Sometimes, the unlikeliest premises prove surprisingly fruitful. If someone pitched you a thriller set in the world of jazz drumming, you might not be immediately convinced – but Whiplash proved it could translate into pure cinema. Now, The Menu is here to bring thrills, spills, and maybe even chuckles too to the world of, er, fine-dining. The new movie from director Mark Mylod (a name you might recognise from several episodes of Game Of Thrones, as well as Succession) clashes the world of culinary excellence into a mystery-thriller with a satirical edge – sending Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult into an unforgettable night of food and frights. Check out the trailer here.
It looks like Mylod could be serving up something particularly delicious here – the trailer giving little away, but hinting at class commentary, a survival thriller bent, and bloody twists and turns. And Ralph Fiennes seems to be leaning back into vicious villainy as Chef Slowik, serving up surprises for his wealthy customers. The official synopsis keeps the mystery intact, offering just the bare bones (with a pea purée reduction): “A couple (Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) travels to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.”
The Menu is due to premiere at Toronto International Film Festival in September, and is expected to hit UK screens later in 2022. We’ll find out if this one deserves five (Michelin) stars, hopefully before the year is through.