I Hate The Menu

[@redcatsix]

I wish I agreed with this video but I never saw the film as a criticism of filmmaking, rather a criticism of criticism itself and the food industry.

[@ulizez89]

Yeah, it feels way more related to foodie culture than art snob culture. In this case, I feel, the food is a metaphor for food!

[@redcatsix]

@@ulizez89 I didn't even see it as having any metaphors either, just an attack on people who don't appreciate the beauty of food.

[@micahcook2408]

The only thing I don’t agree with is just “criticism of criticism itself”. Only bc some of the patrons, including Margot/Erin, didn’t enjoy some of his fancy meals (especially the breadless tray). Imo, I think it has more to do with the people/systems that get us to hate a career choice we were supposed to love because the inciting incident was full of joy and recognition of that joy (tons of people have commented on other videos about their (or someone they knew) experiences in the food industry and how brutal it can be from bosses, chefs, and customers alike). I mean the Chef is a critic himself: leading into what makes the menu, what ideas get accepted into the event, what meals aren’t right and what meals are “perfect”, etc. although he **does** have more of right to be a critic because he knows the art of cooking than say Tyler (imo). So I guess that could make a statement about critique and who should be a critic, but idk… Regardless, I think you can see how quickly he feels all are to blame for why he’s lost joy (including himself) and has become fucked up, going all the way back to the abuse he and his mother encountered. Imo I see it as a portrait of the many tortured-soul artists who came before, and will come after, us. Human greed/ego is as old as the first humans (and our species cousins’) itself.

[@micahcook2408]

Now that’s making me think about Tyler, the fanatic lol Idk why I could imagine a musician who has a fan that is highly “intellectual” about music and their favourite artist (but insulting of others who don’t like/understand their favourite artist’s music or insults other “rival musicians”) to get asked to make a song with high tech studio equipment and instruments 😂😂💀 Just catastrophic. Margot/Erin was simple with why she disliked his fancier meals/found them boring, not Tyler tho 😂

[@eylonavraham8921]

Why do you wish you agreed with the fart-smelling kid?

[@megancunninghame2340]

The Menu WAS fun. "Student loans?" "N-no." "I'm sorry, you're dying."

[@uhuhuh1966]

🤣

[@ulizez89]

Best line in the movie!

[@uhuhuh1966]

@@Kosiduss I liked it but thought it went on too long with an unsatisfying conclusion

[@megancunninghame2340]

@@Kosiduss loved triangle of sadness and thought it was definitely better at tackling these themes than the menu did… but honestly still thoroughly enjoyed the menu for its comedy, performances, visual style, etc.

[@Kosiduss]

@@uhuhuh1966 i disagree. I loved the last act and the ending.

[@Ivyrigs]

Personally, I don't think the cheeseburger represents mindless entertainment. I think it's about being honest about what you really enjoy and not putting up a front to try and impress people. Not mindless enjoyment, but honesty about what you actually enjoy and not a search for approval.

[@doing_aok]

i think it’s kind of both? because the writers make comedy tv show. thing people might consider mindless entertainment. but is that less valuable than high art? especially if they enjoy it?

[@micahcook2408]

@@doing_aok not necessarily… a lot of comedy is considered high art. I personally don’t think it has anything to do with criticism because as an artist, we are usually always critiquing our work and others for inspiration, even if it is a parody or something “not as talented” (in the eyes of the others). I completely agree with OP that is has more to do with Capital vs Love for your passion… what drains you, what old hurts show up time and time again and affect you from enjoying what was supposed to be yours. I have an old ex-friend who is an actress on Broadway and she says that most of your life is dedicated to the show (pretty much your days are getting prepared to go into work and you don’t get home until 11-12 at night)… so, imo, this is all about “what glitters isn’t always gold” reality when it comes to success and following your dreams, albeit more in the lenses of a “tortured-soul artist” like Van Gogh but still holds up to todays capitalistic society and what our industries deem as important: Money, Pastiche, Exclusivity.

[@KD-oy8qt]

I personally thought the cheesburger represented working class taste, it was a class indicater hence the chef’s comment about her parents barely being able to afford it when she was growing up

[@davemac9563]

Yeah really, he totally missed the point with that. To me it represents of making art with passion, remind yourself why you fell in love with your passion for creating something in the first place.

[@tbewin1z143]

or idk...how about close the restaurant and open up a traditional place instead of killing dozens of people

[@LaBooF42]

I really have to disagree with you. The only time we truthfully see Ralph smile the whole film, is when he’s photographed cooking a 5 dollar burger. We see a talented chef who cares about his craft, and was drained of his passion by those who payed him. He wasn’t cooking for those to enjoy food, it was (as you said) for clout. This really felt like an allegory for how studios can ruin a filmmaker through commodification. Execs ask you to cut & change all for their monetary values, and in the end, it can just be a processed piece of work. I saw the Chef as someone who’s lost all love for what drove him. In the end, he wanted revenge for it. The cheese burger was the start of this dude’s passion, and Anya asking for it showed. He let her go because she gave him what he wanted; a chance to cook with care, all for someone who just wanted to enjoy a meal.

[@torifrost]

So well put👏

[@grantmorgan5180]

The correct take.

[@micktheman6]

I agree

[@beansfebreeze]

So it's just edgy Chef?

[@micahcook2408]

I think it’s an allegory for commodification of any passion job in general (but specifically art/creative passions). Especially since Margot/Erin was going to die regardless before she got him to remember why he wanted to pursue cooking as a career in the first place. I think ultimately the Chef’s message was death to these (class) systems and death to human greed/ego that causes us to eventually hate what was meant to be enjoyed. I mean the Chef is one of those rich assholes he despises because of the success he’s made, but for him, at what cost? As someone who has ventured a bit into the mainstream (creative) world, burnout and pressure can drive people crazy or make them wanna quit. Even doing Art School as a kid, we were expected to be professionals/adults (to a certain extent) and know of our adult career trajectory young aka where we wanted to be. A lot of kids decided to not pursue theatre and pursue other creative endeavours or go into something completely different as a result. Not saying that if we were treated like teens/kids and with passion that there wouldn’t be people who didn’t wanna do it anymore, but I definitely think the way we were treated added to it for some. Regardless, the point I’m trying to make is for most (creative) people who make it big there is pressure from all sides (people lower on the totem pole and higher - I mean there’s a reason why it’s a trope for new rich folks to be bled dry by family or friends OR with musicians nowadays, everyone wants them to pump out music like a machine (although there’s a plethora of music we can listen to today). Anyways, the Chef is a nut tho and I wish he would’ve went to therapy instead of killing his zombie-like staff and poor sad Mother hahaha 😂

[@SuperMustache555]

I don't actually think the reveal that Margot was a sex worker was that hard to see coming. Since Richard kept looking back at her, you could tell something went on between the two. My brother, who rarely watched movies, asked me if she was a sex worker

[@psychotophatcat]

He continued to press that he paid "for this" so given that he didn't seem to know her very well, I was pretty sure he wasn't just talking about the dinner...

[@appropriate-channelname3049]

yeah it was pretty obvious that she was at least a escort or something like that.

[@entertain7us148]

I have no idea what Taylor is saying. Why is it 'impossible to buy'? Did the movie have to become an in-depth character study of the suffering and hardship experienced by sex workers? Why couldn't she just be a character who enjoyed her work and happened to be a sex worker?

[@ChristopherCraven]

I swear the movie gives you hints she is a prostitute/escort like 5 minutes in. Not an outright sign, but enough that the consideration entered my head.

[@antonioyeats2149]

Eh. Women are celebrated for behaving like whores whether or not they're genuinely sex workers or not so it's tricky to call too early in modern movies

[@catalan8241]

I think, what the movie ultimately wanted to say with the cheeseburger is that, if you're someone who likes making cheeseburgers, you should make cheeseburgers. If you're someone who likes eating cheeseburgers, you should eat cheeseburgers. If you like your art, don't change it so you can please an audience that will never be satisfied. If you like eating simple things, you don't have to go to fancy restaurants to impress other people. Do things, whether they are simple or complex, for your own sake instead of for the admiration of others.

[@psychotophatcat]

That's exactly how I took it. The only time I saw the chef smiling in the entire film before the very end was in a photo of him as a teenager having made a cheeseburger. Even in photos of him with his family he looks absolutely miserable, like he's only going through the motions of "success" because that's what he's supposed to do.

[@jarrodedson5441]

Uhhh I think u missed the point of her asking the chef to make her a cheeseburger........remember in the chefs room she saw images of the chef....and the only picture he was truly happy in was when he worked at a burger joint so that's why she asked him for a cheeseburger, she knew he lost his passion.....she slightly wanted him to feel some joy about his cooking even though he had death set in his head but still...I think that's why he let her go as well because he respected her for allowing him to do something that truly made him happy..plus she's nothing like the snoby rich people he hates

[@psychotophatcat]

@@jarrodedson5441 I think you mightve responded to the wrong person? That's exactly what both me and OP are saying

[@samfullofsin]

I dont view it that way. I think he rather found satisfaction in something he had lost on the way Still though I think it's a pretty weak way to end the movie

[@jonathanbierman6305]

@@samfullofsin I don't think it's a necessarily weak way to end the movie. The simplicity in the conclusion rejects the snobiness of the rest of the movie, similar to the cheeseburger. I still get where your coming from and agree in most cases, but I think it fits with this movie specifically.

[@chrisd.2328]

I think the cheeseburger is more about chef's enjoyment of making the cheeseburger and the burger being enjoyable for margot. Both the audience and the artist enjoyed making and taking it. Thats what art should be, enjoyable to make and fulfilling to the audience. Its not about technical prowess or the levels of depth, its about being enjoyable. Your not being tyler your more like Lilian.

[@AdamNoizer]

Whilst I really like your reviews, I think you’ve completely misunderstood the cheeseburger scene. This was not the film’s way of saying “the blue curtains don’t mean anything.” Rather it was that Cheeseburgers were an example of the kind of food that Chef used to make when he had passion for cooking, and wasn’t just obsessively cooking for food critics. It didn’t have to be a cheeseburger. It could have been a far more complicated dish. But the point was Chef had an actual passion for making it. He was making it so that it tasted good. And more importantly, making it for an ordinary service worker actually grateful for eating it.

[@TheBlackestKnight21]

Exactly he just totally missed the mark on this review

[@S3aCa1mRa1n]

He does it on purpose almost

[@davemac9563]

This is probably his worst review. I normally don’t mind his videos but it’s like he made this video to be a contrarian

[@caseyhart4999]

Yea seriously I thought the cheeseburger scene was really beautiful honestly. I saw a man rediscovering his passion for his craft before the end. I can’t help but smile as Slowik does while he’s making it.

[@jimmyneutron3282]

I think it was supposed to represent his loss for passion, and the dead giveaway is the scene where she sees chef smiling while he cooks what appeared to be his first burger at a restaurant as a young man. But an ordinary service worker who is actually grateful to eat it? She didn't give a flying fuck about the cheeseburger or eating it, she saw the picture and saw that he was happy making it. It was more like a challenge to his own philosophy, he told her that she's a taker and she's the reason that cooking sucks but she threw it back in his face by reminding him through the cheese burger. It shows a direct link between his start for passionate and the last meal he ever got to cook, it comes full circle for chef. The whole lead into the cheeseburger scene just isn't that good, it took the "show don't tell" exposition method and jammed it right in our faces in a not so subtle way. It tried to misdirect the audience by use of the fight with the waiter and the radio which ended up serving no purpose besides being whimsical distractions that lead up to nothing. The movie is whatever. 6/10.

[@pinkrocker61401]

I believe the lack of depth with the rich characters is entirely the point. They are devoid of anything besides the false depth they give themselves from being rich or pseudointellectuals. I also don't think the movie was making fun of critics in order to avoid criticism. It was just a highlight that once art gets to this level of pretentiousness, you aren't even enjoying it anymore. Yes a lot goes into why a movie is good, but does the consumer of the art have to know why they like the art? especially if knowing why you like the art begins to take away from actually liking the art. So, it's not about mindlessness, but mindfulness. You can engage with the details, but if you get to the point where a painting becomes lines and composition and brushstrokes, then you are no longer really seeing the painting. Also, the chase sequence wasn't useless. It further pushes that the characters themselves didn't really want to escape that badly because they knew their lives were empty. It also showed that even the bro investors weren't as close as they seemed. To me, the movie is hypocritical, if you believe it's just about being pretentious. But its more about not enjoying art anymore.

[@TheBlackestKnight21]

That is the point he just doesn’t get it just like his entire review. Good analysis from you

[@nullakjg767]

"rich people bad" SO DEEP

[@officialmasqq_594]

Yeah and that being the point is what makes it bad and lazy, plenty of films critical of the upper class can depict them as more than one dimensional whilst and still retain the essence of its critique.

[@watermelon6948]

i think his idea that the menu was “satire” is laughable the director did an interview and he said he didn’t intend it to be satire

[@jenm1]

It's lazy writing. This happens so frequently with media now where you get a hint of some aesthetic or concept instead of some depth of critique and it's meant to be artful rather than the blatant lack of work that went into it. There are many ways to show their false depth and this was just boring. About their lack of desire to escape, I genuinely believe this is also lazy. This is not how rich people behave in real life. They believe they're entitled to a fulfilling life and they snatch opportunities from others in order to get it. They aren't passive at all. It completely dilutes the realities of the victims at the behest of actual oppressive forces in our world.

[@MilkyWayGrump]

I think the one thing that this analysis of the cheeseburger sort of misses is that the burger DID have a lot of effort and skill put into its preparation, but the fact it was made with intent of tasting good rather than to show off or impress is what made it special. "Just a well made cheeseburger" isn't a dismissal of the craft: it's just outlining all that really matters. It's skewering intellectualism and craft *for its own sake*, not the idea of thought being put into things in general. I also think that one thing this review misses is that The Menu doesn't necessarily think its elevated. It *is* less smart than it thinks it is, 100%, I'll give you that, but it knows it's soulless, pretentious trash... and it hates itself for feeling like it needs to be for attention. That's kind of the point. And honestly you could argue/feel like that's copping out, but considering that I think in the modern culture of CinemaSins, Mauler, and (sorry) essays like this, a message/point like this is exactly the way I feel about modern cinema.

[@pinkrocker61401]

This is very true. Erin didn't need to know why the cheeseburger was good, or analyze how much work went into it. That was Chef's job. Erin just wanted something tasty.

[@Angela8779]

from my interpretation, the cheeseburger was never good bc its cheap like sure they included the price in the movie, but the shot where margo even thought of asking for a cheeseburger was from a picture of the chef smiling while he was making it. it wasn't about showing that cheap is better but that your enjoyment in ur craft is important. example can be how artists are treated making shows like velma vs hiw artists r treated while making something like adventure time. when your work is more than a job and you gey enjoyment out of it, the result is always better. thats why margo enjoyed the cheeseburger, because the chef enjoyed making it.

[@jessawall3510]

Pop

[@BBanzaj]

i dont really see why mauler is there, he criticizes critics just as often as movies, while he is often on the side of the "common man". if you wanted to criticize someone like him, Rags (his friend) is a much better target, he is very much an asshole for no good reason and is smug about his position

[@MilkyWayGrump]

@@BBanzaj I mean he's still someone who breaks down movies clinically for the sake of deconstruction rather than even attempting to enjoy them on their own terms, but point taken re: Rags being worse I guess

[@chrishaven1489]

"Set pieces aren't really distinguished from one another" My guy, a majority of the movie was set in one location

[@OSCARMlLDE]

A “set piece” is not a setting, it’s a section of the work.

[@chrishaven1489]

@@OSCARMlLDE The criticism still doesn't make sense

[@vitorgross9254]

your comment makes no sense my dude

[@chisomo8088]

He seems like the snobs this movie is criticizing, except instead of being a good snob, he's a movie snob. He was just grasping at straws for something to dislike. Wild

[@Fivehe]

8:15 is around when you lost track of what the word “pretentious” actually means. “The title cards describe the contents of each dish in pretentious detail”. The title cards are just a list of ingredients. If you find you’re using a word in every few sentences of your review, I’d be careful how you apply it

[@eylonavraham8921]

It's extremely ironic that this pretentious kid doesn't use the word properly.

[@colbyzur4642]

I’d agree especially because the word pretentious is a very important word for this movie but can’t just be blanketed onto everything pretentiousness seems very directed in this movie it’s not pretentious everything

[@OSCARMlLDE]

I don't think he's referring to just the literal words being used but rather their presentation, the font used, the shot with the food centered neatly, more similar to a restaurant promo than the language of film. Also, in the world of fine dining, even a simple, brief list of ingredients can be so loaded with pretentiousness that you are choking on it, because the culinary field is laden with tradition and gatekeeping. The easiest example to dissect here is The Mess, as it uses two French words that obscure what the food actually is. I know what "confit" means and how making potato confit works, because I have a culinary background, and you might too, but it is elitist to suggest that any ol moron could figure it out. It also (and I'm realizing now that this comment is going to be really long), is an obscurement of the dish's actual contents because if that was 100% everything on the plate, this meal would be bland and unpleasant (it also doesn't include the leafy "garnish" which, in alignment with general fine dining principles, you are expected to eat along with everything else on the plate). What is purportedly "just a list of ingredients" has had every word carefully chosen to obscure the content and motivation of the food, to make you as the diner feel like something very Fancy and Artsy is happening here. Thus, pretentious. I'd also like to briefly highlight the Breadless Bread Plate, which again, doesn't list any ingredients, and expects you as the diner to recognize it as an inversion of common dining course -- look at us! we're so clever, we're """subverting""" what you expect out of the bread course! The phrase "no bread, savory accompaniments" makes me want to clock the chef that wrote it. Pretentious.

[@peacemaster8117]

​@@OSCARMlLDE The problem here is that Tyler thinks a basic list of ingredients is "pretentious detail". "Confit" is just the right word for that type of food. It makes it seem like Tyler is lacking for argument and just trying to pick nits, when these cards are written in a pretty funny and scathing way.

[@UnCreativeDeconstructionism]

Ironically it's supposed to be.

[@FilmFanatic211]

I saw the film as a black comedy where there's really only one rational thinking person we're meant to side with (Anya) while the rest are at more extreme sides of the spectrum. Everytime Fiennes was on screen, I was glued to it. I feel like I've seen films of this kind that didn't have the same level of care put into the cinematography, acting, and structure that this one did. It took a mid movie and elevated it. I don't think it's meant to be a masterpiece, but it's still really REALLY good in my opinion

[@zacka161]

A black comedy with a social point, yet it completely loses its social point and becomes nothing. A black comedy can still tell a good story and not just be 'ok' moment to moment ultimately leading to an ending that says absolutely nothing at all.

[@Kosiduss]

you really really need to watch more movies man

[@juliat.9719]

Also: The Chef's attempt to relate to Margot as a fellow service worker struck me as disingenuous because he is neither a service worker nor a customer but a secret third thing (a terrible boss). I actually thought the movie was going to go somewhere with that, given there's a whole subplot about how he sexually harassed one of his employees, but it ends up going nowhere. It just strikes me as strange to make a movie that is at least in part a commentary on the soul-crushing nature of service work and then make ZERO distinction between the worker bees and the people who employ them.

[@MrKidKnockout]

Yeah I didn’t get the inclusion of the sexual harassment subplot with Julian’s character. But after more thinking, I believe the film is trying to say that Julian has become the thing that he hates the most. He is one of them. He asks Margot on which side will she choose to side with (the rich or the service workers) and believes he is in the later group. However, he just like the people he is feeding and is complicit in the abuse of the lower class (his staff). He literally has a cult of chefs who are willing to kill themselves for him. He bullies and embarrasses the sous-chef to suicide and none of his workers retaliate. And as you said earlier he repeatedly harassed one of his workers while owning a Michelin star restaurant that charges exorbitant fees. Which is quite strange when you consider just how self-aware Julian is to the world that he has created.

[@yolomcswagmuffins6574]

@@MrKidKnockout In addition, in the same scene that the sexual harassment is revealed. Julian is subjected to the same punishment as his father was for abusing his mother. He places himself onto the same tier as his father and that is a reason for why he believes that he deserves to burn in his restaurant along with the others.

[@iamknife7]

I think it's supposed to highlight his hypocrisy. He is shitting on all these people for being pretentious and flawed but he is no better than them.

[@DAETRICH]

I think the sexual harassment part part was to drive home the point that he was corrupted by his continuing elevation of power. At one point, he WAS a bottom of the ring service industry worker, but now, with his elevation in status, he’s ‘seen’ as a celebrity, but deep down the world treats him as a destination for transaction. Once he had a level of power, he tried to take advantage of it, just like his father did over his mother. The stabbing of his thigh by the other chef was to show that he is guilty of the same thing his father was, but now he is able to ‘realize’ his wrongs, unlike his father. Keep in mind, I’m not like trying to justify his character, but trying to explain from his twisted perspective.

[@stevaughnwilliams467]

@@DAETRICH Exactly and stuff like that is not needed to make a good film. It was pothole with an agenda

[@danielharmon15]

4:54 You mention very light foreshadowing about Margot being a sex worker but I clocked it maybe a third into the movie given there were a number of clues. In the opening scene while she and Tyler are still on the dock, he asks her pretty surface level questions (something a stranger or acquaintance would say, not a boyfriend) and ok maybe they're early in their dating, but he fails to know her last name when talking to Elsa before boarding the board. He mentions later about wanted to impress with having the "coolest" girl there which alludes to him hand picking her for this occasion. Plus, he lashes out at her "hey I'm paying you" and she remarks about pleasing the customer.. Then there's her relation with the older man. There's enough pieces there. 12:20 The Most dangerous Game sequence I agree was such a let down, but the whole "nothing happened when the men got caught" was I think a commentary on even when men are caught being harassers they still get to go free. (The introduction to the chase sequence was "Man's Folly")

[@BlackParade727]

I just don't know how you can watch a scene of people inexplicably getting their secrets or failures burned into TORTILLAS and then believe that this movie genuinely, wholeheartedly was trying to be holier than thou with their messaging. And like no it's not bad satire that's circled back around to pretentious. It's just using the medium of pretention to both further the plot and make funny yet super bizarre scenes

[@soleil1953]

Honestly I loved this movie. I preferred it over Glass onion, which has a similar “eat the rich” message.

[@TheBlackestKnight21]

he missed the mark on this movie hard

[@Bi0pandemic]

This movie sucked

[@Ronkyort0dox]

Both are bad

[@Uhohlisa]

Worst opinion ever

[@bennybop7184]

I don’t know if the movie really wanted you to agree with the chefs that their beliefs were the correct. Like I doubt the creators of the film actually think there shouldn’t be critics who haven’t made movies themselves

[@MilkyWayGrump]

Exactly. Even beyond the killing, Chef berates his own employees, sexually harassed one of them, and basically drugs his own mother to kill her. He's not exactly someone in a good state of mind who's supposed to be "spitting facts". You're just supposed to sympathize with how much joy has been sucked out of what he does

[@PervertHeart]

I believe it's both. The Chef is a narcissist and overall a terrible human being, but also an amazing artist who really loves and cares for his craft. You're not supposed to agree with, or like him. He's just a guy who went mad. Some of the people he's killing are legit horrible humans and criminals, others are just randos who mildly annoyed him, or that he have personal pet peeves.

[@KittyMeow1984]

Seconded. That was such a weird take to have about this movie.

[@gregorsamsa2271]

@@PervertHeart The movie doesn't make it clear enough though. He got a point with that comment.

[@PervertHeart]

@@gregorsamsa2271 What you thought wasn't clear?

[@EvanSnyder508]

"I didnt miss the point" honestly yeah i think you kinda did.

[@davemac9563]

Especially with the cheeseburger

[@BenFromCanada]

wild video to watch after a thoroughly joyous experience watching the film.

[@TheBlackestKnight21]

agreed. Movie was awesome i think he missed the mark as well on the review

[@matiasbosques3002]

Yup.

[@DAETRICH]

I think your analysis of Tyler being a mocking stand in for the general movie critic is a little defensive. I think the point is that Tyler is someone who is dismissive of other peoples perspectives and routines, clamoring only to those who subscribe to what he sees as ‘true art’. It’s not anti critic, it’s anti snob. Tyler can’t imagine how someone could smoke a dig and still enjoy a complex dish because he doesn’t comprehend that other people can find pleasure in things outside of the way he does. I mean, he talks about how sports and music is for ‘idiots’ because they’re not as ‘meaningful’ as what HE appreciates. From that comment alone, it’s pretty clear the film is mocking those who revel in their own self-diagnosed refinement and superiority. He’s self absorbed and a brown nose, ignorant of other perspectives simply because they are not his. He desperately wants Slowik to like him because he wants validation for his obsessive dedication. He only sees the chef as a part of his hobby, thinking that Slowik will think he’s cool because he can name obscure ingredients in a dish. He doesn’t want to be friends with the personality within the chef, but the knowledge.

[@SuperMustache555]

I agree with you, critiquing art is an important part of that process. The critic _should_ point out the broken emulsion. There's nothing wrong with Tyler's extensive knowledge of food. I don't think the movie says that they're invalid, it's just pointing out their obvious hypocrisies. The movie can criticize these extremes without invalidating the whole field

[@MilkyWayGrump]

This. It isn't the fact that the critics are criticizing or that Tyler can't cook: it's that they're all missing the forest for the trees, focusing purely on technical expertise and viewing the meal as purely amounting to the skill it required in order to put together, as opposed to a more general grasp of execution, "the sum of its parts".

[@doing_aok]

i think the broken emulsion is that she was looking for minor details. she was seeking imperfection rather than judging the actual quality

[@harshwardhan3568]

This video essay is the personification of what the menu was satirising. Criticism just for the sake of criticism of art devoiding it of any enjoyment and meaning.

[@goodtaste2185]

An ironic sh*tpost is still a sh*tpost.

[@docsaico]

I wonder if working in a kitchen or the service industry would change your perspective. Having done so in every job I’ve had - either been in food work or direct customer service - this movie was instantly a favorite for me. While it may be just taking it at face value, I took it for exactly what it was saying: people are awful, they don’t actually care about your art or how hard you worked to make it, and that can drive artists to feel soulless. I actually thought the first death, which absolutely shocked me, perfectly illustrated the disillusionment of artists in modern society.

[@ashleypwns6316]

Chef definitely would have toasted this guy up in a s'more.

[@cinnamonnoir2487]

Chef is a psychotic monster and his opinions aren't a good basis for judging people.

[@ThatBearGuy]

Another person who's never worked in restaurants who doesn't get it, I'm shocked. This movie isn't about art or horror, it's literally a satire of the insane reality of kitchens.

[@stevenrenteria909]

I feel like Taylor is exactly the type of person to go to one of these types of restaurants/experience. Maybe that's why he hated it

[@TheBlackestKnight21]

his entire critique of the film is what the movie is about. The movie is a cheeseburger , he went down the tyler route . That’s the commentary the movie is making stop over analyzing and stripping things down to details, if we put him behind the camera he couldn’t make a movie 1/10th as good. Similar to tyler

[@bengimelfarb5384]

7:46

[@HellaBlazedCat]

@@TheBlackestKnight21 for real

[@stevaughnwilliams467]

Prime example of the world that hates white men. Let him have his opinion

[@TheBlackestKnight21]

@@stevaughnwilliams467 whatttttttt who said he can’t have his opinion i was just commenting on his opinion he made available to the public calm down 😂

[@taron5244]

for like the first 30 minutes of this film i thought anya’s character was only sarcastically demeaning everything going on, and was enjoying herself but cloacking it in distaste, until at some point i came to realize she was being completely earnest and i just could not believe the character was actually that one-note

[@JohnKane1996]

what did you expect her to enjoy?

[@AdamNoizer]

Why would disliking the food make her one note?

[@cthulhutheendless1587]

She was honestly the most normal person in the film. She didn’t subscribe to the bullshit going on around her. When Chef Slowik did something incredibly pretentious, like serve breadless bread, she just wouldn’t eat

[@jarrodedson5441]

@@cthulhutheendless1587 exactly

[@athenajaxon2397]

Also she went there for free. Like yeah it's pretentious but girl it's free food 😂

[@Montywritespython]

This entire review made me love this film even more :)

[@destine1547]

Glad I’m not the only one who felt this film was entirely hollow. Like not giving the film credit for what it was going for but what it actually did… this film feels like someone thought of a great concept but didn’t have the chops to write it. A better film about this concept is triangle of sadness IMO

[@Nic-co6ot]

As much as I'm not fond of this movie, I think that it is meant to feel hollow. The chef worked too hard and became dependent on impressing others by creating foods that are supposed to make customers feel something, not some "thought experiments" that critics would just enjoy analyzing. And at the end of his journey he just became a nihilistic asshole who wants to kill shallow rich people who are thought and perceived to be critical or great in what they do but are actually more shallow of characters than the main character who's able to show rationality. With that said, The Menu is even more boring because it does not meet the genre it's supposed to be under. Visually, it's an ok. The background music probably is a main factor on why it's not as exciting as I expected it to be.

[@chrishaven1489]

7:20 That's a bad faith take. The chef is punishing him for 'ruining the experience' of tonight's event i.e. he's being punished for involving an 'innocent' victim to tonight's would-be massacre

[@stevaughnwilliams467]

It's painting a narrative that straight white males are suicidal and they should be. This was the most unsettling plot twist and it should get no brownie points

[@chrishaven1489]

@@stevaughnwilliams467 This is also a bad faith take. The problem with this interpretation is that you can't have a straight white male commit suicide in a story without it being a commentery about how straight white males are and should be suicidal. Therefore, to amend this, straight white males should never commit suicide in stories. That's silly

[@mharley3791]

I usually like your reviews. But this the first time where the comments are more compelling and thought out than you analysis

[@Zenlore6499]

“I’m not missing the point; I’m rejecting the point.” That’s the thesis of this video, as far as I can tell. Choosing to ignore the message and instead misinterpret and insult the film as if that’s its fault and not yours. I understand not liking something that doesn’t click with you personally, but this isn’t what you’re doing here. You choose to hate it rather than actually attempt to understand it.

[@stevaughnwilliams467]

I'm sorry any movie that proves a point with people commiting sucide then rejecting the point is ideal. This was all wrong the way they did it

[@evad4you]

This movie was a ton of fun. It had great set pieces, very memorable shots and designs. You have a point about the characters being rather one dimensional but I don't think they necessarily needed to be more than they are. The cheeseburger isn't as much about artistic pretension or complexity / simplicity as about the drive behind artistry, the satisfaction of the artist's soul (as well as the art consumers). Ironically, I think the fact that you questioned why you create the content that you do and whether its a worthwhile endeavor for you is exactly in line with this movie, even if you got there the wrong way around. Also I'm not sure Tyler's sin was knowledge of the art, which clearly DID add to his enjoyment of everything. I think assuming the film is against artistic knowledge and criticism is wrong, even the cheeseburger has complexities to it and Slowik's enjoyment of a burger would clearly be different than Erin's for knowing it. Rather, Tyler's sin was being so obsessed with Slowik's approval that he would condemn an innocent woman to death for it - it seemed clear to me that it was this revelation that made Slowik decide to humiliate and destroy Tyler. While it's very ambiguous and up for debate, I feel like Slowik having disclosed the plan to Tyler ahead of time might even have been a sign of respect, to dissuade Tyler from coming because maybe Tyler actually truly relished the artistic creations for what they were. But enjoying art wasn't enough for Tyler, the reality is that Tyler wants to be elevated in the artist's approval above all else.

[@MrAwombat]

That's really good! I've been thinking a lot about Tyler's arc and that's the best description I've heard so far.

[@uhuhuh1966]

I think you connecting the criticism of the food world with the film world is a massive stretch, this very clearly only criticizes food and celebrity chef culture that has only risen in the last 20 or 30 years. Nothing in this has commentary on filmmaking, it sounds like you, as a filmmaker, are taking what it has to say way too personally and drawing parallels in your mind that aren’t actually there. If you were a fan of food culture you’d immediately recognize the skewering of it in this movie instead of trying to apply what it’s saying to all forms of art. It’s very pointed and specific

[@ulizez89]

Felt the same, made me remember a phrase in my native tongue "think the thief that everyone is of his condition" meaning, because you are X you see everyone from a X lense.

[@andrueanderson8637]

The criticism doesn't stand if it doesn't apply to other forms of art. If it was only supposed to apply to food and celebrity chef culture it would be nothing more than some random filmmaker's personal take on some specific subgenre of TV, which is, obviously, irrelevant. The reason it DOES apply to all forms of art is because there are some objective points to be made through the satire that actually stand in a general context, which this video points out.

[@uhuhuh1966]

@@andrueanderson8637 how are you just going to call an entire industry, and someone’s take on it, irrelevant? 🤣 and it’s not just TV genius, it’s a CULTURE, which means it’s an entire way of life for people. You do realize that celebrity chefs have restaurants outside of reality TV, right? TV is a tiny portion of that culture. The points that stand out in a general context when followed through to their conclusion fall apart, they only make sense on a surface level, and then there are just as many, if not more, points that aren’t general at all. It’s okay for a story to be about something specific, it does not make that story irrelevant lmao if anything it makes it more focused. Every art form is different, sure there’s some overlap to painting and filmmaking but as a whole they’re two completely different disciplines that attract different types of people.

[@wolbaman]

His whole argument (in MANY words) was that this wasn’t the movie he wanted to see.. 😑 then go watch that movie.

[@YourBlackLocal]

Honestly I just thought it was fine. It was an interesting premise I felt was stretched a bit thin.

[@barto.streetart]

Bro, you didn't like the film because you saw yourself in it. Nobody who bothers to criticize a piece of artwork in the manner that you do it - smug and pompous, actually feels satisfaction in his own creation. And wastes time to create criticism rather than creating anything better. Just like I did in this comment.

[@SuperMustache555]

I feel like I could levy the same complaints against Glass Onion: character archetypes with very little dimension (with the exception of Whiskey's political aspirations). I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing though. When you have an ensemble cast, sometimes it's funnier to just see archetypal characters interact in pursuit of a funny plot, that's what I got out of both The Menu and Glass Onion

[@diego_wagner]

That's a good point. This is just me, but I personally felt like the ensemble in Glass Onion was more entertaining to watch interact with the plot, possibly because their relationships with each other was so much more rich than the Menu

[@SuperMustache555]

@@diego_wagner Agreed! The characters in Glass Onion definitely interacted more. In The Menu, they really stayed in their own worlds

[@lavacaqueri5454]

@@diego_wagner I felt the opposite. Glass onion was borderline unwatchable

[@diego_wagner]

@@lavacaqueri5454 That's okay!

[@stevaughnwilliams467]

Lets be real nothing was funny about the chef telling people to commit suicide.

[@merpderpyerp]

I think you misunderstand that the biggest message, in my opinion, is to be present when engaging with art. It’s very easy for us to emotionally connect to something (which sometimes can be where “low art” comes in, a la Scorsese with Marvel movies), but there seems to be a movement to intellectualize and get too mentally engaged with art. Both mind and heart are equally valuable, but when you get caught up in the headspace too much, you’re not feeling anything necessarily. I think the best example of this is in the old couple because they can’t remember anything they’ve eaten in MONTHS of attending that restaurant. They’re rich enough that they can go eat anywhere and they pick the most prestigious and costly place, not for the experience, but because it improves the reputation. They could’ve spent that money, and any other way. This whole thing is about reputation, and not appreciating the little pleasures in life. And the people who have the best reputations are the rich and the popular and affluent… in a way, I think the movie is about balancing the heart in the mind, and not letting reputation and superficiality cloud our judgment. As far as Holt’s character, he was obsessive about this, but never engaged with it and created anything himself. I feel like there’s a lot of the time where we are such consumers of content that we don’t realize we should also be producing as well. It’s not an absolute obligation, but I believe it’s an important part of being a person. It’s something I’m struggling with myself, wanting to put out things into the world instead of only consuming, but not knowing how.

[@stevaughnwilliams467]

Yeah but because you have people commiting sucide tells the audience that we are actually condoning homicide as a resolve. It didn't work for me sorry

[@merpderpyerp]

@@stevaughnwilliams467 not literally. I think the satire is painfully obvious that that homicide and suicide are not the answer that it’s actually communicating. It’s blatant in its exaggeration. I think the finer point is the hopelessness people feel from solely aspiring to these ideals, façades, and goals for themselves, rather than appreciating life moment to moment. If you lose sight of the present, then you don’t have a future. Also, that these people weren’t deserving of their futures due to classism and their abuses of power, not productive members of society. It’s a bit of an “eat the rich” satire, but it’s not literally calling for violence, unless you consume media with no critical analysis nor concept of symbolism.

[@Tridentboy1998]

I guess one may call this video “Taylor’s Bullshit”.

[@KendyJ929]

“It’s a taste thing” made me cackle! I appreciate the pov. I like this channel and I like the different take on The Menu.

[@medbii]

I just thought that the cheeseburger was Magot's final attempt at freedom. After hearing everything that Slowik had to say and investigating his personal quarters, she found that the only time that he seemed happy was when he was still cooking burgers at a simple diner. Slowik was happy to make something that he probably hadn't had the chance to make in a long time due to the nature of his current establishment. Furthermore, the description of "Just a well-made cheeseburger" is honestly more than sufficient. Margot herself literally asked for a simple cheeseburger. Something quick and easy that would fill her up. It was never meant to be a culinary masterpiece.

[@adamradley4016]

When complaint is confused for criticism...

[@TballAllStar]

I just watched this movie last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. The beauty of art is that it's subjective so we can feel/think whatever we want about it, we all have different taste buds, so to speak. To me, this movie was a cheeseburger. I didn't try to deconstruct it or get the meaning for everything while watching, I just sat back and went along for the ride and had a great time and some good (although dark) laughs. That's all I was looking for and left "full".

[@phillnineteenninetysix]

I think people can feel different things even if they watch this movie as it is without deconstructing it. Throughout the movie, all I could think of was how the chef was such an egotistical baby. Boohoo, these people didn't appreciate your "art" as the way you wanted them too. Are you upset? End yourself then. It's such a wishful thinking to expect people to appreciate what you do as how you want them too. The world wouldn't function without mindless consumers. Either you endure it, or you get out of that environment. He didn't even have the balls to create that life for himself. I might be taking this too literally, but as you said, without deconstructing it or thinking way too much of what the movie intended it to be, that's how I felt. And I wasn't able to enjoy it. I tried to enjoy it as something gory, but it wasn't gory for me. I didn't feel anything for anyone's death.

[@zacka161]

Thankyou. I have been trying to say that since ive seen but no one listens. To me a fascinating thing to come out of this video is that you found it so easy to rattle of 'satires of the mega wealthy' made in the last couple years... It's amazing how film/art imitates the anxieties of the working class, yet as the mega wealthy themselves, the satire is only skin deep and honestly weak. M3GAN satirises the dangers of big tech yet, like The Menu, it begins with an idea and dissolves into saying nothing at all and just being a romp. They pull their punches so hard.

[@falegname37]

I don't know, to be honest, if you look at it from a dining-critique aspect, i think it makes way more sense. The characters, as stated, are part of the menu: they are ingredients, they don't really need to be completely explored; the focus is on the experience, which is why the cheeseburger works. The burger is a bait: by tugging at his heartstrings, Margot exploits the concept of the chef's plan, which is to deliver a masterpiece. Once he's served the cheeseburger, refusing to give her the rest "to-go" would ruin the experience, the soul of a "fast-food", thus forcing him to let her go or admit that the experience wasn't perfect. I feel like the analogy for film-making is a bit forced, but to be honest, as the movie states, i don't really know what's going on behind the scenes, or what was the real intention of the writers.

[@davemac9563]

I love the menu. Not all satire has to be subtle. Sometimes it can be on the surface as long as it’s entertaining and the satire does make great points. The dark comedy makes it enjoyable, it does make great points about movie making and art in general, and the cheeseburger scene at the end, idk why I love it. Maybe because it’s reminding people no matter what you create, never forget what made you fall in love with your craft in the first place. You can have you opinions, but I’m just speaking from why the menu is special to so many people.

[@siphillis]

Satire doesn't need to be subtle, but it needs to have depth. "Rich people just don't get it, amirite?" is not good satire because it doesn't demonstrate any nuance understanding of what it's satirizing. It's just taking the same pot-shots at the powerful that you and I could over some beers.

[@thehighervolume7126]

I never saw it that way so definitely a disagreement. Because I think you really dug into something else that probably wasn't there. I saw The Menu as how critics or the world can mold a chef into loosing himself. And that high class don't appreciate what CAN make you happy.

[@daisyidk2903]

this review became convoluted quite quickly and i have to disagree. it’s a fun movie to watch but the concept didn’t live up to all it could’ve been in the end. i think it’s just a bit too simple for its own good in the end and that you’ve definitely overanalysed it way too much

[@Cerise4697]

Yeah, while I agree with Taylor's sentiment I think the badness of the movie is not even as complicated as he makes it out to be. It tried to be "smart" and ended up showing its holes that made it look not very smart at all. That's really what it boiled down to, imo.

[@daisyidk2903]

@@Cerise4697 yeah exactly, i was a bit confused as to where the idea of it ‘being a bad movie to show bad movies exist’ actually came from because i definitely didn’t get any of that in my viewing experience

[@stevaughnwilliams467]

Any movie that has suicide portrayed at such moments notice is far from fun to watch.

[@JacobManning]

i’m curious how you’re so sure the movie is an allegory for elevated horror. you seem to assume it’s about that without giving a reason. not trying to be a prick, but i’m genuinely wondering what gave you that conclusion.

[@ThatBearGuy]

As someone who has literally worked in the kind of restaurants this movie is an actual satire of, he 100% doesn't get the movie at all.

[@madsdesouza2683]

@@ThatBearGuy i love his videos, but i have to say he sounds butthurt to me lol

[@stevaughnwilliams467]

@@ThatBearGuy that's the point of why it was not too good a movie

[@78deathface]

The thing is: a classic, well-made cheeseburger is delicious, but so is a pretentious one with fancy cheese 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@cinnamonnoir2487]

I was so steamed when the movie said that a proper cheeseburger is made with American cheese, essentially just because it's gooey and poor people eat a lot of it. Other kinds of cheese aren't even that expensive, and so many of them are tastier on a burger.

[@trixicen7292]

This is the best depiction of a SW I've ever seen as a SW so like, eh. having a bad take on that point isn't surprising from a civilian.

[@trixicen7292]

leftists form their theories about SW's in media with influence from the actual opinions of SW's challenge 2023

[@kat8559]

Disagree, watch p valley. Also she's boring af and wasn't eating the food. I would at least have tried the tacos Edit: i am a swer

[@isaacgriffin4336]

I'm definitely watching The Menu again after seeing this video. When I watched it the first time I had a different interpretation. The movie made me think about the academic art movement. The academic art movement, which rose and fell largely between the 16th and 20th century, and was influential in the European art world, was a style of art which prioritised technical skill, realistic paintings, and high-minded concepts. There was a right way and a wrong way to make a brush stroke, and every painting must have a complex message behind it. Nobody argues that this movement didn't produce beautiful art, like The Fallen Angel by Alexandre Cabanel, but it was restrictive and it was too focused on technical details instead of the spirit of the art. It wasn't until the end of academicism that we got painters like Van Gogh and Monet. To me, this is what the movie is saying. Being too focused on art being technically good and high-minded is restrictive and we have to embrace the spirit of art to fully experience it. P.S. I enjoyed this movie more than Triangle of Sadness, which I felt it was over the top with its message. They literally have an American and a Russian argue about capitalism vs communism for like 5 minutes!

[@willhockstein119]

The Menu shows us something truly disturbing about movies these days: as the ability for underclass people to make movies goes down and the number of people that fall into the underclass increases, we will see fewer and few movies by underclass people about underclass issues and perspectives. So instead we get these subjects taken on by rich people who can get major stars into their pictures

[@TheGmen1515]

A film criticizing critics getting critiqued for being pretentious, by a pretentious film critic. It would almost be beautiful if I thought Taylor had the self awareness to do it intentionally. "I'm not missing the point, I'm rejecting the point." I literally laughed out loud at that line. I'm sure that is a comforting thought. "I actually think calling it a bad movie to demonstrate movies can be bad is reductive." Okay maybe this whole video is satire? I can't tell anymore. No one could actually say that line earnestly, right? Taylor, I need answers.

[@FelixGaffiot]

Truth be told, nothing about Margot's character makes sense in the first place. If she's been hired as an escort by Tyler, how can they be so intimate already, to the point that she openly disagrees with him about everything he loves, when she's supposed to get paid to please him ?

[@cinnamonnoir2487]

That twist felt very Glass Onion-y (i.e. dishonest) to me. It's like they actually were boyfriend and girlfriend for the first ten minutes and then we went to an alternate universe where they weren't.

[@hmm44523]

Im pretty sure he was one of her regulars thats why there was more banter between them

[@levischorpioen]

It's implied that she offers what is called a Girlfriend Experience, meaning that for the duration of their activities, she acts as though they are in a relationship.

[@FelixGaffiot]

@@levischorpioen You must have had really mean girlfriends 🤣

[@originaozz]

I enjoyed watching the movie at one point realizing it wasn't going to go deeper than sneering at the absurd fakeness of it all. Still, the ending felt too empty. I don't see a resolution or a new perspective. It's just saying "Burn that rotting system", without providing any redemption. I was left feeling "Is that it?" because I don't see how things can be change or why it should be change if not for the artist themselves who do need to rely on everyone else.

[@phillnineteenninetysix]

I felt the same way too. For me, it felt like a temper tantrum of sort. The chef was an egotistical baby who couldn't even get himself out of the system so he just decided to kill what he didn't like. Instead of changing his environment, or change his perspective on how to accept that not everyone could be appreciative of his art, or end his own life (and HIS LIFE ONLY), he's like, NOPE, I'LL TAKE YOU WITH ME. This is all your fault. I don't like you all so you should die. You don't have student loans, die. I didn't like your movie, die. You weren't invited from the start? You should still die. His reasons of killing wasn't even relatable, so I felt nothing when they all died. Maybe I'm just not getting the message at all...

[@jy9174]

7:20 since when was Tyler a critic? Everything about his character was based on obsession without work. He skipped over actually loving food unlike the chef who did at one point.

[@TheBlackestKnight21]

exactly

[@slimkt]

I think it’s also that he believes his knowledge makes him better than others. The offhand comment on the boat about the actor being a foodie ‘or at least thinking he is,’ the fact that he waves off Margot when she mentions he didn’t seem to give a fuck about the chef he was talking to because to him, he’s just an underling to the genius Julian. Tyler isn’t a critic, he’s a fanatic and a gatekeeper. He doesn’t appreciate the things he talks about because he actually is passionate about them like a critic would, he just sees it as a mark of status.

[@BradyKaynee]

The movie never claims Tyler is a critic, he's a foodie. What more the movie needs to do to make that clear? He's an "expert" who think he knows everything, but he actually doesn't...

[@bumboy5348]

This is a guy missing the point of a movie for 16 minutes

[@lostsnowman127]

I thought it was just an odd horror film. No satire. Nothing high brow. Just a glossy horror film about the desire to be set free from lies.

[@micktheman6]

I’m surprised it seems like the type of artistic movie you would be into. I thought it was nice to see something different.

[@TheBlackestKnight21]

Agreed he just missed the mark

[@gingetomassi8153]

"Taylor's bullshit"

[@Karaetify]

I saw the titlle and already felt so validated. Most people I known who saw it loved it, and to me it was just case of unused potential with in the end confusing message.

[@Puggle64]

This video in my sub feed made me go watch the menu so I could enjoy you ripping on it and I loved it so much lmao I thought it was so good

[@TheBlackestKnight21]

It’s because he misses the mark on what the movie is actually about and the themes about it that’s why.

[@eylonavraham8921]

I'm glad that this dimwit didn't ruin a good movie for you

[@TheBlackestKnight21]

@@eylonavraham8921 same. I don’t think he understood what the movie was saying even tbh not even kidding

[@eylonavraham8921]

@@TheBlackestKnight21 He didn't, he just convinces himself that he does. At least everyone in the comments calls him out for his bullshit lol. Taylor's Bullshit.

[@MrAwombat]

Lol same puggle

[@spitonash]

imagine making a 16 minute video about missing the point and having every single comment end up being an essay about how youre incredibly wrong 😂

[@blondebomber-qo2uy]

This review says everything I thought about The Menu but in smart words. Thank you so much for an analysis I agree with...finally!

[@sololistyu4593]

Yes! Finally

[@eyden1562]

I didn't quite come to the same conclusions, but I can agree that I 💯 hated this movie. It was WAY too hyped up, and overall.. my 'intellectual palette' was left completely unsatisfied. Lol it felt forced and ridiculously contrived.

[@sololistyu4593]

Subscribed, said everything what I wanted to say after watching the film, finally!

[@davidjfjedi2262]

I could never hate you Taylor J Williams :]

[@pjtiger10]

I kept wishing I was watching Triangle of Sadness during the menu

[@gwenerator7288]

when anya and the fanboy first appeared on screen i was like “are they siblings?” because it didn’t seem like they were dating at alllll

[@halfstegasaurus]

As someone who has worked in the arts and the service industry my entire working life, I find this interpretation to be a little myopic towards the art side. I've worked in lot of spaces where the hyper wealthy expect a certain decadence for an experience that is a fleeting moment of consumption for them (with a psychotic chef creating a horrific culture behind the scenes more often than not) so the satire here went a lot deeper for me without needing to view it as an allegory for the film industry. I actually find your "elevated horror" take to be pretty fun actually but I never would've gotten to it until seeing this essay because (unlike your experience) I found so much meat on the bones purely focusing on the literal story of high end restaurant culture. The themes here of labor, service, decadence, craft, consumption and class can of course be interpreted through a meta reading about the film industry but I'm arguing that I found depth there for the literal industry that was being satirized in the film. And of course just like you that speaks to my individual experience being different than yours -- to me that's generally the mark of a successful piece of art. It got under your skin and you're still talking about it and myself and others are compelled to disagree with you. Makes me like it even more :)

[@dubitataugustinus]

I don't think the film implied high cuisine VS cheeseburger. I think it's trying to say that both can be equally awesome, and that "nurture" (the chef gets triggered when she says she isn't full, satisfied) is as important as "taste." Variety over hegemony.

[@PervertHeart]

Same. What I got from that scene is that Margot reminded him why he enjoyed the craft in the first place, not about the art or pursue of perfection, but just to make something that someone else will truly and purely enjoy.

[@morthempstock9477]

For what it's worth, I find you a unique voice in the world of movie criticism with content that, imho, adds to the conversation. Whether I find myself agreeing with you or not, your point of view is always interesting and you have a way with words that helps me make sense of my own thoughts on a movie in times where I'm struggling to do it on my own. I also find that the times when I feel, like you say, gaslighted by the reaction to a movie and you happen to make a video about it, or at least mention it, your eloquent criticism makes me feel less insane.

[@RashaKahn]

It’s ok to be wrong.

[@losisd3ad]

I do agree that the commentary was pretty lackluster and not very nuanced, but I do also think that some of the points your say the movie is making, aren't necessarily as aggressive as your painting them to be. at least in my opinion. I don't think the movie was blazingly showed boating a strict binary, I just think it didn't really has as much to say as it thinks it does it general. which, in turn, makes it feel like a pseudo intellectual movie.

[@mlodowygladasz336]

This movie had no original thought

[@JDMimeTHEFIRST]

This movie is meant for those of us who didn’t grow up rich and actually worked for everything. It’s not meant for people who grew up rich and had everything given to them. So, I found it 😂 hilarious. Others probably didn’t like it or “appreciate it”. 😅

[@JDMimeTHEFIRST]

In other words . . . It’s not for you

[@stevaughnwilliams467]

No I'm broke and stopped laughing the moment someone committed sucide...

[@bebeto821]

I watched this movie under particular circumstances, which might’ve made my experience more enjoyable. But I love the points you brought up and agree…which is exactly why it think it works. It satires the absurdity of the elite while being an absurd and itself hollow - biting more than it can chew - That being said, it depends on the person to decide if you enjoy the movie…for me what I enjoyed was the ironic hypocrisy. It critiques what it itself is, and it hates itself…idk that just tickles me hehe

[@closeoutentertainment]

I don't think the movie was making a point about stupid audience members. The movie is also making fun of Ralph Fiennes' character just as much as the other characters, in my opinion. If it were making fun of Nicholas Hoult's character, I don't think it would have felt as cringey in that scene when he cooks, and it certainly wouldn't have felt sad when he dies. "The movie" (as you put it) pities him, I think. To me, the central question of the movie is, "what's worth living for?" For most of these characters, it's not much. For the chef, cooking is what was worth it to him, and then, he let other things get in the way. Instead of changing, he takes it out on his patrons.

[@indielover4life]

I was a little confused that they were surprised they were going to die at the end when apparently it was included in the invitation? Is that a plot hole, or did I miss something?

[@hMusic-tb8hl]

I think only Tyler was made aware of this. Maybe as a provocation on the chef's part, because Tyler is such an anoying pseudo-intellectual fanboy that OF COURSE he's going to come to this utlimate culinary experience.

[@cinnamonnoir2487]

That part of the movie isn't very well put together. A lot of commenters apparently missed the part where Slowik explains that Tyler knew roughly what was going to happen in advance. Honestly, I think having any character know what was going to happen was a liability in the plot-construction department. There's some awfully clumsy writing in this supposedly genius film.

[@RyanBeard]

I honestly feel like you're removing nuance from the movie to fit your points. I don't think the message of the cheeseburger was that films are only good if you turn your brain off. The message was that films need to be made with love and passion and actually be enjoyable for them to be good films. The point is that pretentious films that have no actual heart to them are bad, not that the audience should turn their brain off, because like you said, there is still a lot of effort that goes into making a good cheeseburger. I also do think you're missing some levels of satire that the film actually IS critiquing the creators of the film because the chef is not a good person. He still causes all of those workers to kill themselves which shows that he is also a part of the problem while wanting to think that he's above the problem. I do think that the satire of the movie is simultaneously making fun of people who are pretentious in the ways they consume art and making fun of the fact that the movie itself is somewhat pretentious in the way it's criticizing those people. I'm sorry to admit it, but you seem to be a bit overly defensive because you interpreted the movie as a critique of your profession, when I don't think that's the case.

[@cinnamonnoir2487]

I've seen this argument a lot in the comment section for this video, and to be honest I don't understand it. Slowik is a celebrity chef who's spent years making this kind of elaborate, pretentious food. Why did he even start doing it if he has no ability to make this kind of food with passion? If he likes making cheeseburgers, he could have put one on the menu and his rich sycophants (who the movie insists barely understand what they're eating) would have eaten it up. It seems like he trapped himself in a box and then blamed everyone else for it. I agree with you (or at least certainly hope) that the writers don't think Slowik is in the right, but the writers' nihilistic tone with regard to the dinner guests make it seem like they don't care whether he's right or wrong. Erin gets to leave basically because she hypnotized him into feeling like he was running a real restaurant where people can take food to go; everyone else dies because she makes no attempt to save them and Slowik gets to have his revenge even though it's disproportionate to his victims' crimes and he's an evil bastard himself. Either the creators believe that Slowik was justified, or they think he's crazy but preferred to make a film where the crazy villain gets his way and almost everyone dies. That's such a bleak and unpleasant ending scenario that I'm not surprised that some people believe the creators agree with Slowik. Whichever way it goes, this movie left me with a very bad taste in my mouth.

[@jayantjj]

I cannot agree more and am super glad that you spoke your mind. Can't believe how highly rated this movie is. Even peeling the surface layer here, we have so many archetypical, monotonous characters and stupid plot holes/sequences (the female chef getting jealous and killing herself, escape sequence which you mentioned, even the potential rescue scene) all poor writing choices taking me out of the film throughout. Beneath it, a lot which troubles me and is being addressed here. AN ULTIMATE FACADE

[@gafkidacus4610]

Amen. Truly a dogsht film and roll my eyes and question anyone praising it

[@chickenwithitsheadcutoff]

same. for me it failed on both an entertainment level and a thematic level. watching the reception to this movie makes me feel like i live in a fucked up alternate universe where we are somehow seeing completely different things. i couldn’t bring myself to care about the characters, the humor was kind of hit or miss, and the horror felt derivative and un-shocking. that’s to say nothing of the thematic elements of the piece, which? undeniably exist as much as some people seem to want to deny it? so many people in the comments confidently asserting that their interpretation is the correct one while having completely different interpretations. i don’t agree with everything about taylor’s read, but idk how you can see all these comments and still think that this review in particular is a “wrong” interpretation. the only one i truly do not get though is the idea that the movie is somehow simultaneously not that deep and also represents itself via the cheeseburger? that read still incorporates symbolism and theme but seems to position itself against those things. also like, i appreciate that some people see the menu as a more nuanced critique than this review might, but as per a lot of the comments under this video, clearly that’s not how it came across to a lot of people. it DOES come across like it’s saying that reading into or even critically thinking about media and caring about its production are somehow faults or that these things are somehow in opposition to “enjoying the experience”, as so many people like to say, whatever anyone actually means by that. if anything, it at least makes this movie a bit carelessly crafted. i feel like it has so many points it would like to make, but only really scratches the surface for most of them

[@jayantjj]

@@chickenwithitsheadcutoff Very well articulated. I feel a lot of people who love this film are coming from a position that it's deep (than it actually is), the root cause of all poor arguments in the film's favour

[@jayantjj]

@@gafkidacus4610 Same🤣🤣

[@Frankxyz1337]

This is a really good review, and its very interesting watching and listening to his points while disagreeing with so many of them. I actually think I engaged/analyzed more BY disagreeing. Different perspectives make looking at something much more interesting, I think

[@RH1812]

I love the menu. The acting, the design, the comedy. But having just watched your view of Trap… I’m having the same thing today with my view of Alien Romulus verses the whole of KZbin, apparently

[@BlackParade727]

I'd argue The Menu IS the cheeseburger. Like yeah the commentary leaves things to be desired if you hold it up to a microscope, however it's just a fun watch to try to understand what's going on and be along for the ride. I watched it with friends commentating the whole time and we had a great experience and I immediately recommended it to everyone else I know. (And this is considering I'm literally an English teacher who loathes "the curtains were just blue" thinking, because I do also think it does reach a poignant enough point about not letting your passion become your pain)

[@songweaver8638]

Thoughtful, well-argued commentary as always but I profoundly disagree: (spoilers) This is a discussion of class conflict within an artist who, while formerly of humble beginnings, has "made it" by appealing to the social expectations of an out-of-touch upper class. The cheeseburger doesn't invalidate "high" art, that's not its purpose. It invalidates fake, pretentious, hollow, and selfish interaction and interpretation of art. Ultimately, this movie is about the dissatisfaction of an artist who has spent his entire life trying to please the big money executive types, who can never be pleased because they care about their own clout and money, not his art. Most of them go to his restaurant as a status symbol, or because it can further their career, not to enjoy or appreciate his labor. The cheesburger represents his longing for a time when he could be appreciated honestly, not as a part of a cycle of fake empty people putting on reactions to his art for clout and high commercialism. The complaint about the guest characters not being humanized I completely disagree with. It's ok to have archetypes in a narrative. They are representations, not characters that are meant to be humanized in the same way as the characters in say White Lotus. They aren't people, rather, they are stand-ins for groups of people who have all of the control of the money and press that makes art successful without the desire to actually engage with it in an honest or constructive way. I don't think the film is trashing critics generally, because the character of Margot is also a critic. It's trashing the kind of criticism that is rooted in class distinctions, clout seeking, prestige seeking, etc., rather than the appreciation of labor and the quality of the resulting work. The difference is that Margot is able at the end to be honest, with no pretensions. She alone offers to take Chef back to a time when he was happy making great food for hungry people. I also don't think the film is attacking critics as a whole group but the systems of incentives that motivate criticism. You, yourself, admit that negative videos get more clicks. There is a system of incentives there, and I feel like that's what this film has in its teeth. The fact that Margot's tastes are simple isn't what saves her. It's the fact that she isn't a part of this system of incentives and she was able to ask for something she wanted just for the sake of wanting it. She engaged with his art honestly. This is why the title card has changed--because Margot as a customer doesn't care about all of the details. She doesn't want to be convinced that something is good by its presentation. She has simple tastes and there's nothing wrong with that. Both Chef and Margot give one another what each other wants. (Maybe there's a comment here about how people who aren't in the cycle of money and power should be engaging in one another's art and cutting them out of the process?) Which brings us to Tyler. Tyler is a fundamentally untalented, inhuman force of consumption who believes the narratives about Chef because he wants to feel smart, special, and important. People are disposable to him. His own life is disposable to him. His entire identity is built around knowing the language of the art form, without actually understanding the soul or substance that underlies it. I don't think the film is going for the simplistic take presented here. I think it's saying that Tyler knows the language, understands how to talk about art, but fundamentally doesn't understand what goes into it or even what he actually likes. He contrasts sharply with Margot by expressing no preferences, eating whatever he is given and heaping empty praise upon it. When he gets a chance to make some food, he doesn't try to make something he wants, or that he thinks others might appreciate, he attempts to step into the Chef's shoes but makes a soulless mess because he has no substance. He wants to consume art but has learned nothing from engaging with it. He wants to own art, own a piece of the artist, be close to art, but for superficial reasons. He cannot understand the simple joy of eating a good meal. He's full of BS. I do think they could have handled this point better, but I disagree with the interpretation of this scene. Anyway, fundamentally this is a movie about the interactions between class-motivated incentives to critique art, in direct conflict with real analysis, combined with a steadfast defense of "lowbrow" audience participants who consume art for its simplest pleasures. That's my read anyway, cheers.

[@TheLowlifeXssassin]

I've never understood the praise for high art movies that had laughably unintelligent characters or caricatures. Nothing about The Menu was impressive. No harsh criticism, no stand-out performances, no suspense, nothing visually appealing outside of the food dishes, no horror, and no comedy. Just a very average one-dimensional movie.

[@N279]

It’s the worst kind of movie where its presentation and style reach for what feels like the idea of a “high art movie” while the content itself is just a 1 dimensional cliche story. It showed that money can buy smart talented people to make your visual style and cinematography but that doesn’t make the writing any more bearable

[@josephirizarry5195]

LOVE Triangle of Sadness; what a feat

[@softiebun9660]

This film felt like the inversion of Glass Onion. Both feature rich assholes stuffed into a remote luxury island setting and ends with mass destruction, distinctly motivated deaths and the "based" protagonist/deuteragonists make it off the island with a happy ending.

[@cinnamonnoir2487]

Also both movies completely misunderstand what ordinary people actually dislike about the rich, probably because their creators are elites themselves.

[@Jonny2scoops]

Lots of comments seem to be disagreeing with you here, but I for one am glad to hear another person with a similar take on this film. I neither had fun nor took away any interesting ideas from this film. Cringe lines about class felt like an attempt to gain favour with a political youth. It's a shame since I felt like there was a good film underneath this one, maybe like something from Yorgos Lanthimos.

[@ItsJustChurch]

As a working-class leftist, I read this more as a critique of the hypocritical pretension within the modern socialist movement. It actually felt very personally biting toward me, and I really appreciated it.

[@frankshavers7840]

While I’m not surprised that so many people here are harping on this review, it’s still disappointing. I think all of the critiques here are fair and well thought out. This is what happens when a film that goes a little off from the norm become hyper popular: it makes everyone who has never really dove deeper into film feel like they are being attacked for liking it.

[@chickenwithitsheadcutoff]

you’d swear he killed someone’s dog with the way some people are coming after this review

[@mikeywebb9598]

You’re problem is that you state almost all your opinion on the movie as if it’s a fact, like “it’s got bad green screening” I didn’t even realize it was green screen ☠️ also the critic in the movie is clearly shown smoking during the meal with just women, showing how SPECIFICALLY that critic is biased, as smoking DOES effect the taste buds

[@stefancolberg2966]

Feeling gaslighted by the movie's reception is way too accurate😂 I felt insane watching so many people like this movie, until i saw this. A movie feeling clever for calling itself out in its own semi satirical bullshit is so infuriating! Ironically the menu ends up feeling like bad criticism itself.

[@nullakjg767]

Yea it wasnt bad bad but it def wasnt anything above a 5/10.

[@chickenwithitsheadcutoff]

god yeah this encapsulates it for me. it was like getting excited for a date and then having to hear the other person go on and on and on about themself without interruption

[@llamasarus1]

I saw the film as being more observational than dogmatic. I can't prove that the writers were taking a definite stand on one thing, rather I think they were just using the characters to throw out ideas and views that people may commonly have in these industries. I disagree with the idea that "critics who can't create shouldn't judge because they don't know what it's like". But if there exist artists in the world who think that, then it's not a bad aesthetic choice to portray the villain of the film to have that view. If there exists audience goers who feel the way Margot did during her cheeseburger speech, then it's just alright to portray her thinking that way, even if I personally want intellectual engagement in art. I don't think these characters were written as mouth pieces as much as they are observing the friction that goes on between these people in art and business.

[@derekrobbins4232]

How ironic that you ended up sounded similar to the critic in the film while criticizing the film.

[@jude1828]

You liked Glass Onion but not this movie? That tells me all I need to know.