As I was reading the script, I was swept up in the absurdist quality of the storytelling.
In reading the rest of the script, that association with Parasite proved to be closer and closer as the story evolved from drama to comedy…
As I was reading the script, I was swept up in the absurdist quality of the storytelling. A clever way to make fun of the moneyed caste. But then right in the middle of the script, Jeremy - a sous chef we have just met - shoots himself in the head. This marks a dramatic shift in tone. As such it reminded me of another movie which pokes fun and makes commentary about rich people: Parasite.
In reading the rest of the script, that association with Parasite proved to be closer and closer as the story evolved from drama to comedy to thriller to horror, much the same trajectory of Bong Joon Ho's masterful movie.
This melding together of genres is one of the hallmarks of indie cinema from the 70s on, but Parasite and The Menu put a spin on it: Instead of mashing disparate genres together one atop the other (see: Bonnie & Clyde and movies by Quentin Tarantino), Parasite and The Menu shift from one genre to the other (see also: The Invitation, Speak No Evil).
The Menu (the script) is quite unnerving, yet absurdly entertaining. To me, none of these characters feel real, except Margot. So ultimately, my take on The Menu (reading the script, I haven't seen the movie yet) is that it's a satire, a bromide at people who have too much or are lost and seeking meaning in the wrong place. The Big Short comes to mind as a movie association. Also, Glass Onion.
I'm not surprised to see movies being released which satirize the wealthy class. Sometimes, it feels like we're on the edge of a class war, the gap between the 1% and the rest of us growing wider and wider. Their "food" leaves us hungry. When all we want is a cheeseburger (i.e., an authentic, normal lifestyle).
That takes us in to theme, which I'll get into later.