The Menu

[Buzzrock 14920]

Just watched it on HBO and loved it. Sure you can poke some holes in it but it’s a satire and kind of one big joke/send-up of food snobbery. Really dark and funny.

[RPM 26320]

Watched it last night. Thought it was excellent.

Spoiler

I called the fake Coast Guard guy the second he was on screen. No uniform, generic hat.

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by RPM

[Da Fino 2783]

Just finished it. This was my kind of movie. I hated it.

[victory88 5668]

Fantastic movie!  I really enjoyed it.

[tx 3 putt 76957]

5 minutes ago, victory88 said:

Fantastic movie!  I really enjoyed it.

 

same

[Hank_Hill 18807]

I would fuck that chess playin alien so hard

[YChang 3444]

It was both an interesting and very silly movie. Also super jarring to see Judith Light for me in something that’s not Who’s the Boss. 

Edited January 16, 2023 by YChang

[HamsterHookah 112]

8 hours ago, YChang said:

It was both an interesting and very silly movie. Also super jarring to see Judith Light for me in something that’s not Who’s the Boss. 

She, along with one of the Verrick Tech bros, was in HBO's Succession, which made me think there are probably others and the HBO casting person went to the HBO bench first.

[Deej 76790]

She was also in the "American Crime Story" series about the Versace murder. 

[MissingInAction 25076]

There are 3 genres I am an absolute sucker for:

Revenge porn

Dog movies

Elitist cocksuckers getting their comeuppance. Always extra fun when said elitist is played by an actual elitist cocksucker.

Would love to see Gwynneth Paltrow get slowly tortured to death, or Chevy Chase.

Edited January 17, 2023 by MissingInAction

[HamsterHookah 112]

4 hours ago, MissingInAction said:

There are 3 genres I am an absolute sucker for:

Revenge porn

Dog movies

Elitist cocksuckers getting their comeuppance. Always extra fun when said elitist is played by an actual elitist cocksucker.

Would love to see Gwynneth Paltrow get slowly tortured to death, or Chevy Chase.

You have some serious issues man

[MissingInAction 25076]

12 hours ago, HamsterHookah said:

You have some serious issues man

You new here?

[Storm the Field 5294]

Watched it tonight on a whim. Hadn't really heard much about it, but kept seeing references to on various sites, so figured there had to be something worthwhile. Honestly was expecting something totally different, more of a serious thriller.

Anyways, I loved it. I enjoy cooking as much as anyone and trying all kinds of restaurants, but I can't stand the whole "hard-edged avant garde chef"/"10-course $500 meal where you get 1 teaspoon of each deconstructed dish" scene. This was such a welcome skewering of the whole thing. 

 Was watching by myself and still had some genuine laugh out loud moments:

Spoiler

1. When "Tyler's Bullshit" popped up on the screen as one of the courses, described as "Undercooked lamb, inedible shallot-leek butter sauce, utter lack of cohesion."

2. Fiennes' monologue regarding S'mores "the most offensive assault on the human palette ever contrived...what transforms this fucking monstrosity is fire" while fitting the dinner guests with their marshmallow bibs and chocolate hats.

 

[speed817 19271]

Me watching The Menu.....

 

 

[C-Man 27225]

Watched it tonight and I thought it was outstanding.

[Stringer 1439]

Watched a lot of it last night again. Hong Chau’s line reading of “tortillas deliciosa” is the funniest shit ever.

[RPM 26320]

Convinced a coworker to watch it the other night. He was freaking out. Holy Shit! WTF? Are you kidding me? He thinks it might be the greatest movie ever. And that was a damn good cheeseburger.

Trying to get him to watch Wind River next.

Edited February 3, 2023 by RPM

[someguy 1508]

I legit think about that cheeseburger like twice a week.

[RPM 26320]

21 minutes ago, someguy said:

I legit think about that cheeseburger like twice a week.

I'm going to have to get a double/double Herdburger this weekend.

[C-Man 27225]

45 minutes ago, RPM said:

I'm going to have to get a double/double Herdburger this weekend.

You fucker. My in-laws have a place up near Jacksboro and I crave Herdburgers all the fucking time.

['stache 21815]

Watched it last night, really enjoyed it, didn't do much research in advance and thought it was pure satire, didn't expect the psychological and death stuff. I was also kinda high, wanted to be sure I understood the ending correctly.

Spoiler

Chef Slowik's problem was the elite paying out the ass for his art and not appreciating it, and the whole culture went a direction that he hated. Margot asking for a simple cheeseburger and appreciating it is why Chef let her go, because she was not the same as the others he was out to snuff. She wasn't supposed to be there to begin with and he was gonna go ahead and follow through with killing everyone, but that gesture changed his view on her and showed she didn't deserve the same fate. Correct?

 

Edited February 10, 2023 by 'stache

[WBT 20571]

7 hours ago, 'stache said:

Watched it last night, really enjoyed it, didn't do much research in advance and thought it was pure satire, didn't expect the psychological and death stuff. I was also kinda high, wanted to be sure I understood the ending correctly.

  Reveal hidden contents

Chef Slowik's problem was the elite paying out the ass for his art and not appreciating it, and the whole culture went a direction that he hated. Margot asking for a simple cheeseburger and appreciating it is why Chef let her go, because she was not the same as the others he was out to snuff. She wasn't supposed to be there to begin with and he was gonna go ahead and follow through with killing everyone, but that gesture changed his view on her and showed she didn't deserve the same fate. Correct?

 

More or less.  He was also willing to give her a shot because she was a working girl and not a rich asshole or critic.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

For me, the ending was foreshadowed by the conversation Chef Julian and Margot shared in his office. When he was asking her about her job and she his. We 'get' that later when she spies the newspaper article of the young Julian flipping burgers and then our 'aha' moment when she orders the cheeseburger that he happily cooks. They gave each other 'pleasure' in their own way; his was creating artistry through food that people enjoyed eating and hers was making people 'happy' if only for a moment (and usually for a price). So she lives.

We really liked the movie. I had read that initially Emma Stone was cast for Margot but had to drop out due to a conflict. Although I admire Stone's acting, I think Anya Taylor-Joy was great. She and Nicholas Hoult played off each other very well.

[mdmost 43001]

On 1/16/2023 at 9:57 AM, YChang said:

It was both an interesting and very silly movie. Also super jarring to see Judith Light for me in something that’s not Who’s the Boss. 

You really missed out on her spectacular run on the Dallas sequel series on TNT that only made it three seasons. It was worth it for this scene alone:

 

I thought the movie was fantastic. Some great moments of comedy like the title cards for each course and the chocolate hats and marshmallow coats. I enjoyed it so much more than Triangle of Sadness. 

Edited February 12, 2023 by mdmost

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

10 hours ago, mdmost said:

I thought the movie was fantastic. Some great moments of comedy like the title cards for each course and the chocolate hats and marshmallow coats. I enjoyed it so much more than Triangle of Sadness. 

The sommelier was a side hoot too. We've watched the movie more than once now and it keeps on giving things we didn't pick up the first go around.

[HamsterHookah 112]

On 2/12/2023 at 9:06 AM, Mrs Whiggins said:

The sommelier was a side hoot too. We've watched the movie more than once now and it keeps on giving things we didn't pick up the first go around.

Fun fact: the sommelier was one of the "car guys" in the long-running (and polarizing/hated) Sonic drive-in commercials.

Edited February 15, 2023 by HamsterHookah

[C-Man 27225]

On 2/10/2023 at 12:12 PM, 'stache said:

Watched it last night, really enjoyed it, didn't do much research in advance and thought it was pure satire, didn't expect the psychological and death stuff. I was also kinda high, wanted to be sure I understood the ending correctly.

  Hide contents

Chef Slowik's problem was the elite paying out the ass for his art and not appreciating it, and the whole culture went a direction that he hated. Margot asking for a simple cheeseburger and appreciating it is why Chef let her go, because she was not the same as the others he was out to snuff. She wasn't supposed to be there to begin with and he was gonna go ahead and follow through with killing everyone, but that gesture changed his view on her and showed she didn't deserve the same fate. Correct?

 

 

On 2/10/2023 at 7:48 PM, WBT said:

More or less.  He was also willing to give her a shot because she was a working girl and not a rich asshole or critic.

 I figured that she sort of returned Fiennes back to his introduction to cooking, back when it was more "pure" than it was currently in the space he was cooking. Whether she tricked him into letting her go or not, I don't know. It might've been as simple as some of you have said where he knew she was not there willingly and wasn't part of the rich, asshole elite and therefore didn't deserve that fate.

[Billy Pilgrim 1963]

5 hours ago, C-Man said:

 

 I figured that she sort of returned Fiennes back to his introduction to cooking, back when it was more "pure" than it was currently in the space he was cooking. Whether she tricked him into letting her go or not, I don't know. It might've been as simple as some of you have said where he knew she was not there willingly and wasn't part of the rich, asshole elite and therefore didn't deserve that fate.

The cooking staff weren’t part of the elitist crowd and didn’t deserve their fate either. Still haven’t completely figured out why he let her go.

[C-Man 27225]

10 minutes ago, Billy Pilgrim said:

The cooking staff weren’t part of the elitist crowd and didn’t deserve their fate either. Still haven’t completely figured out why he let her go.

But they'd made a pact with Fiennes that they were all going down together. He was like their Jim Jones or something -- and they were playing their part in the most "perfect Menu" ever done. I dunno.

Edited February 15, 2023 by C-Man

[Augustus 3061]

I gave this one a fair shot, I think, but it was too absurd for me.

"Snobby people are shallow and boring" isn't profound, and I didn't find the way they chose to satirize them terribly clever.  I think the South Park guys would be far more creative with that topic.

It did have some funny quips, and ATJ is always a joy to observe.  

Edited February 15, 2023 by Augustus

[HamsterHookah 112]

48 minutes ago, Augustus said:

I gave this one a fair shot, I think, but it was too absurd for me.

"Snobby people are shallow and boring" isn't profound, and I didn't find the way they chose to satirize them terribly clever.  I think the South Park guys would be far more creative with that topic.

It did have some funny quips, and ATJ is always a joy to observe.  

This was me too. I'm actually a little surprised at how beloved this has been. 

[mdmost 43001]

1 hour ago, Billy Pilgrim said:

The cooking staff weren’t part of the elitist crowd and didn’t deserve their fate either. Still haven’t completely figured out why he let her go.

The cooking staff were under his command/sway. They were zealots. Who knows how long they all lived on that island. Same reason the one guy killed himself as part of the menu because he would never be as good as Chef. I think it also speaks as a criticism of restaurant kitchen culture where head chefs used to get away with murder and the staff who help make the restaurant unique are nameless, faceless people. It's also why the one girl stuck with him even though he sexually harassed her repeatedly over multiple years. He admitted his guilt when adding her portion to the menu as a way to atone for what he had become. The rest of the staff were fine with dying because they were a part of his cult. They didn't deserve their fate but they also chose to be a part of it, like Jim Jones followers knowingly drinking the kool aid or Branch Davidians going out in a blaze of glory. 

He let her go simply because she got through to him on the most basic level and he finally got back in touch with why he became a chef in the first place. The staff wasn't going to stop her because he didn't want that to happen. His menu was still intact since she never belonged there in the first place. 

[Buzzrock 14920]

I gave this one a fair shot, I think, but it was too absurd for me.
"Snobby people are shallow and boring" isn't profound, and I didn't find the way they chose to satirize them terribly clever.  I think the South Park guys would be far more creative with that topic.
It did have some funny quips, and ATJ is always a joy to observe.  

This was me too. I'm actually a little surprised at how beloved this has been. 

Y’all must like all them fancy pants restaurants.

[blacklab 11929]

I loved it.

Only thing unbelievable part of the story for me was they had a hamburger bun and american cheese ready to go in the back somewhere.

[HornPhD 1368]

On 1/16/2023 at 4:37 PM, HamsterHookah said:

She, along with one of the Verrick Tech bros, was in HBO's Succession, which made me think there are probably others and the HBO casting person went to the HBO bench first.

One of the bros was in Narcos

[C-Man 27225]

I loved it.
Only thing unbelievable part of the story for me was they had a hamburger bun and american cheese ready to go in the back somewhere.

Staff meal

[Vito Andolini 9126]

Watched it tonight and really enjoyed it. I guffawed out loud more than in some broad comedies I’ve watched over the years, the dark humor usually hitting its mark (as noted above, often helped by the on scene menu descriptions). Fiennes was spot on, Taylor-Joy was alienesque and interesting and Hoult was annoying, so he nailed his role, too. Two (severed) thumbs up! 

Edited February 16, 2023 by Vito Andolini

[someguy 1508]

The reason he let her go was a darker version of this scene in Ratatouille.  Margot saw the picture of Chef posing at the burger joint in his residence.  In asking for a well made cheeseburger, she cut through all the pretension and reconnected him to what originally made him love cooking and set him on the path to being the best chef in the world.  Travelling that path and being immersed in food culture ultimately corrupted his original, pure, love of cooking.  He lovingly made a humble and honest dish that looked absolutely delicious - what a chef should be without all the pretentious crap that status signaling foodie culture dumps all over it.  That moment softens him enough to let her go, but doesn't ultimately make him reverse course on his overall plan.

[Augustus 3061]

On 2/15/2023 at 6:53 PM, Buzzrock said:

 

 

Y’all must like all them fancy pants restaurants.

 

 

 

I enjoy a good restaurant but not a pretentious one.  I despise that in any context.

My favorite restaurant is The Slogar in Crested Butte, CO.  They bring out a plate of deliciously fried chicken, a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy, corn and a plate of biscuits and you go to town, family style.  Ice cream for dessert.  Heaven.

 

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by Augustus

['stache 21815]

I'm up for super fancy and expensive from time to time, but there needs to be some actual food to eat. I have zero desire to go to one of the tiny plate places with more science than food and microgreens placed for aesthetics. It makes zero sense to me. I watch a lot of cooking shows but there's a line that I say "nope."

[MoJames 8244]

7 minutes ago, Augustus said:

My favorite restaurant is The Slogar in Crested Butte, CO.  They bring out a plate of deliciously fried chicken, a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy, corn and a plate of biscuits and you go to town, family style.  Ice cream for dessert.  Heaven.

[Herpa Derpa 6126]

13 minutes ago, Augustus said:

 

I enjoy a good restaurant but not a pretentious one.  I despise that in any context.

My favorite restaurant is The Slogar in Crested Butte, CO.  They bring out a plate of deliciously fried chicken, a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy, corn and a plate of biscuits and you go to town, family style.  Ice cream for dessert.  Heaven.

 

 

Ok, Tyler. Now put your phone away and eat.

[HamsterHookah 112]

52 minutes ago, Augustus said:

 

I enjoy a good restaurant but not a pretentious one.  I despise that in any context.

My favorite restaurant is The Slogar in Crested Butte, CO.  They bring out a plate of deliciously fried chicken, a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy, corn and a plate of biscuits and you go to town, family style.  Ice cream for dessert.  Heaven.

 

 

Like Babe's, but worse. Sweet.

[Mo Horn 8840]

Watched it this morning. Absolutely loved it. I'm a total foody, and I love dark comedy, so best of everything. 

[South Austin 52500]

Just watched it last night and thought it was fantastic.  I didn't really know what to expect except that it was going to be dark.  But my surprise at just how fucking dark it was made it that much more enjoyable.

Great cast that knocked it out of the park in portraying various levels of societal douchery, especially Hoult.  Fiennes owned this film.

Those who didn't like this movie are the same kind of people who loved Calling Dr. Sunshine.

[hornmpa96 2618]

Finally saw this today. That was an enjoyable ride. I didn’t expect the many laugh-out loud moments.

The scissors in the Al Pastor chicken was fun.

[66BUFF 2562]

On 2/17/2023 at 3:38 PM, Augustus said:

 

I enjoy a good restaurant but not a pretentious one.  I despise that in any context.

My favorite restaurant is The Slogar in Crested Butte, CO.  They bring out a plate of deliciously fried chicken, a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy, corn and a plate of biscuits and you go to town, family style.  Ice cream for dessert.  Heaven.