Watch movies via Labia Home Screen*.

The Menu is an elegant yet prickly dark comedy horror from Mark Mylod, which serves as a poetic and political allegory, a spicy blend of art and entertainment. Taking place on an exclusive island, home to one of the most expensive and sought after restaurant experiences in the world, a select group of guests find themselves at the mercy of a disgruntled chef.

An outlandish premise is anchored by full-fledged performances from Fiennes, Taylor Joy, Hoult and Leguizamo, keeping the event within the bay of possibility. While the stellar ensemble help to sell the drama, it’s still difficult to be completely immersed in this harrowing scenario that you could describe as Pasolini Lite. Employing a concept that could have been derived from a Monty Python sketch, the seriousness of the events is what drives dopamine levels, going beyond the point of ambiguity or dark humour as the sophistication of a high-end dining experience takes on dire consequences.

Using courses as markers, The Menu is a refreshingly bold cinematic expedition into the unknown, taking the high-pressure environment of the kitchen and the near psychotic personality of a perfectionist chef to the next level. While The Menu makes itself plausible by virtue of its conviction, the concept could be likened to Saw, detaining people in a do-or-die situation to get them to confront self-delusion and an ugly reality.

As smart and provocative as it is, The Menu much like many fine dining experiences is ironically exclusive and niche. While it addresses class disparities in its assessment of givers and takers, the medium and arthouse lashings make this message point in one direction.

The equivalent of a cat toying with its prey, the apparent lack of innocence and perceived vulnerability doesn’t leave much room for care or empathy when it comes to characterisation. Struggling to find an “in”, this dark comedy horror is impervious when it comes to emotional resonance, diminishing one’s overall engagement. While this may may it easier to palate, operating with a buffer, the immediacy and intended shock value is throttled.

“So, you said we needed to talk.”

The Menu carries thanks to a powerful scenario, emphatic performances and its fiendish appetite, but is stunted by its inability to put you in a seat at the table. Perhaps casting a more relatable actor, instead of leveraging a rising star in Anya Taylor-Joy, could have made all the difference. Still, The Menu is edgy, tense and fresh, concocting some remarkable, wicked and unforgettable scenes with panache.

The bottom line: Provocative

Catch more movie reviews at SPL!NG

Stephen ‘Spling’ Aspeling is 2Oceansvibe’s Resident Film Critic, a “thought leader” (AFDA) and “our generation’s Barry Ronge” (Brothers Streep), who continues to review, write, present, promote and adjudicate film for a host of websites, radio stations, magazines, newspapers, TV shows, festivals and events.

*Watch great cinema online with Labia Home Screen! The Labia Theatre is an iconic independent theatre at 68 Orange Street, Gardens, Cape Town. They recently celebrated their 70th year and have successfully transitioned to digital projectors. In addition to their 4 cinemas, they’ve now added a “5th” screen by launching their Home Screen pay-per-view video-on-demand streaming service.

Labia Home Screen enables viewers to watch the theatre’s carefully curated content from the comfort of their home from anywhere in South Africa. As they open their box office in what will be a new normal, this convenient streaming service is helping the much-loved cinema continue to provide high quality, award-winning films to their loyal patrons.