🎬 Just watched The Menu (2022) and wow—what a film.
At first, I thought it was just another thriller, but it turned out to be a sharp, unsettling reflection on class, entitlement, and the cost of losing passion in a world obsessed with perfection. It really made me think.
It’s not just about food—it’s about how we consume experiences, art, and even people, and what happens when we lose the joy in what we once loved. The movie asks us to look deeper and reflect: Are we still living with purpose, or just performing?
Definitely not your typical horror. It's haunting in a completely different way. 🍽️🔥
The 2022 film *The Menu*, directed by Mark Mylod, is a dark satirical thriller that carries **deep psychological, cultural, and emotional commentary**. On the surface, it’s about a twisted fine-dining experience gone wrong, but beneath that, it’s a layered exploration of **class, power, identity, obsession, and artistic burnout**.
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🧠 **Psychological Meaning of *The Menu***
1. **The Psychology of Obsession and Identity**
Chef Slowik represents a person who has **lost his identity to perfectionism and societal expectation**. Once passionate, he has become **numb and robotic**, performing for an elite class that consumes art without appreciation.
* **Burnout**: Slowik’s descent reflects a psychological collapse from constant pressure and creative exhaustion.
* **Disconnection from Self**: He no longer enjoys the craft; he is trapped in a role he can’t escape.
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2. **Class, Entitlement & Consumer Culture**
The diners are symbolic of different kinds of **entitled consumers**—critics, tech bros, wealthy elites, and people who pay for status rather than substance.
* This mirrors **how modern society commodifies everything**, including art and experience.
* The diners view food as a status symbol, not sustenance or craft.
> Psychologically, this speaks to the **emptiness of materialism** and the **disconnection between privilege and reality**.
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3. **Margot (Erin) as the Grounded Perspective**
Margot represents **authenticity, survival, and the working class**. She doesn’t belong in that world and thus becomes the mirror that shows the absurdity of it all.
* Her refusal to play into the chef’s expectations leads to her survival.
* She challenges the elite structure by asking for something simple—a cheeseburger—rekindling a genuine human connection.
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4. **Death as a Metaphor for Finality & Art**
The mass death at the end isn’t just about revenge; it’s symbolic of **killing the illusion**—destroying the toxic system of performance, classism, and soulless consumption.
> It’s the artist’s ultimate act of rebellion—**ending the art rather than letting it be corrupted.**
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🧠 **How the Film Affects Viewers Psychologically**
1. **Discomfort & Self-Reflection**
* Viewers may feel **uneasy** watching characters that symbolize themselves—privileged, unaware, or hypocritical.
* It forces us to **question how we consume art, food, entertainment**, and whether we truly *appreciate* or just *expect*.
2. **Existential Dissonance**
* It stirs questions about **purpose**, **passion**, and what happens when something we love becomes our prison.
* Those in creative fields may particularly relate to the **loss of joy in work turned performance**.
3. **Catharsis**
* The chaos, death, and Margot’s escape offer **symbolic release** from societal pressure, elitism, and performative perfection.
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🎯 **What *The Menu* Really Tries to Say**
* **Art without soul is empty.**
* **Privilege can blind you to your own absurdity.**
* **The line between creator and consumer is sacred—and must be respected.**
* **Authenticity survives, performance collapses.**
* **Simplicity, humanity, and real connection will always be more nourishing than luxury.**
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If you're watching it from a psychological lens, *The Menu* is less about food and more about **hunger**—for meaning, respect, identity, and authenticity.
It’s a sharp critique of the **world we’ve built around image, indulgence, and illusion**.
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