The Menu (2022 film)/YMMV

These things about  are subjective - not everyone will agree with all of them.


 * Alternate Character Interpretation: In general, the movie wants to take a look at who would be considered an Acceptable Target in a film that criticizes the rich.
 * Is Tyler possibly Chef Julian reveals that
 * For that matter, why did Chef Julian Was it a Secret Test of Character to find out if Tyler was a person who deserved to die, or  It's also hinted that while Tyler is rich given that he's able to pay the restaurant fee without blinking,.
 * Why did Ms. Westervelt break up with Tyler? Was she sick of him the way that Margot eventually becomes over the course of the evening, considering that Tyler is a Man-Child demonstrating a Lack of Empathy? For that matter, considering that Julian tailored the menu specifically for the guests and their sins, could she have been no better than the uber-rich and wealthy?
 * Crosses The Line Twice: The movie runs on this humor in certain bits:
 * The men have to run around the island in a bid for escape. Meanwhile, the women get to sit inside and enjoy an umeboshi infusion broth. Lillian tries to bribe Katherine, who made the dish and revealed that Julian harassed her, into sparing them in exchange for her own restaurant. Katherine giggles and reveals that "Everyone dying was my pitch. I'm so proud it was accepted." Lillian with a done expression offers wine to the ladies and says "Fuck it" tiredly.
 * In an otherwise heartwarming scene, George demands to know why Felicity was chosen to die. He can accept the Insane Troll Logic that Julian wants to punish him for starring in a bad movie for a paycheck, but Felicity is not wealthy or corrupt the way the other guests are, and she never crossed Julian personally. Julian then asks Felicity, who is crying Tears of Fear, what college she went to. She answers Brown, and not on student loans. He says, in a genuinely apologetic tone, "I"m sorry you're dying" and she nods as if to acknowledge fair enough.
 * Idiot Plot: The only way the plot can even work is by every client standing still and not rioting against their imminent killing after Richard's attempts to leave early result in his finger being chopped, and the chefs physically stopping the younger men from running outside. Some of the group of people which finds this movie good finds it a part of the "social satire" about how everybody rich is apparently stupid. Others just find a lazy way of making an allegoric plot. There is s third party which finds realistic and thinks that is how rich people would actually act in real life because apparently having a large bank account leads to reduction of IQ(You are free to think it says something about them instead). Julian himself lampshades this close to the climax, pointing out that if the guests really wanted to escape, they would have put up a greater fight the way that Margot eventually does.
 * Jerkass Woobie:
 * Lillian Bloom. She has a reputation for being a Caustic Critic and steamrolling her editor Ted's suggestions while being pretentious and self-absorbed, but Lillian is just doing her job when critiquing the food. Ted himself points this out, that Julian chose to let Lillian interview him and that publicity allowed him to build Hswthorne. A Deleted Scene takes this further where Lillian tells the other guests on the boat that Julian went underground, and she discovered him running the grill at a Portland Korean taco truck. Because of his talent, she insisted on interviewing him and promoting his success, which would lead to Julian snapping and targeting her. Margot in another Deleted Scene calls out Julian for this, saying that he could have done so many other things with his talent and drive.
 * George Diaz, the famous washed-up actor. He's a little arrogant and selfish, as shown when he gives Felicity his coat to prepare to run during the Men's Folly course, but he sincerely apologizes to Felicity for failing to make it or get help. George also asks Julian point-blank why his assistant was marked for death when she didn't do anything to cross the chef.
 * Moral Event Horizon: There are some candidates for this:
 * It's revealed that Julian crossed this long before the murder plot when he sexually harassed Chef Katherine. He propositioned her multiple times, which she refused, and then froze her out for eight months. Julian himself seems to regard this as the moment he deserved to die, letting Katherine stab him with scissors in revenge. The moment that we realize he is a monster onscreen is when he bullies his sous Chef, Jeremy, into committing suicide in front of the guests.
 * Tyler, as Julian forces him to reveal,
 * Narm:.
 * Signature Scene: Everyone talks about
 * The Woobie
 * Margot, . She references that her mother lives in a trailer park, and her date treats her like arm candy for dinner. Then she finds out that Tyler brought her to a fancy meal where the cook plans to kill everyone, and Margot understandably starts crying when she registers what is happening.
 * Anne. Her only crime is that she is so rich that she doesn't remember the dishes at Hawthorne. Despite finding out that her husband cheated on her, and deducing that Margot served him as a client, Anne doesn't blame Margot..