End of the menu on Disney+ explained, what does the burger mean

by James · January 5, 2023

Really craving a cheeseburger now

Last year’s horror thriller The Menu was, in my opinion, a mess – but the wild food and extravagant cooking and chaos that ensues has everyone online talking about it. Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes are good actors and do a good job, but the film is a mixed bag to say the least. Anyway, aside – you might want to know exactly what this movie is, what happens, and how it ends if you don’t have the time or patience to force yourself into a theater to see it. I’ve got you covered – here’s the full ending explained by The Menu.

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What is it really about?

The Menu is a satirical horror thriller about an EXTREME boujie restaurant run by a celebrity chef, and stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult as guests at an exclusive dinner. Of course, that’s not all they signed up for – and the guests end up fighting for survival.

Taylor-Joy plays Margot and Hoult plays Tyler, and the film opens with them on their yacht to Julian Slowik’s exclusive Hawthorne restaurant on a private island. They are joined by a wealthy businessman and his wife, a food critic and her editor, a failing movie star and his lover, three rowdy businessmen and Slowik’s alcoholic mother.

The film takes a turn when the meal starts – and Slowik’s plan begins to unfold even more and more confused. At one point, one of his sous chefs shoots himself before the course. It feels like there’s no way out for the guests, but Margot – who’s actually a sex worker named Erin hired by Tyler to be his date – hatches a plan.

Menu exit explained

Because Erin/Margot isn’t actually part of Slowik’s plan, he gives her the choice of joining the staff or the guests. With Erin officially on the side of the staff, Slowik assigns her the task of retrieving a barrel from outside. When Erin leaves, she starts snooping to find out what she can about Slowik – and his maid Elsa tries to kill her for it. Erin kills Elsa in self-defense.

Erin finds out that Slowik used to work at a fast food restaurant – and she finds a radio. She calls for the Coast Guard, who show up but reveal themselves to be working for Slowik and refuse to help. This is when Erin has a brainwave about how to get out of there – she decides she’s going to mock Slowik’s food.

Erin starts saying she’s still hungry and basically rips Slowik’s ridiculous meals for being style over substance and orders him to make her a cheeseburger and fries.

WHAT DOES THE CHEESEBURGER MEAN???

The humble cheeseburger and fries is the perfect accompaniment to The Menu’s closing story, because it’s symbolic – and the highlight of the entire film. And I say that as someone who generally hated this movie. Slowik had fallen in love with his profession, and the murder of the guests and planned suicide were a reflection of how dissatisfied he has become.

Erin tapped into the origins of her career, where it all began. She ordered something simple that he probably NEVER made, and Slowik happily took the chance. When he serves it perfectly to order for Erin, she asks for it to go. Slowik is thrilled by her wit and intelligence, and lets her go. Erin then watches Hawthorne burn to the ground as the rest of the guests and staff are reduced to shops via the fire and the marshmallow hats.

The cheeseburger serves as the ultimate deconstruction of fancy foodie culture and how we lose ourselves in money and status, when simplicity and no frills can ignite passion and heart.

The menu is now streaming on Disney+.