never did. Seriously, Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) was such an amazing antagonist. I loved how calm he was throughout the movie, which is rare to see in sociopaths in movies. He never raised his voice, and he never killed anyone; he had his little minions do that for him. But even when he was addressing them, his voice was always calm, and he never grew angry with them. At times, he honestly seemed like a robot. But honestly, he made the movie so beautiful, unique, and, through simplicity, brought sophistication.

There are only two things I would change about the movie, one for me personally, there was an over-use of cussing. I understand that Tyler cussed the most, and it was a part of foreshadowing the personality of who he was, but I still feel like it was over-kill when it came to cussing. And two, as a dark romance girly, y'all already know I REALLY WANTED there to be some romance between Margot and Chef Slowik. I mean, he's older, morally grey, and is a sociopath, while Margot is wild and stubborn. Like it seriously would be such a good dark romance story. I mean, when he sought her out in the bathroom and summoned her to his office, I was like, 'Okay, here we go some dark romance!' But sadly, no. And then when Chef Slowik slowed Margot Tyler's body in the closet (the scene is too graphic to describe on here) and told her, 'Now you're free.' I swooned, y'all I SWOONED. Like imagine if he came up behind her, whispered those words in her ear, his warm breath on her neck, it slightly moves her hair, before walking away. Oh my gosh, I would faint.

So yeah, this movie is a 5 star for me. lol:)