HBO Max: “The Menu” starring Ralph Fiennes

The Menu,” directed by Mark Mylod, has made its way to HBO Max. It follows the formula of other recent films where wealthy, self-absorbed people seek pleasure on an exclusive island, usually owned by a megalomaniac. In this case, Slovik (Ralph Fiennes, referred to reverentially as “Chef”) fills the bill. The menu and culinary reputation are purportedly without peer.

The guests that dine on his island can afford or at least appreciate the tasting menu. They include tech bros, investment bankers, and the occasional food critic and foodie. Despite their different backgrounds, what they do share, we soon discover, is that at some point in their life, they somehow did Chef wrong.

The film begins as a satire on those pretentious- multi-course tasting menus you’ve either had or read about, where even the color of the stones on which the amuse-bouche is served is discussed in the most glowing, eye-rolling terms. Then the film gets ugly. Fast.

The humor disappears. Certain not-so-humorous events transpire, as the film becomes all about spearing the rich and powerful—sometimes literally. Among this unsavory, gratuitously bloody mess is a “Rosebud” moment involving Chef and a cheeseburger.

Only the character of Margo, as the accidental guest (played by Anya Taylor-Joy from “The Queen’s Gambit”) offers a breath of sanity in this insanely disjointed, sick film. Completely at sea is a cast that consists of such talents as Janet McAteer, John Leguiziamo, Reed Birney, Judith Light, and others I won’t bother to mention for fear that they will someday not wish to be associated with this 100-minute waste of my time.

I don’t hate many films that I review, but I am making an exception for “The Menu”. It is an unqualified POS. Have a nice day, people!