The Menu is a 2022 American black comedy horror film directed by Mark Mylod and written by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy. It stars an ensemble cast consisting of Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, Judith Light, and John Leguizamo. It follows a foodie and his date travelling to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant, where the chef has prepared a lavish menu with a shocking surprise for his guests.
| The Menu | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Mark Mylod |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Peter Deming |
| Edited by | Christopher Tellefsen |
| Music by | Colin Stetson |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Searchlight Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 107 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $30 million |
| Box office | $79.6 million |
The film had its world premiere at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States on November 18, 2022, by Searchlight Pictures. It grossed $79.6 million worldwide and received positive reviews from critics. At the 80th Golden Globe Awards, Fiennes and Taylor-Joy were nominated for Best Actor and Best Actress – Musical or Comedy, respectively. The film earned five nominations, including Best Thriller Film, at the 51st Saturn Awards.
Plot
Wealthy foodie Tyler Ledford brings his date Margot Mills to Hawthorn, an exclusive restaurant on a private island operated by celebrity chef Julian Slowik. Their fellow guests are food critic Lillian Bloom and her editor Ted Feldman; wealthy regulars Richard and Anne Liebrandt; washed-up movie star George Diaz and his personal assistant Felicity Lynn; business partners Soren, Dave, and Bryce, who work for Slowik's angel investor Doug Verrick; and Slowik's alcoholic mother, Linda. The group is given a tour by maître d'hôtel Elsa, who notes that Margot is not Tyler's original guest.
Dinner begins, and Slowik introduces a series of increasingly unsettling courses. For the third course, uncomfortable truths about each guest are laser-etched on tortillas. Sous-chef Jeremy Louden kills himself at the start of the fourth course, and when Richard tries to leave, the staff cuts off his finger as a warning to the others. Unhappy with Verrick's interference, Slowik has him drowned in front of the guests. The fifth course commences with Slowik allowing himself to be stabbed by Katherine, an employee he sexually harassed. The female guests dine with Katherine, while the men are given the chance to escape the island, but Slowik's staff catches them all.
Slowik explains that the guests were invited because they have either caused him to lose his passion for his craft or exploited food artisans like himself, and states all will be dead by night's end. Since Margot's presence was unplanned, Slowik privately gives her the choice of dying with the staff or the guests. When she hesitates, he chooses the staff. Margot admits she is an escort named Erin, whose clients included Richard, who hired her to roleplay as his daughter. Slowik reveals that Tyler was informed the guests would be killed, but was so desperate to experience the restaurant that he hired Margot to replace his ex-girlfriend because Hawthorn does not seat lone diners. Invited to cook by Slowik, Tyler hastily and sloppily creates a dish that fails to live up to his pretensions. Slowik humiliates him and whispers in his ear, causing a deflated Tyler to leave the kitchen.
Slowik sends Margot to the smokehouse to retrieve a barrel needed for dessert, and she sees Tyler has hanged himself. Sneaking into Slowik's living quarters, Margot is attacked by a jealous Elsa and fatally stabs her. Margot notices a framed employee of the month award showing a young and happy Slowik cooking hamburgers. She finds a radio and calls for help before returning to the restaurant with the barrel. A Coast Guard officer arrives, convincing the guests they are saved, but reveals himself to be a line cook in disguise. Concocting a plan, Margot accuses Slowik of cooking from obsession rather than a love of food. She complains the meal was not to her liking and that she is still hungry. She requests a simple cheeseburger and french fries, which Slowik finds joy in personally preparing. After enjoying one bite, Margot asks to take her food "to go". Slowik boxes it, gives her a gift bag, and allows her to leave.
For the s'mores-inspired dessert course, the staff decorate the restaurant with sauces and crushed graham crackers, dressing the guests in marshmallow stoles and chocolate fezzes. Slowik sets the restaurant ablaze, detonating the barrel and killing the guests, staff, and himself. Watching the fire as she escapes in the Coast Guard boat, Margot eats her cheeseburger and wipes her mouth with a copy of the menu.
Cast
- Ralph Fiennes as Chef Julian Slowik
- Anya Taylor-Joy as Margot
- Nicholas Hoult as Tyler Ledford
- Hong Chau as Elsa
- Janet McTeer as Lillian Bloom
- Paul Adelstein as Ted Feldman
- John Leguizamo as George Diaz
- Aimee Carrero as Felicity Lynn
- Reed Birney as Richard Liebrandt
- Judith Light as Anne Liebrandt
- Rebecca Koon as Linda Slowik
- Rob Yang as Bryce
- Arturo Castro as Soren
- Mark St. Cyr as Dave Lorimer
- Peter Grosz as Sommelier
- Christina Brucato as Katherine Keller
- Adam Aalderks as Jeremy Louden
Production
Development
Will Tracy dined at Cornelius Sjømatrestaurant, an island restaurant outside Bergen, Norway, during a honeymoon and later suggested a story to Seth Reiss inspired by the experience. Several figures from the world of fine dining were brought on as consultants for the film, including chef Dominique Crenn, who recreated several dishes from her San Francisco restaurant Atelier Crenn for the fictional restaurant Hawthorn, and second unit director David Gelb, who was brought on to recreate the filmmaking style from his Netflix docuseries Chef's Table.
It was announced in April 2019 that Alexander Payne was attached to direct. In December 2019, the screenplay appeared on the annual Black List, a survey showcasing the most popular films still in development. By May 2020, Searchlight Pictures held the distribution rights, and Payne had left the film due to scheduling conflicts, with Mark Mylod replacing Payne as director.
Casting
In April 2019, it was announced that Emma Stone and Ralph Fiennes would star in The Menu.
In June 2021, Anya Taylor-Joy entered negotiations and was confirmed in July to replace Stone, who had left due to commitments to other projects;Hong Chau and Nicholas Hoult joined the cast the same month.John Leguizamo,Janet McTeer,Judith Light,Reed Birney,Rob Yang, and Aimee Carrero joined in September. In October, Paul Adelstein, Arturo Castro, Mark St. Cyr, Rebecca Koon and Peter Grosz were confirmed as parts of the ensemble.
Filming
Filming began on September 3, 2021, in Savannah, Georgia, with cinematographer Peter Deming and film editor Christopher Tellefsen. Film locations include the Jekyll Island shore.
Music
Colin Stetson composed the musical score, released by Milan Records on November 18, coinciding with the film's release.
Release
The Menu premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2022, and also made its US premiere at Fantastic Fest that month. It was released on November 18, 2022, in the United States in 3,211 theaters, the widest release in Searchlight's history. The film was released to digital platforms on January 3, 2023, with a Blu-ray and DVD release by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on January 17, 2023.
Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, reported that The Menu was streamed for 491 million minutes from January 2–8, 2023, ranking as the third most-streamed film of the week. The streaming aggregator Reelgood, which tracks real-time data from 5 million U.S. users for original and acquired content across SVOD and AVOD services, announced that it was the second most-streamed program in the U.S. for the week ending January 11.JustWatch, a guide to streaming content with access to data from more than 20 million users around the world, announced that The Menu was the second most-streamed horror film in Canada during the Halloween period between October 1, 2022, and October 13, 2025.
Reception
Box office
The Menu grossed $38.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $41.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $79.6 million.
In the United States and Canada, The Menu was released alongside She Said, and was projected to gross $7–10 million from 3,100 theaters in its opening weekend. It made $3.6 million on its first day, including $1 million from Wednesday and Thursday night previews. The film went on to debut to $9 million, finishing second behind holdover Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Over its second weekend, The Menu made $5.5 million (and a total of $7.6 million over the five-day Thanksgiving frame), finishing fifth. During its third weekend, the film made $3.5 million, finishing fourth.
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 336 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "While its social commentary relies on basic ingredients, The Menu serves up black comedy with plenty of flavor."Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 71 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it a 78% positive score, with 53% saying they would definitely recommend it.
Critics and commentators observed that The Menu's Hawthorn satirized several real-life fine dining restaurants, including the stylized desserts at Alinea, the goodie bag of granola at Eleven Madison Park, the catching of the restaurant's own fish at Fäviken, the "Scandi severity" of Noma and the remote island location of the Willows Inn.
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Cinema Editors | March 5, 2023 | Best Edited Feature Film – Comedy or Musical | Christopher Tellefsen | Nominated | |
| Artios Awards | March 9, 2023 | Big Budget – Comedy | Mary Vernieu, Bret Howe, Lisa Mae Fincannon, Kimberly Wistedt & Becca Burgess | Nominated | |
| Columbus Film Critics Association | January 5, 2023 | Best Film | The Menu | 9th place | |
| Best Lead Performance | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Actor Of The Year (For An Exemplary Body Of Work) | Hong Chau (for The Menu & The Whale) | Runner-up | |||
| Anya Taylor-Joy (for Amsterdam, The Menu & The Northman) | Nominated | ||||
| Breakthrough Film Artist | Hong Chau (The Menu & The Whale: for acting) | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | Seth Reiss & Will Tracy | Nominated | |||
| Frank Gabrenya Award for Best Comedy | The Menu | Nominated | |||
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | March 16, 2023 | Best Actor in a Horror Movie | Ralph Fiennes | Won | |
| Dorian Awards | February 23, 2023 | Unsung Film of the Year | The Menu | Nominated | |
| Eddie Awards | March 5, 2023 | Best Edited Feature Film (Comedy, Theatrical) | Christopher Tellefsen | Nominated | |
| Fangoria Chainsaw Awards | May 21, 2023 | Best Screenplay | Seth Reiss & Will Tracy | Nominated | |
| Fantastic Fest | September 27, 2022 | Audience Award | The Menu | Won | |
| Georgia Film Critics Association | January 13, 2023 | Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema | Mark Mylod, Seth Reiss, Will Tracy | Runner-up | |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2023 | Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Anya Taylor-Joy | Nominated | |||
| Hawaii Film Critics Society | January 13, 2023 | Best Picture | The Menu | Nominated | |
| Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress | Anya Taylor-Joy | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Screenplay | Seth Reiss & Will Tracy | Nominated | |||
| Hollywood Critics Association | February 24, 2023 | Best Comedy | The Menu | Nominated | |
| Best Original Screenplay | Seth Reiss & Will Tracy | Nominated | |||
| Hollywood Critics Association Creative Arts Awards | February 24, 2023 | Best Casting Director | Mary Vernieu and Bret Howe | Nominated | |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 16, 2022 | Best Original Score in a Horror Film | Colin Stetson | Nominated | |
| IFMCA Awards | February 23, 2023 | Best Original Score for a Horror/Thriller Film | Nominated | ||
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | December 19, 2022 | Best Original Screenplay | Seth Reiss & Will Tracy | Nominated | |
| Best Supporting Performance | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| London Film Critics' Circle | February 5, 2023 | British/Irish Actor of the Year (for body of work) | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |
| Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild | February 11, 2023 | Best Contemporary Make-Up in a Feature-Length Motion Picture | Deborah LaMia Denaver, Mazena Puksto, Donna Cicatelli, Deb Rutherford | Nominated | |
| Best Contemporary Hair Styling in a Feature-Length Motion Picture | Adruitha Lee, Monique Hyman, Kate Loftis, Barbara Sanders | Nominated | |||
| Online Association of Female Film Critics | December 20, 2022 | Best Acting Ensemble | The Menu | Nominated | |
| Portland Critics Association | January 16, 2023 | Best Ensemble Cast | Nominated | ||
| San Diego Film Critics Society | January 6, 2023 | Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |
| Best Original Screenplay | Seth Reiss & Will Tracy | Nominated | |||
| Best Ensemble | The Menu | Nominated | |||
| Satellite Awards | March 3, 2023 | Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |
| Saturn Awards | February 4, 2024 | Best Thriller Film | The Menu | Nominated | |
| Best Film Direction | Mark Mylod | Nominated | |||
| Best Film Writing | Seth Reiss and Will Tracy | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor in a Film | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress in a Film | Anya Taylor-Joy | Nominated | |||
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | December 18, 2022 | Best Original Screenplay | Seth Reiss & Will Tracy | Nominated | |
| Sunset Circle Awards | November 29, 2022 | Best Supporting Actress | Hong Chau (for The Menu & The Whale) | Nominated | |
| Best Film | The Menu | Nominated | |||
| Best Ensemble | Nominated | ||||
| Best Screenplay | Seth Reiss & Will Tracy | Runner-up | |||
| Writers Guild of America Awards | March 5, 2023 | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated |
Viewership
According to data from Showlabs, The Menu ranked third on Netflix in the United States during the week of 3–9 February 2025.