“You will eat less than you desire but more than you deserve,” Elsa (Hong Chau). Such a brilliant line that ties it all up.

I'm shocked nobody commented on the decision to include the ingredients for each dish... The entire theater laughed out loud when they captioned Tyler's dish 😂

The only dish the chef actually prepared, himself, is the cheeseburger. He has all his lower chefs cooking all the dishes he thought of because he doesn't find joy in cooking them. He only truly found joy in preparing a cheeseburger that anyone could enjoy regardless of their class

Alot of people ignore the fact that margot paid with cash, and not with a card like everyone else. Not only does it remind us that shes not supposed to be there, it also reminds the chef of the years he spent flipping burgers, not caring about money. Now, he is just an artist whose work cant be appreciated by the people he serves. This is truly an exceptional movie

also the fact that tyler KNEW he (and everyone) was gonna die and yet he still decided to take pictures and make content out of it

I loved the birthday cake "You guys told them it was my birthday?" "It seemed really funny three hours ago..."

Honestly Slowik is the biggest fraud in that room. He had enough power to just walk away and setup a new burger place that would make him happy, but instead he decided to terrorize and victimize other people along with idiot yet loyal chefs. be like Margot, learn to step away. You don't save an already burning house, you take your passport and get out.

I think Slowik whispered to Tyler that he was unworthy of dying in "The Menu" and should go off and do it himself. Which is why Tyler's reaction was so horrified. He was so eager to fit in and be liked by Slowik to the point that he was OK with dying, but being told that he didn't deserve the same fate as the other diners broke his spirit. Yet he still did what he was told and hung himself because he was still under the illusion that Slowik was God and he should approve of everything he says and does.

I love his explanation about the history of bread. It's the hardworking common-man's food. And ultimately, his pretentious unworthy diners did not deserve it.

The reason why he chose and invited the actor was HILARIOUS

I loved when Margot/Erin crawled across the table to slap the s**t out of Tyler when she found out he KNEW they would die! I cheered for her!

On a rewatch I noticed that some of the guests yell “We love you, Chef” with the cooks in the s’mores scene. I think that really adds to the idea that even they think they deserve this.

if you look at it through julian slowik's lens, it's basically a revenge story. He hated every single one of the guests except for Margot, they both share the same pain sacrificing their life working in the service industry

I also think that because everyone apart from margot comes from a privileged background, they didn’t attempt to survive or fight back much because they are just not used to having to fight for things. When you have everything and u can easily get things other people can’t for survival, for their needs and wants, you get complacent. And this is what i interpreted by the businessman’s wife gesturing for margot to leave.

My favorite part of the movie was when Chef asks the assistant what school she went to and she says, “Brown.” He then asks if she had student loans and when she says “No,” he says, “You die.” 😂

And the fact that Tyler had been corresponding w/the Chef for months AND originally invited his gf says a lot about his back story. Sounds as though he knew she was on the verge of leaving him so planned this extravagant gesture hoping she’d not refuse. But he really was, in essence, planning a murder/suicide. So the chef would have known that. In the end, I find it so interesting that the Chef was so incensed by Tyler’s arrogance, lack of respect, lack of humanity, and dishonesty that he wasn’t willing to “serve up”Tyler’s death. He decided Tyler would cook his own food and kill himself by his own hand. In the chef’s twisted, sick mind, Tyler wasn’t “worthy” of being part of the final course.

I don't think Margo asked for a cheeseburger merely because she could enjoy it unironically, but also because she saw Slowik's old employee of the month photo from when he started out flipping burgers. She could see that, even with a humble beginning like flipping burgers, he still felt joy, instead of the emptiness he felt as a luxury chef at the pinnacle of his craft. In addition, as a sex worker, Margo probably has the emotional intelligence to sense what it's like inside a man's head (at least with respect to straight men). (We know Slowik is straight because of how he sexually harassed Katherine.) I think she figured out from Slowik's employee of the month photo that asking for a burger would mess with Slowik's head & unrattle him. That gave her the psychological opening she needed to role play & negotiate her way out of the situation, which ultimately saved her life.

I love the part where the dude is hiding in the chicken coops, literally he's a chicken lol, and one of the cooks politely hands him a dessert made with a golden egg!! I laughed so hard at that!!!

My sister is a pastry chef in Savannah where the movie was filmed. She was a chef in this movie. She is in the clip serving the food critic a plate at the table.

Slowick wouldn't scoff at the burger because he was truly happy when he was flipping them. It meant a memory of a simpler time. The cheeseburger cooking scene was one of my favorite scenes in a movie. Her eating that burger made Slowick smile if you pay attention to his face.

My favorite moment was when Slovik asked the two regulars to remember a single dish that he'd made for them. The look on his face, the way he's teary-eyed but not really crying, mocking them but not for his own enjoyment, just because he's disappointed, made me feel horrible. I didn't want to see them name a dish for their sake, but just to give him recognition.

One of the best parts of the movie for me is that the movie made me feel okay with everyone dying. Generally, the audience wants to root for the people to survive. This movie made me feel different.

I think a lot of us have sneaked out for a late night cheeseburger after dumping a lot of money on unsatisfying, tiny, morsels of fine dining. That part spoke to me personally.

Tyler knew he was going to die and still took photos. There was no cell signal on the island, so he couldn't post or send them. He didn't take them to show to people. He took them because he'd be the kind of guy to think 'that's what you do with good food'

I loved the part when the chef accepted the role he played in creating a toxic work environment and how he took his punishment, the same way he punished his dad.

I'd like to think that even the cheeseburger is well calculated move by Slovik. We all already know that he planned the evening meticulously, until he met Margo/ Erin. I'd like to think that during the 15 minutes he gave her to think which side she's on, he's already thinking of a plan B, and slowly putting his plan in motion. To ask her to get the barrel, and asked Elsa to give her the keys, well knowing that that will piss Elsa off and get them into a conflict. Leading to Margo finding the room, his humble beginnings, and also to radio Dale (big LOL moment). Love the tiny detail where he put out the candle too with his hand just for Dale to light it back up. And then finally, the look on his face when Margo finally made the order, it seemed to me as thou this is what he really desired, that he's so glad that his plan worked out, where Margo would be the only person to be able to pull this off, and he is able to partake in the joy of preparing food for a customer one last time before the finale. (Also note that he mentioned he doesn't remember the last time he actually cooked for a customer). Just my two cents, or maybe I'm just over complicating this. Great film nonetheless

I'm a former prof chef who worked in restaurants like this much of my career. The movie is partly about class - those who expect to be wowed for just showing up but who scoff at the ones they expect to do their wowing. Its a big reason why I left the Industry because I got tired of feeling I was catering to the whims of the obnoxious, who didn't understand the work and dedication that went into procuring the food and making the meal. The skill is more than about cooking technically. Chefs have to be mental mathematicians, project managers and low-key chemists. I also remembered that everyone deserves high quality food, not just rich ppl. I grew up very poor and it became an affront to me to look out to the guests and no one looked like me or like they came from where I come from. It's not the entirety of the movie but that's the subject matter that really grabbed me.

I'd like to note that Slowik says to Margo that she shouldn't be here tonight not as a diss but as a mercy. "You aren't the sinner here"

The Menu, triangle of sadness , glass onion, the white lotus... these recent years have been great for satires. Ralph Fiennes proved his class once again. ate up every frame he was in. such a goddamn Good actor

I laughed out loud so much during this, especially when Tyler is made to cook lmao the chefs commentary during that was so good

I think there is some real nuance in this film between Margo and the Head Chef. I particularly liked the theme of us vs them and the recognition that Margo was also a provider and not a taker. Chef makes the decision early on that she is a taker and categorises her with the guests but as Margo proves later on, she, like chef, is also a master of her craft. Her craft is to find whatever makes her customer happy and highten that experience for them (which i think was another subtle reason we were told about the rich mans fantasy). She does this with chef when she sees him as a burger flipper and ultimately plays on this to provide chef with a pleasurable experience. I think part of the reason chef let her go was because in that moment he realised she IS a provider and an equal to him, a master of her craft.

That whole 'Brown with no student loan' line of questioning was hilarious... It was great because she just accepted it - she totally knew why.

13:40 The business mans wife probably gestures Erin (Margot's real name) to leave because she reminds her of their deceased daughter. You can see it at the beginning of the film where the lady was pointing at Tylers table and she kept pointing at Erin saying " she looks like Claire". It could be a possibility that the lady might be aware of her husbands sexual abuse towards their daughter ( which could be one cause of her early death) so allowing Erin go is a way for forgiveness and also to alleviate the guilt. But that is just my two cents.

Hi there! Your analysis is incredible, and I just wanted to share an additional thought! I’ve worked in the fine dining industry for years, and my coworkers who’ve seen the movie unanimously interpret another, non-conflicting layer of satire in this film. I really feel this movie is also a satire of how the fine dining industry cannibalizes itself; elevating food to the point of absurdity, giving their crew less and less work-life balance until the line no longer exists, becoming cult like, and ultimately, in some cases, killing their employees, via stress, neglected mental health, or constant subjection to dangerous work conditions. I really felt like The Menu held up a grisly mirror to what restaurants can become. I really agree with your interpretation! I just feel there’s another layer that’s pointed specifically at people who work in restaurants. I’m not that articulate, but I just thought I’d share my thoughts!

There are few but VERY powerful moments in the script that shed a glimpse into the deep-seated trauma of the Chefs relationship with his parents and the dysfunctional childhood that forged his personality and let's the audience know that this is a guy who genuinely tried to follow his passion in life but was ultimately corrupted and destroyed by the never-ending shittiness of other human beings and finally snapped.

You left out the mother. Also, Chef relates a story of abuse from his childhood in Iowa, then later states he 'grew up in Bratislava'' while Erin says she's from Massachusetts only to have Chef later refer to her as 'Erin from Nebraska'... the villain and the final girl are both as fake in their origins and personae.

In case you are interested here are the restaurants that are "mocked" in The Menu: *Noma* in Copenhagen (The mention of the “perfectly unripe” strawberry is from the chef of *Noma),* *Blue Hill* at Stone Barns, *Mugaritz* in the Basque Country, *The Willows* in the Pacific Northwest, chef Francis Mallmann’s private island *La Isla* off the coast of Patagonia. The spice racks are replicated from the kitchen at the now closed restaurant *El Bulli,* house made granola in gift bags are from *Eleven Madison Park.* The single raw scallop perched on a craggy rock surrounded by carefully tweezed seaweed and algae is a replicate of a dish at *Atelier Crenn.* Crenn developed the menu for the movie. Finally, the amuse-bouche served on the boat is a reference to a signature dish from chef Thomas Keller at *Per Se.*

Anya Taylor Joy has quickly become one of my favorite up & coming actors

Margo couldn't believe it worked. He actually made a cheeseburger and asked if she wanted fries too. Then when she asked if she could get it to go. She was amazed at how well it went. Even as she walked out the door and to the boat she couldn't believe he let her go

Margo (Erin's) final act of ordering a cheeseburger was one of the best endings I've seen in a film. I've seen so many different "takes " on this scene and explanations for why it saved her life, but I think the message is rooted in one service industry person working for another service industry person for an affordable rate. Erin is a working class social servant who is only at the restaurant because she was hired by a super wealthy man. When she sees the photo of Chef working at a burger joint, it is the only picture that shows him smiling. She is able to understand this joy as only another service industry person can--the joy of serving kind customers who also are working class servants. As a lifelong public servant who -*-barely-*- makes a living, I relate to this on a deep level. I have worked hard in my field for over 12 years and because of my financial needs (medical, housing, etc), I have needed to find employment in a wealthy town in order to make enough. I work for rich elites who treat me like trash, but I am able to push past that part of my job and remember that I serve nature and the public as a whole before anything else. When Chef cooks the cheeseburger, he is cooking for a person in the working class who will appreciate and savor the food for the sake of the food itself. And beyond the incredible flavors of a well-made classic cheeseburger, it also fulfills the most basic human need: hunger. Because Erin is a working class person who has been forced to serve her entire life to survive, she has real hunger at the restaurant. She is hungry not only for food, but for life itself. By surviving and fighting for life, we become hungry for life in ways that the wealthy elite will never understand. Much like mortality, surviving gives music to the blankness of temporal existence on earth. When Erin savors and enjoys the cheeseburger, Chef is able to finally serve someone he respects after a long road into darkness from serving only the wealthy and losing his purpose. When she asks for it "to go", he realizes that she is not part of the Menu he created for that night and finally allows her to leave in order to finish the meal as designed. She is saved because she is the only person still hungry to live and eat. The rest of the group is emptied from the sheer uselessness of their existence and lack of experiencing need. I have a short anecdote from my own life that helps to summarize my analysis. In 2019, I moved to one of the richest towns in Vermont to work for a tree company as a climbing arborist. The company paid me $18/hour and I lived in a tiny apartment and rode my bike to get around. I barely made enough to survive because the cost of living in the area was very high. Eventually I made a few friends and one of them was the great-grandson of Irving Berlin. He had been given a nice house in the mountains by his wealthy father and his family had paid for all his expensive rehab (from drugs) and most everything else. He worked as a bartender in order to "get life experience" as part of the deal for getting a free house. He paid for almost nothing. One day, after seeing a movie together, we were driving back and he literally said (outloud) that he wished he "could suffer like me". He went on to say that he had never struggled or fought for money in his life and felt he was missing out on the experiences I had as a lower class person trying to make it. He said that he wished he could have the same kind of fear and anxiety around existence so that he could actually enjoy his life in a more holistic way. Needless to say, it took my entire self-control to stop myself from yeeting out of his moving vehicle. I never wanted to hang out with him again because it was the most tone-deaf, ignorant speech I had ever heard (since this occurred I have heard worse, unfortunately). But one thing stuck with me-- he truly didn't understand what it meant to live fully. He didn't understand the fight to survive or the joy of succeeding in small ways as you grow. Even though he will always have more material comfort and money, I have something greater: substance and drive. I have the flavor of life because I truly understand what it feels like to want to die from the suffering and then rise out of the ashes of that ruin and want to live. He can burn with the rest of the vile and corrupt wealthy classes. The Menu is one of my favorite films of all time because it was a true love letter to the modern serving class. It isn't for the rich. They will never understand or enjoy the flavor of this meal because it is only for those who have experienced the hunger.

I was in an abusive relationship with a man who was like Tyler to a scary degree. Certain lines like him telling her not to smoke so that she wouldn't ruin her palate made me very uncomfortable, but watching his end was very therapeutic.

For me Ralph Fiennes deserves an award for his performance in this movie. Probably the best movie that is not sci/fi that has been made in the last couple of years.

Did anybody notice how Tyler actually almost slipped up mentioning how they were gonna die. He waves Margot off saying “it doesn’t matter…” and trails off. I only noticed my second time watching lol

You barely mentioned the s'mores. A crude cheap snack magnificently transformed by fire. I lmao at that scene all the while Margot is chomping her cheeseburger.

You forgot to mention that making a burger was the only thing chef liked to make. The only time he truly smiled in the whole movie was while he made the burger and in the picture that Margot found in his room.

I loved this movie! I ultimately thought of it to that her being able to leave was not only due to the fact that she was worthy of doing so but ultimately because she ordered from a different menu he made it clear that everyone who came to experience the menu was going to die that night and the fact that she ordered, ate and paid for something different to me was like this is exactly why she gets to leave

As a former chrf I strongly identified with the taker/givers system, it was exactly what I felt. It did not matter how much I could climb the ladder within my profession, in the end I would always end up serving others to the detrimental of my own life and wellbeing. And matter how mich my clients praised my work they will never see me as an equal but ad someone whose time and labor belonged go them. Even if I could make more money than some of them, ironically.

I thought the Chef was a bit over the top until he screamed at the window "THERE ARE NO SUBSTITUTIONS!!!!!" then I immediately flashed back to all my years in restaurants, and the rage made sense 😅😅😅

I watched this movie with my boyfriend and I used to be a pastry chef. Praise my boyfriend for being a saint while we sat in a red lobster and I was RAVING about the attention to detail and the symbolism of everything. I took it all as a symbolism of how hard and long it takes to go from cook to chef and the ups and downs of the culinary industry period. The food culture thing also got to me heavyyy because no one really eats our food for enjoyment it’s just for a cute insta pic (as Tyler so graciously shows us lol) and idk I’m rambling rn bc I loved this movie definitely would watch again and probably going to.

The chef knew he was going to let her go. He puts a finger from the business partner in each gift bag, he knew Tyler would kill himself and he would let Margo go. So the remaining 10 guests would each get a finger

I think Judith Light’s character knew her husband did something to their daughter (some reference to incest), and so she definitely is okay with dying than going on with that knowledge. The others just didn’t think they could escape. The actor being told he just wasn’t good was hilarious😅

I think Ann telling Erin to leave is also influenced by her previous statement in the movie that Erin looks like their daughter. There could be a element of maternal instinct to her actions.

Given how Slowik purposefully identified her as a giver, as one of "them", revealed Tyler and introduced 'Tyler's Bullshit' as part of the menu even though it wasn't a planned part of the course, and gave Margot the chance to 1) grab a weapon from the smoke house and 2) enter Slowik's own cottage (think about the barrel he mentioned, even though Elsa said he never ordered such a thing), I definitely think Slowik formed his own other plan to free Margot alone when he realized she wasn't part of the plan, and, was innocent out of the whole bunch. He had painstakingly planned everything- even the possibility that someone would trespass into his own cabin (perhaps during men's folly) and find the walkie-talkie. I mean, when the conversation unfolded of him declaring Margot was in fact not a giver but a taker, it made her be in the position of requesting anything to the staff. It was a chance Margot instinctively caught, and although Slowik strives to complete the menu, it's also because of the people involved that makes him devote himself to the work. Once it's started you can't quit, you know? Complete destruction or another epic ruin in life, this time for the staff as well. Slowik letting Margot out for the barrel was him giving a chance for her to escape, and Margot chanced that escape by not fighting her way out but expecting help through the walkie-talkie, which angered Slowik..since that just ruins the menu altogether. But her piecing the clues together to request the hamburger was her own shot, and Slowik definitely knew he would let her live once it was mentioned. But personally I want to talk about Elsa more, since she seems to be left out during this hypothesis. When Elsa introduced the guests around the island she said that only the chef can enter his cottage alone - but as it turns out, she happens to be inside Slowik's cabin even before Margot actually enters. And she tries to kill Margot screaming that she will not let Margot replace her, AND she happens to have the very key to the silver door - where Slowik's bedroom is. So comcluding, I first thought Elsa was simply a very enthusiastic zealot into Slowik's food cult/religion, but now I'm also thinking she may be Slowik's personal prostitute as well. No offense, but considering how there's a bed outside the silver door (in the replica of Hawthorne) when there's another bed inside the silver door's cabin, I think it could be an unimplied setting of Hawthorne. I mean, Slowik tried to sexually assault his sou chef. Twice. And Margot(Erin) is an escort, so if Elsa is involved in sexual relationship with Slowik, it might understand the rather mad violence Elsa showed before she died. Although it wouldn't be wrong to say that the staff is just a terribly mad bunch altogether.

Comedy and suspense are all about the release of tension. They are genres that fit very naturally together (see everything made by Jordan Peele).

This movie actually left me speechless. I can’t explain it to anybody. 😂

Margo shocking the main villian back to his humanity by making him cook her a burger that he used to love to cook was the chef's kiss of the movie. She figured out how to survive and manipulate the bad guy in one hard hitting sentence

I love your analysis, I thought it had a lot of great insights. Just wanted to mention that one of the staff members, Katherine, actually does name Chef Slowik by name, which I found interesting because it seemed to intentionally break the illusion of Slowik as this god like entity and make him a flawed human again

Another layer that I read into the Margot storyline is how if you are not part of the elite, not only do you need to outsmart them but also people your own class, or that is what is imposed by the system.

Tyler is the best representation of 90% influencers today 😂

This movie was so entertaining and had me guessing at every turn. The part that struck me was seeing Slowiks "employee of the month" plaque and that genuine smile on his face just making a burger.

I think you could argue equally that the diners chose to stay with Chef because it is the ultimate ending for those seeking out status and who are full of hubris. To die alongside Chef and his staff shows they were selected for his ultimate piece de triumph, his complete menu, his fantastical and fanatical last comment on everything, food, art, takers and givers. It all turns to shit in the end! What an honour to be selected for his final opus! Imagine the coverage the event would get after words get out that this genius celebrity chef worked out individual details of each guest as part of his vision! Yes, there's a defeated feel to the ending but I think you could also see their own egos believed they DESERVED to follow the ultimate food experience to the end because their status is all they have.

Love how they all still paid in the end. Everyone’s dying, who’s the money going to?? Also, no mention of his mom 😂

The fact that we all tried to understand the film in one clear way simply highlights the truth of the film; giver or eater.

The Menu is now one of two of my favorite suspense satire movies. The other being Velvet Buzzsaw which has about the same message about the conflict in art and high class society.

Thank you for making a deeper analysis of the story and not just repeating the plot that other videos do. As a bonus, there is something I have not seen mentioned anywhere. The picture on the silver door to chef's room looks like saint George with a spear killing the dragon. There should be some symbolism there.

Interesting thing about this idea of “overanalyzing” art-in music at least, that is exactly how classical “art” music used to be enjoyed. Up to the Romantic period (and in my opinion really up to WW2), the “educated” audience was fulfilled by not just having the music move them emotionally, but by noticing the many clever ways the composer wrote the piece. Composers easily could make “popular” music for the masses, but it’s the details that only the “elite” can enjoy are what elevate the medium into “art.”

Really good video . One thing I looked at differently was the scene where the chef was explaining to everyone that they could of probably escaped if they tried. I took it as the chef was talking to the viewers that they could have of escaped but we all want to see what happens next and that’s why they didn’t try hard to leave even at the ending, not becuz they excepted their fate but that the viewers were being represented by the customers and that no matter how bad things were getting ,their curiosity kept them put

The only picture that showed Slowik happy was where he won employee of the month at the burger stand he worked at. That resonated with Margo and was why she asked for a burger. She thought that would bring him back to that place in his life where he loved making food and maybe it would change the current trajectory of death. I loved the movie and thought it was fantastic. When Margo was out on the boat and it ran out of gas made me wonder if this was done on purpose. They'd let one leave to tell the story.

Just from watching the trailer I somehow thought this was going to end in cannibalism because I don't know why but I feel like cannibalism as a topic is kinda in trend at the moment. But I'm so glad it turned out so much better than I expected. I just came back from watching it alone because I thought my boyfriend wouldn't enjoy it (he hates when people die in movies). But everyone who dies deserved it at least a little bit so I might need to watch it again with him.

Although this is a movie about food, it became food for my soul as a viewer. Watching this analysis and reading others interpretations is to savour the different layers and flavours of this complex, thought-provoking movie. My takeaway, was somewhat personal, as i also work in an industry which serves others and i was highly passionate, and told by everyone that i was great. However my goal was ultimately meaningless to reach a promotion as i felt like i had been taken advantage of and burnt out, then passed up when the opportunity finally came… and i lost my passion completely. I continued working somewhere else but the ‘love’ and passion is gone. When the chef sat Margot down and they discussed how they once both loved to serve people, but it soured and they lost their passion over time, i felt that. The ‘menu’ was one last hurrah for the chef, to culminate the story of his food and progression, to create one last masterpiece which ‘deconstructs’ his food/career artistry- and a final ‘f u’ to those who contributed to the downfall of his passion (the critiques, the sucks ups, the investors who bought his soul and acted like it was a profit on their own behalf, the rich who didn’t care about the sacrifice put in, etc). They were all a part of the menu of his passion going south (which was the theme that Tyler spoke of, in which he said figuring out the theme of the menu makes it more enjoyable) Margot was a kindred spirit who felt the same and that was why she didn’t belong there… until she upset him by running away and he felt vindicated to kill her. The chef also stated during the movie, ‘nothing can be perfect’, but Margot choosing to call him out in the end, rectified the mistake in her being there. She was unlike the others by calling him out, challenging him and offering honest feedback which offered him the spontaneity to appease her and prove her wrong, calling back to his early days and giving him back the thing he had wanted more than anything. He had stated earlier that he missed the feeling, but as he made the burger for her, with a smile and near tear in his eye, that feeling was back for a brief glimpse- his long forgotten passion. Her spontaneity in that moment created the perfect moment for him, which shocked him, something that was rare in a crowd of vapid consumers. She was a mistake on his menu, but she gave him the real taste he had been searching for and provided one last moment of feeling… which is why she was allowed to leave. She wasn’t superficially eating like the others, she provided a reflection/taste of a something lost and he got to savour it. He then concluded his story/menu by taking out everyone in his final masterpiece- a cheers to those who demand the best, but also killed off the best.

There's a moment of beauty in the film where chef makes a cheeseburger... A moment of love and loss, the realization of what was and what has been lost in the fire. Great movie:)

I love the irony of eat vs taste. Chef gave them a tasting menu, Erin asked for a joyful hamburger she could eat and Chef could deliver with joy. Simple is good.

I felt the movie is a mix between: - The Clue(1985). - The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover(1989). - Midsommer(2019).

Hands down one of the best written movies I’ve seen in a while I really wish the new MCU movies had this quality of writing

I found the cheeseburger scene relatable af. Worked with many chefs who have had any sort of joy for their art ripped out of them.

But also, the part where you say they all call him "Chef" like a god - this is actually how all kitchens work, especially fancy ones with michelin stars.

Thank you so much for making a video which explains the movie well and doesn't just mindlessly read out the plot shot for shot. This video actually taught me something and made me look at the movie from a different perspective. The amount of "explained" videos that are just a plot summary is ridiculous.

Turning art into content and food (a necessity) into art is definitely the darkly interesting and ultimately depressing core. As someone who enjoys creating I’ve definitely see how social media has turned a piece of art into a single social media post that either garners you your 15 minutes of “fame” or just enters into the void with little to no interactions, a “disappointing failure” from social media’s perspective. Art has always occupied a weird facet of our lives, it’s respected, loved and admired, but also deeply critiqued, politicized, and often forced into the mold of what’s popular during that are, and unless you’re amazing you were often seen as worthless as an artist and forgotten to time. This analysis of the movie really strikes a deeper core with me that just seeing the movie itself did.

The cheeseburger escape was great. It shows that things don't need to be complicated to be enjoyed, and remind us to enjoy the smaller things in life.

I don’t think they necessarily wanted to die, I don’t think they would’ve accepted their fate that easily at least not in that sense. They accepted their fate because they felt powerless, which is sorta poetic given they always have so much power. They were scared confused and trapped. They’re rich but they’re still human. They waved Erin off because they had accepted their fate and they weren’t going to jeaprodize the chance of atleast one of them escaping. I feel that they in a sense did care for her, but maybe that’s my own personal bias cause I don’t think _anyone_ can ever be truly devoid of empathy.

Its a satiracle observation of critique ...critique on 3rd party critique ,self critique , critique on creator , critique on creations ,critique on consumers and critique on sponsors of anything that try to turn simplicity in to analysis. Kinf of like this video essay and kind of like my comment. It knew that we would be taking it way too seriously and mimics taking itself seriously so that it can laugh at us and hopefully we can laugh at ourselves . I loved it, the craft being displayed never matters because it can really be applied to any culture that encourages or cultivates fanaticism, we really need more movies that humble our egos as a society that often has these weird narcissistic gatekeepers and overly eager promoters and admirers .

I wanted to say that all of the actors playing the kitchen staff who have no lines, but must act with intensity, are exactly what they are to the movie as the character kitchen staff is to the restaurant. When I worked in a restaurant, most of the servers were artists of one type or another. So, actors, musicians and artists are all there at high end restautants.

My favorite part of the movie is when they bring one of the finance bros a cake and he's like "you told them it was my birthday?" "seemed a lot funnier about 3 hours ago..." 😂

"Once you expose how it's done and break it down to its logical components the feeling is gone." The same goes to this movie. I watched this movie as entertainment yet I was left with confusion about this movie. But as I watched your video, I want to watch it again to fully understand the meaning and messages of every act they did rather than the plot.

My first thought was that he's keeping them all (the workers) in some kind of hypnosis. The way he always clapped. Then she did it which snapped him back to his past and he thought he's still just a cook, that's why he went to do her order so wilingly and let her go. But it wouldn't explain the ending

I might be a noob in black comedy cause while I chuckled in certain points, I didn't thought this movie as a comedy. The characters except for Tyler are portrait pretty realistically and the tone throughout was kept serious. It was good, and I think this would work so well as theater play compared to film

Everything in this film was my favorite The Menu was really chef’s kiss. It’s got that perfect balance of art, intellectual and comedic timings.

I like how Tyler kept taking pics even though he would never be able to show them to anyone

It was one of my favorite theatrical experiences of the year because of everything you said and because the audience was RESPECTFUL FOR ONCE

The Menu is a classic. Adam McKay has outdone himself again in producer role. Dude doesn't miss

I think the ambiguity of this film makes it artistic because of how well executed everything is

Excellent take. I was a chef for 23 years. I know chefs pain. 😂

The Menu is one of my favorite movies this year! It was a fun watch and was a wonderful mix of horror and comedy. Kind of funny how we’re breaking it down similar to Tyler. Wonder if the director was using Tyler as all encompassing consumer of the arts.

Totally on-target interpretation of this film! You opened my eyes to several things about it. Well done! I think Margot asks for a cheeseburger because she knows that is the Chef's true 'art', what actually means something to him...she asks to take it with her, which gives it importance (allowing for the irony of it being merely low-culture food that will soon be eaten or discarded.). That is what allows the Chef to let her go free, because she is young (and perhaps I read too much into this), she can go back to the world with some true understanding of his 'message'

There's something about Hollywood actors, directors, and staff creating a movie chastising the pursuit of fame, money, or clout

My favorite moments: * "Tyler's Bullshit" * "Student loans?" "No." "Sorry, you die." * The reason why the chef invited the movie star.

Great review. Loved your perspective. Wish this movie had a bit more of the humor that was implied in the trailer but absolutely loved the performances and it was fascinating. This was the chef's final supper and a vendetta against these people (specific to him but also symbolic of the systems) that represent what kills (his) art (/artists). (Greed, Elitism, Pandering, Selling out, Toxic Fandom, Unfair Criticism, Corruption, Indifference, Fear of Irrelevance, Ego, Fear, Passiveness, Unoriginality, Dishonesty, Abuse of power, Exploitation, Failure, etc.) Would love this concept done a again with more camp but really enjoyed it.

Terrific analysis of this stellar film. Just came home from watching it for the second time!

You can just tell the chef was at his happiest when he made her that cheeseburger taking him back when he probably loved doing what he did

horror and comedy mix very well. a laugh and a scream is a breath of difference