| Date | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mia Blakeney |
The Surprise Film at the BFI London Film Festival this year was The Menu, directed by Mark Mylod, famous for directing TV shows Succession and Game of Thrones. Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch, Split) and Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies, Mad Max: Fury Road) play a couple who travel to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef, played as Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel, Schindler's List) has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.
Release date: 18 November 2022
Target audience: ABC1 Adults
Est. DCM admissions: 347k
"My highlight of this years festival was without doubt this year’s Surprise Film, The Menu. With the surprise film always being the hottest ticket of the festival, there’s pressure to deliver and this years was an absolute winner! Set inside a pretentious top restaurant where a chef curates a menu surrounding his exceedingly wealthy and flawed guests misdoings, The Menu succeeds in being as clever as it is funny. With yet another stellar cast, leads Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes are exquisite whilst supporting stars Nicholas Hoult and Hong Chau are, for me, the stand outs with their scene-stealing roles. As the guests night continues and audiences are introduced to increasingly bizarre (but beautifully shot) dishes, experiencing the in the moment reactions from a packed cinema audience was one of my cinema highlights of the year. This film is sure to be a hit amongst critics and provide the perfect upmarket counterprogramming to the blockbuster Black Panther: Wakanda Forever this November and is not one to be missed!"
Korrine Eshun, Agency Manager
"This year’s Surprise Film was a real treat! The Menu is a darkly funny satire of high-end dining and the Chef’s Table phenomenon, as the mystery behind Chef Slowik’s theatrical gastronomical experience becomes all too real for his invited guests. Anchored by superb performances by Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy, it’s a real crowd-pleaser delivering on laughs and shocks. One to see with a crowd in the cinema."
Michael Tull, Insight Business Director
Find out more about all upcoming films at www.dcm.co.uk/films.