Mark Mylod's 'The Menu', I found to be a rather callous and ostentatious take on the 'Psychological Thriller' genre. With its heavy reliance on shock factor and off-key symbolism, the film's over-indulgent liberties left my brain sore.

Understood as being a twisted social critique, against a darkly lit satirical backdrop, Chef Slowik's apron may as well have been a Bateman-esque clear raincoat, in the director's attempt to stand among the greats of its kind. But unlike American Psycho (and other's of its calibre), it was not 'the other shoe' that would drop, but rather a dropping of the ball; a consequence of trying to juggle too many.

In cramming all the half-baked themes and shallowly explored characters, onto the audience's plate, it left a sensory and thematic overload, lacking coherence and the delicate, nuanced care, that defines the celebrated films the genre. Even Ralph Fiennes' compelling performance was overshadowed by the dense mediocrity that crowded the peripheral.

However, I praise Mylod and Will Tracey's original concept against the present saturation of biographies and recycled Marvel plot lines.

Simply in need of refinement.

4 stars.