The Menu, directed by Mark Mylod from a screenplay by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy, is a dark comedy/horror film set almost entirely within the confines of an exclusive restaurant The Hawthorne, ruled with a dictatorial air towards both staff and diner by Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). The film unfolds during a single evening’s meal of several courses as the exclusive clientele discover that this night Slowik had a very special menu planned.

The story unfolds, slowly revealing the horrific nature of the very special evening, through viewpoint of Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), a last-minute replacement date for snobbish foodie Tyler (Nicholas Hoult). An outsider to the world of the extremely wealthy Margot is the audience surrogate and protagonist trapped in the bizarre conflict between the wealthy patrons and the working staff of the restaurant. As the night progresses Slowik’s true intent and hatred slowly emerges along with his staff’s fanatical and cultish devotion.

The Menu leans much further into satire and dark comedy than into horror, with social commentary, that is quite entertaining, giving the piece its principal thematic purpose. Beyond the already listed cast member the film includes John Leguizamo as an aging actor, and Janet McTeer as an influential critic but the movie rests solidly on the talents of Taylor-Joy and Fiennes as the central protagonist/antagonist and it is their conflicting world views and personalities that drive the plot.

While the film has lovely, warm, and cold cinematography by Peter Deming, whose credits include Twin Peaks, The Cabin in the Woods, and Mulholland Drive the real standout work here is the production design by Ethan Tobman. With very limited locations and more than three quarters of the scenes restricted to the dining room/kitchen of the Hawthorne, Tobman has crafted an environment that perfectly captures the cold sterile and lethal setting while never breaking the suspension of disbelief that this could be an actual exclusive restaurant.

Horror fans looking for elaborate kills, graphic violence, and exciting chases are going to be disappointed by The Menu, a film that reveals it horror more quietly but other may find this as delicious as I did.