by KATARINA QUINN
The Menu has a refreshingly nuanced view of sex work; while its primary focus is not sex, it’s central character, Margot, is a provider. The movie tears apart the traditional use of sex workers as a prop in someone else’s story, instead giving Margot real agency and fluidly exploring the realities of our world and the nature of service with a satirical deadpan. The film follows a group of wealthy patrons at an opulent tasting table in a restaurant supported by an almost cult-like service staff that sources all of their ingredients from the otherwise uninhabited island. The impeccably planned menu is disrupted by a last-minute date substitution—Margot has replaced Tyler’s recent ex, and Chef’s odd reaction to the change adds to the growing sense of unease. As the courses come and go and bodies start dropping, what they thought would be a delicious meal turns into a fight for survival.
