Revealing mistake: The very first shot of the movie, supposedly of Anya Taylor-Joy lighting a cigarette, does not match the following shot on the pier; the cigarette appears to be black and with a brand sleeve instead of the normal one she is smoking. The background confusingly looks more like an interior than the pier she is standing on, and the lighter is a common Bic-style one instead of the Zippo she is using also later in the movie. That's because it's actually stock footage. You can literally find the clip yourself on Shutterstock and similar websites, by the description "Close-up of the silhouette of a woman's face sticking a cigarette into her lips, igniting her with a lighter, and exhaling smoke. The grim concept of the harm of smoking in a low key." (00:01:00)
The Menu (2022)
Directed by: Mark Mylod
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Nicholas Hoult, Anya Taylor-Joy
Continuity mistake: During appetizers, John Leguizamo's assistant puts her work phone on the table to let him know she is resigning. Leguizamo is holding his glass when the camera is behind him, and a spoon when he's seen from the front. (00:13:10)
Other mistake: During the dinner Slowik reveals that his restaurant does not have nor serve bread of any kind. Towards the end of the movie Margot requests that he make her a cheeseburger, which he does. Where did the buns come from?
Suggested correction: This mistake completely misses the point. The chef NEVER says they don't have or serve bread; merely that the guests will not be getting bread as part of his meal plan. The movie actually makes a point of repeatedly mentioning the fact that the restaurant is known for its high-quality bread and even shows us a plate of their bread for a few seconds. They have bread... chef is just messing with the customers by refusing to give them any with a pretentious justification.
Suggested correction: He didn't say they didn't have bread. He stated THEY wouldn't get bread for that evening, since it's a common man's staple, and they are not the common man. So, they get a breadless bread plate with nothing but dipping sauces.
Trivia: The production actually hired several professional chefs to collaborate during pre-production. Additionally, the second unit director was hired because he previously worked on the Netflix documentary series "Chef's Table," and they wanted some of the shots to resemble shots from television cooking shows.
Trivia: John Leguizamo said that he based his character's bad attitude on Steven Seagal. The two had worked together in the past, and Leguizamo found Seagal to be incredibly nasty, self-centred and unpleasant. (Admittedly an experience not exclusive to Leguizamo, if you've heard the stories about Seagal...)
Trivia: A great deal of the food in the movie was actually elaborately made props, since real food would spoil very quickly after sitting out under hot stage lights. The cheeseburger Anya Taylor-Joy eats was one of the pieces of real food the production made. The rest of the cast was a little jealous she got to eat a real burger while they pretended to eat fake food. John Leguizamo ordered 5 Guys at the end of the day so everyone could enjoy a burger.
Chef Slowik: Jeremy, do you want my life?
Bryce: You told them it was my birthday?
Dave: It seemed hilarious two hours ago.
Tyler: You don't think Chef is mad at me, do you?
Question: During the fight scene between Margot and Elsa, there's a moment where Margot rolls over a counter and falls to the floor. The shot where she lands on the floor looks very unnatural, as though Margot was green-screened into it. She doesn't seem to blend into the background properly, but also casts an accurate reflection on the metal beside her. Did they paint out a crash mat she landed on or something?
