Andrew Zimmern Had Mixed Feelings About The Menu

"The Menu" is a curious and unnerving black comedy advertised with an ambiguous poster featuring stars Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Nicholas Hoult. While it was hard to discern what this movie was about from the poster, that didn't stop people from spending nearly $80 million at the box office. Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 88%, while the audience vote was 76%. Between the unhinged chef, his drone-like staff, and the grating commentary from the pretentious foodies, this film didn't offer the most flattering snapshot of the culinary world. But what do food professionals think?

On Andrew Zimmern's YouTube channel, the Emmy Award-winning, four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, and writer offered his take on the film. Zimmern thinks several of the jokes in the movie depended on knowledge that the general population just doesn't possess. Consequently, he believes that many of the potential funniest parts were lost on the average viewer.

To clarify his opinion on "The Menu," Zimmern states, "It was so inside, it kind of lost its mojo for me." And even though he said the film dragged a lot, it had moments of brilliance, was a good satire, and overall, he enjoyed the film. However, he added that he did not need to see it again.

In contrast, verified audience members on Rotten Tomatoes posted comments, such as "I've actually seen it 2-3 times. Worth the watch;" "If you watch it once, you'll want to watch it again. The more you watch, the more interesting it gets;" and "I need to watch this a couple more times to catch all the ironic biting lines."

If you haven't seen "The Menu" yet, and you are interested in the absurdity of high-end menu planning, it's worth seeing. Just don't expect to get all of the jokes or catch all of the references the first time.