The Menu, directed by Mark Mylod, is a 2022 American satirical horror film that offers a scathing critique of elite food culture while keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. Centered around a single evening at Hawthorn, a lavish restaurant on a private island, the film follows the experiences of the ultra-wealthy patrons who have paid $1,250 each for the acclaimed Chef Slowik’s tasting menu.
As the guests arrive by boat to Hawthorn, we’re introduced to the main characters: Tyler (Nicholas Hoult), an obnoxious foodie who worships celebrity chefs, and his date Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), a cynical outsider to the world of high-end dining. The other guests represent a microcosm of the ultra-rich and elite: tech entrepreneurs, a renowned food critic, an aging movie star, wealthy regulars, and more.
After a tour of the stunning island, the group sits down to dinner, where Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) begins unveiling his eccentric dishes to a mixture of awe, praise, and skepticism from the guests. Margot in particular finds the fancy preparations absurd, directly challenging both the food and the chef himself.
Tension Mounts as the Sinister Truth is Revealed
As the extravagant meal progresses, disquieting events begin unfolding. Chef Slowik discloses traumatic details from his childhood, visibly disturbing the diners. Cryptic tortillas reveal the guests’ deepest secrets, from affairs to fraud. And most shockingly, the sous chef commits suicide in front of the crowd.
The guests desperately attempt escape, only to discover the island allows no way out. Chef Slowik then chillingly explains that he has planned for everyone present to die by the meal’s end, as punishment for draining his passion for cooking over the years. Only Margot’s presence is unaccounted for in his scheme.
In a tense back-and-forth, Margot manages to persuade Chef Slowik to cook her one simple dish – a cheeseburger and fries. As he rediscovers his lost joy in cooking, she asks for the rest to-go and he agrees, allowing her alone to survive the night.
Margot escapes on a boat as Slowik and his staff set the restaurant ablaze, the rest of the guests gruesomely immolated in a twisted dessert course. She looks on in horror while safely eating her burger, the film ending on her haunted expression.
The Menu: Explaining the Shocking Ending
The Menu’s ending is likely to catch many viewers by surprise with its bizarre and macabre twist. As Margot escapes on a boat, she watches in horror as Chef Slowik and his staff set the entire restaurant on fire, with the rest of the guests gruesomely burned alive inside. This ending demands some explanation:
The Guests Accept Their Fate
In the film’s final minutes, the remaining guests fully resign themselves to their impending death after a night of torment at Chef Slowik’s hands. After failed escape attempts and watching their secrets exposed, the guests throw their credit cards onto the table – a symbolic gesture of defeat, acknowledging that their wealth cannot save them now.
Some even thank Slowik, suggesting they appreciate that the chef has passed judgement on them and found them deserving of punishment. The guests’ acceptance of their fate underscores the film’s critique of elite self-importance.
Chef Slowik’s Grand Finale
For Chef Slowik, the immolation of the guests and restaurant represents the grand finale to his artistic vision for the evening. After losing his passion for cooking over years of catering to the wealthy, he regains purpose in planning his magnum opus – a meticulously designed “last supper” that ends in destruction.
By burning everything down, Slowik attempts to reclaim his art on his own terms, while also destroying those he resents for robbing him of joy in cooking. It’s an expression of his twisted psyche that horrifies yet captivates.
Margot’s Lucky Escape
As the sole survivor, Margot escapes a grisly fate by virtue of being the night’s wild card. By demanding a simple, nostalgic dish from Slowik, she gives him a final moment of happiness in cooking. Her authenticity and honesty contrast starkly with the rest of the privileged guests.
In letting Margot go, Slowik passes judgement that she deserves freedom while the others merit punishment. Her tense escape as she watches the restaurant burn encapsulates the film’s thriller elements while offering some catharsis.
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Leaving audiences shocked, amused, and haunted all at once, The Menu’s gory finale ensures this scorching cinematic meal will leave a lasting impression. Much like Margot, viewers can only look on in stunned disbelief, the film’s message still simmering as the credits roll.
