20 Greatest Horror Villains Of The 2020s (So Far)
4. Julian Slowik - The Menu
The Menu was a deliciously entertaining black comedy-horror in which a group of diners find themselves preyed upon by their psychotically pissed-off celebrity chef for the evening, Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes).
Despite his composed veneer, Slowik has actually invited the various guests to his fancy night of dining because they've all, in some way, contributed to him losing his love of cooking.
His revenge? To kill every single one in the restaurant by the end of the night - his guests, his willing kitchen staff, and also himself.
It's a fantastically twisted setup and Fiennes does a marvellous job of making a potentially cartoonish antagonist not only relatively relatable but even sympathetic to a point.
His methods are undeniably extreme, yes, but to see a chef of his position thumb his nose so decisively at superficial foodie culture and everything it encompasses is tremendously satisfying.
Despite having obviously lost his mind, Slowik maintains a composed calm for the most part, as makes him all the more intimidating when the violence ramps up.
For his part in bringing Slowik to life, Fiennes went on to receive a well-earned Best Actor Golden Globe nomination.