It’s striking how belatedly I’m getting around to this—and perhaps it was something best missed altogether. *The Menu* is a movie that earns all the attention surrounding it. It's genuinely impressive, featuring solid writing and noteworthy performances from the actors involved. Anya Taylor-Joy remains consistently excellent; I haven’t encountered anything she’s been in that I didn’t like. Ralph Fiennes seems ideally suited to play the character of Chef. Hong Chau also makes a memorable impression, and it was pleasant to see Paul Adelstein acting again—it's been quite some time since *Prison Break*, with only a minor role in his (underrated) *Imposters* series in between. The film establishes a pleasing atmosphere; while not entirely surprising (though there are occasional unexpected turns), it effectively creates suspense from beginning to end. I previously confused this movie and *The Bear*; I thought they were the same, based on quick looks at their posters. It's curious that these films arrived so close together in time, even the excellent film *Boiling Point*, starring Stephen Graham, was released around 2022 as well. Seems like a year dedicated to kitchens.

Source on TMDB