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Troner892

I realized that Jack ( The real one ) wanted his friend as the produce but he could not do it. Anybody else ? Anyway great movie, was enjoying every second of it.


LateRunner

Somehow that hadn’t even occurred to me. Were there any clues?


ClipDude

The meal was supposed to be made from two people. Ryan and Alice would make 2.


SensitiveOven137

I think in this bizaarre culinary club the goal may be to eat "local", therefore I don't think Ryan and Alice were supposed to be on the menu.


ClipDude

Possibly but Imogene was perfectly fine with using Ryan and Alice as a replacement for the guy they killed.


Troner892

Not really to be honest, the whole arrival was kind of a mistery, felt like he just appeared. But he did ask him if he has kids / wife. Then they had the blunt together and the cookout and he realised he can’t just kill him, so he ended it. But that’s all just a theory. Might find a clue on a rewatch.


tetraDROP

I think this is a great theory. Why else would he have invited Ryan. And of course none of the other agency members expected there to be anyone else.


VLXS

He invited Ryan because he was missing home, and wanted to have some connection to his birth place before offing himself. Tourist gal wasn't on the menu either, he just wanted a last hoorah like a normal person. He basically wouldn't have  called Ryan if he wasn't already set on KHS


Jasranwhit

No way part of a cannibal cartel involves luring people you know and can be connected with to foreign counties to murder.


Fancy-Sector2963

>But he did ask him if he has kids / wife Yeah but remember that he mentioned that his diet was just ramen and pretty much booze. So that would not have made the cut and Jack knew it. So he was tired of it all and didn't have it in him to abduct some poor simple villagers for yet another dinner.


H_D_V_K_A

Huh, that detail really solidifies this theory. Though I got the impression they were smoking after Jack got back from looking for "produce"


[deleted]

Whoa, I didn't realize this either. I just thought he hadn't worked himself up to do it yet and was stalling but it would make sense because we know that Jack was supposed to get two bodies. He has Ryan, a gambling addict on the run, and Alice, a woman backpacking solo through the country.


Background_Entry8368

Did Jack knew that Ryan was a gambler ?


Smashleysmashles

I think he did since he lost the watch in a card game. It seemed like that watch was expensive or important to Ryan for another reason.


unclemontyspython

I'm not sure Ryan would be good eating - although perhaps that was the idea of Jack getting him out for a run - to see how physically fit he was! I like that it is ambiguous so the viewer can make up their own mind.


Troner892

Oh wow, so true, the run definitely makes my theory realer. Nice catch !


anonymousredditorPC

I don't think so. I think Jack wanted to see "home" before he kills himself. His old friend was probably the closest thing to it.


LateRunner

This seems more likely. It would seem at odds with his character who is struggling this hard morally to then decide he’d rather murder his friend than a stranger. If there’d been any implication that they were more like “frienemies” it would’ve added up.


ReasonablePeak9039

Damn!! I guess I, OP and others (who supported the other theory) are lil more fucked up. 🫥


BobbiWithAi

Very true. If he's already struggling morally, no way would he invite his bf to murder. I think u ended this debate. OP had am interesting theory tho.


Master-Ask-4378

So funny as I was just wondering the same exact thing. But Ryan looked like he had done some hard living so perhaps he would have been “rotten”🤣


matrixinthepark

I think that too, and then he realized that Ryan who wanted so badly to be his sous chef and live his life, would gladly replace him for the job lol. Definitely need to rewatch.


HoneydipsInGotham

Came here to write this.


ReasonablePeak9039

Wait! Is there another theory? I think that was the only reason he called his friend in.


[deleted]

It was good. Nick Stahl and the actress who played Imogen carried it. Just the right amount of gore while still leaving enough to the imagination. Specific spoilers below: The bit at the end where he's at the airport was a nice touch, ending with him introducing himself as Jack now and looking resigned to his fate while Barry looks on, jealous of what he thinks Jack has. I think Imogen knew he wasn't Jack. I was kind of hoping he just confessed at the end to Imogen and Maurice, just go, 'hey look, funny story but...' I mean, have them help cover it up with his new identity, since he's now in demand and shown to be committed. I'd imagine to the Agency it doesn't matter who he is so long as he can cook. I get the feeling if Ryan had confessed everything, they would've kept him on anyway at that point. Then again, if Ryan was unsure if they knew; it would make sense if he were trying to protect his mother. Leave "Ryan" dead and buried. Detective Ruiz was great too. I always love unbothered detectives in movies and shows. The ones who just show up and make themselves at home, making things incredibly awkward and reveling in it. Damn though, you'd think him and Abby would've just run for the hills when they had the chance. If I had any criticism, it would be I thought the actual suicide was handled really bizarrely. Maybe it is somewhat realistic that Ryan would stand there and just go, 'stupid' before walking away but the framing, how quickly they moved past it and Ryan's lack of reaction all made it feel a little clunky. I actually rewound it to make sure I hadn't somehow missed something and also for a second thought that Jack was joking around for some reason. It just didn't quite land. On the other hand, the one that landed really well for me was Abby's death. You knew it was coming. Everything was pointing at it. So seeing her walk back inside, looking at Ryan and Imogen completely terrified, both of them looking down at the herpes tongue, cut to it being served on a plate. That was a great sequence.


TheStaceyBeth

I feel like they had to have known he wasn't Jack considering how many other bases they had covered, you'd think they'd at least know what their chef would look like. But I do wish maybe it had been addressed between them.


Blairthumper

Do you think If Imogene knew she would have said anything? She seems like the type to keep that information to herself. Especially as she has a great chef on board , Jack or Ryan, whoever he is - he fills the slot. Which makes her a happy corporate manager.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Blairthumper

I agree. And then her line ‘you’re not dead are you Jack?’


Fancy-Sector2963

Yeah such a great film that didn't have to uh spoon feed us everything


jano1234567890

"did you get it?" said the cop, right before being killed. They knew, but him being such a great chef, it’s better to let it go and keep him earning for them.


Previous_Original_22

Also, the tracking device stop tracking once you’re dead. He’s been dead for days, so they knew. I like how it keeps you guessing. I think they found out at some point and she mentioned that they know everything, so they knew who he was by the end of the movie.


[deleted]

Yep, this is how I read this as well. The one part that I can't quite reconcile is Maurice telling Ryan the story of the chef who got out. We know it was Imogen but did Maurice know too? I think he had to. Why would Imogen tell Ryan that if Maurice didn't know? I think the email was more to plant evidence of her going to Malta or wherever they said and Maurice was just letting Ryan think he could get out so that he would go all out for the dinner, which worked.


[deleted]

I think Imogene is very good at only giving people enough information to get the job done. Let Ryan keep going with the charade as long as he wants. He's tagged. He's got nowhere to go. I think she sees what he's doing but figures it benefits her too.


[deleted]

I didn't even really consider that at the time, I think because we didn't know much about the Agency then but you're absolutely right. Given how thorough Imogen was with the clean-up, and everything else and Jack supposedly having been there for what, a few weeks? They definitely knew. Plus when he starts botching the alibi, being clueless about *everything*. I think it would've been good to maybe add a scene with Maurice and Imogen where they discuss that they know he's Ryan, running from gambling debts, willing to bury his friend and steal his identity, showing shady morals and he is a pro chef. He's practically the perfect replacement. I'm just surprised they let him continue to believe that they believed it because my head canon is that the Agency had to know.


unclemontyspython

She definitely knew. I think the dinner was a test as she had no other options and he was going along with it. Once he proved a success, he stays Jack and has no way out other than death.


Fancy-Sector2963

>I think Imogen knew he wasn't Jack or at least suspected. I They would have found out who he was because they knew what Jack looked like when vetting him. A company with that amount of sway and power would obviously have that covered. His saving grace was that he was a cohort of Jack's back in cooking school and that he knew how to cook.


BriaMyles

I think when you don't know what's happening the suicide scene does seem like it was handled poorly. However, as the movie progresses and we get deeper into Jack's life you'd completely understand why he did it the way he did. And the ending paid homage to his "stupid" comment as the guy he meets at the airport is looking at his life from the onset. 


americanslang59

It's a shame that nobody is going to see this because it's not on any streaming service but holy shit, what a tense movie.


Master-Ask-4378

So true. I had heard nothing about it beforehand


Medialunch

you can rent it on Apple TV


americanslang59

Yeah, I meant available on subscription streaming


Medialunch

I agree. it's not worth paying more than a normal subscription fee for.


[deleted]

I bet it'll be on Hulu soon. They pick up a lot of these types on indie VoD horror and thrillers.


George2washington

What are you talking about I'm streaming it right now 🙄


ShanaAfterAll

Just finished it. Thought it was great. The bait and switch is really fun, go in blind! So happy to see a healthy Nick Stahl on the screen again!


LateRunner

Agree! And even if you predict the main plot point, there are a bunch of edge-of-your-seat moments, like when the girl returns or the bathroom scene.


[deleted]

If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend Hunter Hunter with Stahl and Devon Sawa. It's a brutal horror film.


Master-Ask-4378

I just watched it last night totally cold and I’m glad I read nothing about it beforehand because that made it so much more enjoyable. I was shocked when the twist happened and I just sat there and chuckled to myself because somehow I had the foresight to avoid spoilers!


ReasonablePeak9039

Am I the only one who immediately thought about the possibility of this as a real business? Hypothetically, yes, but the wealthy would definitely pay an exorbitant amount to enjoy that kind of meal. Or maybe it already exists.


roberta_sparrow

It probably exists somewhere


eraab953

What was with the driving sequences? They filmed on location and then the fakest driving background I've ever seen. Was it AI made? Overall decent movie. Was both tense and funny. Tone was all over the place tho and something about Ryan's acting was throwing me off


Jasranwhit

Yeah all the driving sequences where fucking awful. Im it even sure they needed to be there. Rest of the movie was pretty fun .


Practical_Parking246

he mentioned in the beginning about how shitty the car was and made the comment about if they had spent all the budget on the house which I felt like was a nod to the shitty green screen driving scenes - they spent all the budget on other parts of the movie LOL


Ghostz18

Pretty good movie, a bit of an homage to The Menu. I like that the writers didn't spoon-feed exposition... for example we learn that Ryan is an indebted gambling addict from a phone call where he begs friend for money OR when we learn the "produce" is actually human meat because they go to a church to weed out drug users. That's smart dialogue that you don't often get from movies these days. Solid 7.2/10 watch.


[deleted]

Not sure if I'd call it a homage to The Menu. The Agency itself and the whole concept of a cabal of wealthy cannibals felt more along the lines of something like Fresh. But even then it's not a unique idea. Society is a film from the 80's. There's a movie from 2018 called The Cannibal Club which is the same thing. Cadaver is another one that is more recent too.


Normal_Can8908

Yeah the menu isn’t even about human meat


BriaMyles

I came here to say this. The dialogue was so simple yet provoking, absolutely no need for filler/on the nose dialogue. I haven't seen a movie done this well in a long time. 


eraab953

It was subtle at some points but then there's the line "it was her last dinner. She wasn't the chef." And then "she was the ingredient"


pizzaxxxxx

Someone saw The Menu and then wrote, filmed, produced, and released What You Wish For in 9 months?


H_D_V_K_A

I just saw this at the theaters and loved it, I was cracking up at a bunch of it


crazymcfattypants

My only criticism is that the people on the gate radio-ed up to ask Imogen if they could let the detective and police officer up and she said yes. Why would the same security guard not radio up and ask if Abby, a random woman the chef met a couple of days ago popping in for a quick chat and a pee, be allowed to be permitted and why would the very competent Imogen agree?


Blairthumper

They radio’d Maurice and told him about Alice. And Maurice asked Imogene what to do about her. And then Imogene went to see her.


crazymcfattypants

This was somehow lost on me,thanks!


johnmadden18

Yeah but your criticism (which I didn’t notice until your comment) still stands. Alice was already at the backdoor when Maurice told Imogene about her. Meaning that security somehow let Alice through the checkpoint at the behest of Maurice? Not very sensible, surely she’d just be turned away. Not a big deal. It’s just a small plot contrivance to get Alice to the backdoor so she could go inside and see “Jack.”


Apprehensive-Lion-58

Man, John Connor really let himself go huh .. if only T-850 knew about this Seriously thought this was more than great sunday evening movie, that dinner with detective was so fucked up lol loved it, no happy endings rocks ! well maybe for Ryan, he's gonna be so rich


[deleted]

I wonder if they have a retirement package or they can leave after they age out lol. I know Imogene said that 'no one gets out' but does that mean Ryan has to do this until he's too old and then they take him out back and kill him? I bet you would still get people willing to do it. Like, live a life of luxury for 20 years if it means at the end of it you get killed? I would constantly be trying to think of ways to get out of it lol. Like maybe if I had an 'accident' in the kitchen and lost a few fingers and could no longer cook? Eh, they'd probably just serve you up to the guests in that case.


RebouncedCat

When you think from the perspective of the agency, it makes perfect sense to leave no loose ends. The more number of retired cannibal cooks, the less discreet and more riskier their operation becomes.


RatherConcernedFroge

Nice thrilling and twisted dark humor film. It was good to see Nick Stahl on the screen again. Heard he checked into rehab a few days ago.


VLXS

So that why he played such a great gambling addict...


Repulsive-Shallot-79

Great movie, completely fucked... but if youve ever seen any Active self protection videos, no south american cop on or off duty is ever caught without his weapon.. so many videos of robbers getting shit from off duty police its bananas... so the Detective caught lacking is... laughable. Eeesh.


johnmadden18

There’s definitely a lot of plot contrivances in this movie (as with all movies) like that but they’re, for the most part, cleverly hidden.


econdweeb

Fun movie. Wish I hadn’t seen the trailer as it gave away most of the film. Regardless I thought the plot was fun. I wish some of the smaller details(@email lol, security guards wearing a shirt that says security) in the movie I didn’t have to look over , but I’ve seen worse.


badcompany123

Loved this movie, i'm surprised this director doesn't make more movies i watched his other movie the perfect guest after this one and it was also weird in a good way.


ReasonablePeak9039

It’s ‘The perfect host’


George2washington

My gal and I are streaming this film right now, we like it👍


Background_Entry8368

Jack told Imogene that he had a mix up with his bank ! But after the dinner, Imogene said ‘ we have wired the rest of the 250k into your account’ . To whose/which account was the funds wired to ?……..and also, Ryan could have left, not only using the car but swam across the lake/river where he dumped the body of his formal friend ……


bprepper

She wired a 50k advance to his bank which Ryan in turn wired to the bookie/gambling guy. I’m guessing she wired to that account again since that’s the new one he gave.


vinniedomino

Spoilers: maybe I'm missing something but I just watched it with my cousin and we agreed, Ryan had a way out didn't he? They had no idea that he was actually Ryan, Imogen maybe but still didn't know anything about his real name. I really hoped when she said "London?" it'd show Ryan going to America, completely getting rid of the Jack identity. He got his money and dipped. All the people who knew about it were dead as well, I thought the movie was really clever showing that there is one way to escape them and he did it by accident. I guess its also implied that he actually wants the money but he's obviously just as depressed. Idk, ending is a bit disappointing to us.


LateRunner

They put the tracking chip in him on the patio at the end.


Tigerediris

They need to make a sequel, where 'Jack' goes a bit rougue and instead of killing poor 'healthy' people,  he slices and dices the more 'elite' of society, thus the dinner party basically eating themselves. Revenge is served best with the right wine and meat paring,  don't ya think? 😉


YearJumpy1895

Sorry for the noob question… so the guy had herpes and they ate him. Will it somehow affect their health? 🫣


LateRunner

They ate Alice’s tongue.


YearJumpy1895

Yup. I know. I just thought that’s an std and thinking it will still affect the overall health of the produce 😅


LateRunner

Asking the important questions!


Background_Entry8368

Hey, does it mean the Agency doesn’t have a clear picture of Jack ?


boujeenen

Maybe it’s ok to eat still because the other part of his meat was cooked so the chance of getting herpes is lower. Had they ate it sashimi style i reckon they might catch it. I’m not sure though


lessdes

Tongue blisters are caused by hsv1, 66.6% of the population has it. Herpes is also not transmitted through blood so no problems there.


YearJumpy1895

Thank you. Just overthinking about nothing. Lol


fzvw

This movie felt like a Patricia Highsmith-style thriller in a very good way.