Warning: This piece contains reference to suicide.

The Menu - a newly released horror film about the dark side of fine dining - may contain a secret twist involving cannibalism. Directed by Mark Mylod, the dark comedy debuted at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival and was released in theaters on November 18. Since then, its garnered praise from audiences and a largely positive critical reception.

The Menu invites a diverse cast of characters to participate in a fine dining experience on Chef Julian Slowik’s (Ralph Fiennes) private island. However, as each course gets more sinister and disturbing, the guests realize that they’ve been brought to the island for an entirely different purpose. One standout - Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) - is not on the original guest list, causing chaos to ensue as the night continues and people continue to die. To start, no, the film doesn’t contain explicit cannibalism. But subtle clues suggest the film has a more ominous meaning.

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The Menu Hints At Cannibalism

Chef Slowik conducts his chefs in the kitchen in The Menu

The first hint at cannibalism in The Menu occurs when Slowik serves a course of chicken speared through with scissors, recounting a moment of violence between his parents when he was young. The Menu flips many horror movie tropes, and as the dinner progresses each course seems to hold a terrifying surprise with deeper significance. For example, Slowik commands one of his sous-chefs to chop off one man's thumb. Speaking to Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) in an ominous tone after Tyler claims that he can cook, Slowik says, "Cooks belong in the kitchen," as he ushers him back there, shortly before his death.

Later, after one of Chef Slowik's sous-chefs kills himself in front of the guests in a course entitled "The Mess," Slowik suggests, "It's all part of the menu," as the man's body is rushed back into the kitchen. As this remark is made more and more frequently by Slowik and his staff, one wonders if cannibalism might be involved. However, without definitive proof, the audience only gets one more solid suggestion that someone was eaten.

Why Margot's Cheeseburger Might Be A Twist

The Menu Margot and Julian

The ending of The Menu may be hiding the biggest cannibalism twist of all. Before being freed from the island by Slowik, Margot asks for a cheeseburger to go. Slowik insists that he can make her a cheeseburger so good it will be like the first time she's ever had one. Putting two patties on the grill, one is reminded of the two people that killed themselves in the kitchen early on - Tyler and Slowik's sous-chef.

Before Tyler kills himself, Slowik whispers something to him. Being that Tyler was desperate for Slowik's favor, would he have agreed to be part of the meal? In the final moments of The Menu, Margot leaves the island by boat, and as she eats her cheeseburger, frightening music rises before everything cuts to black. Could Margot have been eating a human?

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