At its most basic, food is necessary for human survival. At its most pretentious, food is used to demonstrate social class, a subtle means to separate the ruffians from the refined, rough cooks from polished chefs and snails from escargot.

While a roadside stall Ramly burger may satisfy the taste buds of the masses, the upper-class would thumb their noses at it.

Perhaps you have seen them in action before? The snobs who ramble on about tastes, textures and hues when all you want is to eat your burger in peace.

If you’ve ever entertained thoughts of giving these self-appointed food connoisseurs a kick in the ribs, then perhaps you’ll find some enjoyment in watching “The Menu”.

Released on Nov 17, “The Menu” is a black comedy directed by Mark Mylod, which lampoons those with egos the size of the moon and their opinions on haute cuisine.

From the rather unnerving trailer, you might expect the film to be about a mad chef and his murder cult who turns his customers into high-class cuisine à la “Sweeney Todd”.

Surprisingly enough, no trace of cannibalism is detected in the film, with the horror coming from elsewhere instead.

So, what is it about? The main protagonist is Margot (Anna Taylor-Joy), an everyday woman who stands out from the crowd because of her lower-class upbringing.

She and her boyfriend Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) travel to a secluded island with other customers, largely powerbrokers, celebrities and their wealthy ilk.

There, they are treated to an exclusive dining experience, courtesy of celebrity chef, Julian Sowik (Ralph Fiennes), who is as snobbish as he is eccentric.

Even though the audience is first introduced to Tyler, it becomes rather clear that it is Margot who is the protagonist of the film.

Tyler is as condescending as they come, and therefore unlikable. He is a grovelling fanboy of Sowik’s. No surprise then that the audience is driven to root for Margot instead, who justifiably feels out of place in such a function.

Unlike her sycophantic partner, she thinks nothing of calling out the absurd for what it is, and things do get pretty absurd when they are served a bread plate without a morsel of bread on it.

She is the only truly likeable character in a restaurant filled with questionable characters, including a cheating husband, a washed-up celebrity and corrupt businessmen.

While the customers are repulsive, the restaurant staff are outright unnerving, with Ralph Fiennes leading the charge.

While he has a few screws loose in the head, Sowik is supremely intelligent and the audience learns soon enough that the customers he entertains that night were carefully chosen for a reason.

There is one exception though: Margot. She sticks out like a sore thumb and proves to be an even match for the snobbish chef, calling him out on his pretentiousness.

A battle of wills thus ensues between the two, with the chef deciding what he ought to do with her, and Margot looking frantically for a way out of this sticky situation.

For their roles, Fiennes and Taylor-Joy fit perfectly. Fiennes has a knack for playing villains, given his roles in “The Prince of Egypt” and “Schindler’s List” and he doesn’t disappoint in “The Menu”.

Taylor-Joy plays her role with relish and will having you rooting for her from the get go.

And an honorary mention goes out to Hoult, whose bootlicker of a character is so unbelievably dense and arrogant; yet, everyone knows someone like that.

Not to be forgotten is Hong Chau’s Elsa, Sowik’s floor manager who is so terrifying, you will never know if she’s going to serve you or stab you at any given moment.

However, let it be said that the film gets rather philosophical at times and you may end up leaving the theatre wondering what it was all about. Yet, it is hard to deny that at the end, you will likely be more appreciative of the simple pleasures of food.

Why pay top ringgit for a ridiculously minute serving of fancy gold-plated oxygen when you can derive way more genuine satisfaction from a juicy Ramly cheeseburger?

‘The Menu’ is screening in cinemas nationwide.