Mark Mylod’s The Menu is a razor-sharp culinary nightmare a film that slices through the pretensions of haute cuisine and the grotesque wealth that sustains it with the precision of a chef’s knife. Part dark comedy, part psychological horror, this viciously entertaining satire serves up a multi-course indictment of privilege, artistry, and the emptiness of consumption, all while making you squirm in your seat.

Ralph Fiennes delivers a masterclass in controlled menace as Chef Slowik, a culinary genius whose exclusive island restaurant promises an unforgettable experience for its elite guests. Among them is Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy, radiating wary intelligence), an unexpected last-minute addition who becomes the only diner seemingly immune to the evening’s escalating absurdity. The tension builds with each meticulously plated course, as Chef’s true intentions and the disturbing rules of his gastronomic theater become horrifyingly clear.

What makes The Menu so thrilling is its tonal tightrope act. Screenwriters Seth Reiss and Will Tracy balance biting humor with genuine dread, skewering foodie culture (the scene involving a "breadless bread course" is pure genius) while crafting a claustrophobic thriller where every exchanged glance carries weight. The supporting cast including Nicholas Hoult as a fawning fanboy and Hong Chau as the restaurant’s chillingly efficient maître d’ elevates the film from clever premise to full-blown cinematic feast.

Visually, the film mirrors the cold perfectionism of its setting: stark, symmetrical compositions make the restaurant feel like a gilded cage, while the food itself is shot with fetishistic detail (though you may never look at a s’more the same way again). The score, a mix of eerie choral arrangements and unsettling strings, completes the atmosphere of elegant unease.

If the film falters slightly, it’s in its third act, where the satire gives way to more conventional thriller beats. Some may find its ultimate message a touch obvious though it’s delivered with such style that it’s hard to mind.

The Menu is that rare film that’s both wildly entertaining and whip-smart a dish best served with a side of existential dread. By the time the final course arrives, you’ll be left with a deliciously bitter aftertaste, wondering whether you just watched a horror movie, a comedy, or the most honest Yelp review ever written.