hile plenty of chefs and patrons alike have a horror story from a restaurant, is a film taking the premise to an unsettling and comical new level. Smashing together a satirical, punchy-like format (they enlisted the series’ creator David Gelb to consult with the filmmakers), follows Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) as they visit the haughty and exclusive restaurant of Hawthorn. Ralph Fiennes (who you may recognise as Lord Voldemort, or from ) plays Julian Slowik, a sinister and jaded chef. To achieve believable and intricate dishes the filmmakers collaborated with renowned chef Dominique Crenn of San Francisco restaurant Atelier Crenn. Crafting courses that were edible for the actors, Crenn brought her knowledge of food and the true mechanics of running a world-class restaurant to the table. “You can imagine, there was incredible energy on set. We were cooking real food, and it was really like being in a restaurant at times. That was my request so that the authenticity of the emotions and flavours and tastes were real,” says Crenn. The chef worked closely with all the actors – particularly kitchen staff (actors were hired who had previous kitchen experience) and Ralph Fiennes. “He just wanted to study me inside and outside of the kitchen, to see what it means to be a chef. Authenticity was extremely important for him, the director and myself,” says Crenn.
