The Dark Horror Comedy Film ‘The Menu’ Surveys Some Plenty Of surprises

Anya Taylor-Joy stars in the horror comedy “The Menu” which puts the actress in the odd position of defending the menu. The film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival. In the film, it is her character’s responsibility to defend the choices of the restaurant’s cooks and chefs, who are all murderers. She told an interviewer for Rolling Stone magazine that she did not realize that “The Menu” was such a dark comedy until she had read it. “It was a big surprise to me,” she said. “I only realized once I started reading it that there were going to be some moments of complete hilarity.  The film follows a young couple on a wild night in a fancy restaurant. When the couple is subjected to a horrifying menu, they go to discover what exactly are the origins of their dinner. “The Menu” was directed by first-time feature director Mark Mylod, who describes it as “a horror comedy meets art film. It’s a combination of both.” The film stars Taylor Joy, Nicholas Hoult, and Barkhad Abdi. 

Who is in the cast?

• Ralph Fiennes as Julian Slowik
• Anya Taylor-Joy as Margot Mills 
• Nicholas Hoult as Tyler
• Hong Chau as Elsa
• Janet McTeer as Lillian Bloom
• John Leguizamo as George Díaz
• Reed Birney as Richard Liebbrandt
• Judith Light as Anne Liebbrandt
• Paul Adelstein as Ted
• Aimee Carrero as Felicity
• Arturo Castro as Soren
• Rob Yang as Bryce

Release date:

The film ‘The Menu’ had its world premiere on September 10, 2022, at the Toronto International Film Festival. and  on November 18, 2022, the film was released in the United States.

What is the film about? 

The film is the story of a couple who are in a fancy restaurant and has some unexpected items on the menu. The couple quickly becomes aware that something is not right with the menu. Taylor Joy plays housewife Violet. After her husband Tom (Nicholas Hoult) discovers that he is married to a killer, Violet doesn’t hesitate to kill him and then turns to another man at the table for help, Victor (Barkhad Abdi). The two decide to make their escape, but there is one problem: they first need to find out how they are going to get off the island. The film is set on an island where they are being held captive by a dark secret society. The film is a comedy that contains scenes of extreme violence.

What is the film like?

It is a horror comedy. The film is not easy to categorize, because it’s in between genres. It’s an art film with horror elements and each scene has a different tone and feel, yet at the same time, it blends all of the genres. It is not serious in its tone, but at times it can be quite dark. The creators wanted it to reflect the idea that most people are scared of some things or situations and don’t want to go through those things, but at the same time, they have no real reason not to go through them.

What makes this film interesting?

The film has many twists and surprises. It’s a comedy that follows a couple that gets trapped on a remote island. The characters are being held captive by a dark secret society and they have to figure out why they’re there and how to get out alive while trying to survive attacks from family members with special powers and an amusement park of horrors. The story is at times funny and at times scary.

Who can watch this film?

It’s a comedy that is for those who like horror and dark comedy. There is not a lot of blood and gore, but it isn’t too gory either. It is rated R because there are moments of extreme violence although most of the violence is off-screen. If you like good dialogue and dark humor then you would probably enjoy the film. If you like horror films then this might be right up your alley as well because there are some scary moments. Most viewers will enjoy the film, but older audiences may particularly enjoy it more than younger audiences because they will understand more of the themes.