“The Menu” is a bracing satire about the class system, at least according to the long-held views of diehard leftists. But, dated as it is, the metaphor of capitalism as an elite restaurant ruled by a psychotic chef is surprisingly apt today.

It was directed by Mark Mylod, written by Will Tracy and Seth Reiss.  It stars the brilliant Ralph Fiennes, who plays Julian Slowik – or, as he demands to be called, simply “Chef” – who lords over an island-based restaurant which is only accessible by boat, and is reputed to be the most expensive in the world. We meet the guests first. The lucky dozen are all the cream of culture and finance, except for “Margot”, a beautiful hooker played by Anya Taylor-Joy, who is the date of Tyler, played by Nicholas Hoult.

Chef seems pleasant enough, at first, if a little stiff and pretentious. He announces in front of the seated assembly that all courses will be unique and unforgettable. The actual serving of the meal is supervised by Elsa, played by Vietnamese actress Hong Chau. Elsa is icily formal, if, in Chau’s delicious portrayal, sneakily rude.

Part of the fun is seeing how each course is even more bizarre and grandly cruel than the last. The wittiest, I think, is the “bread” course, which Chef smugly explains has no bread because the low classes have always eaten it,  as it was so cheap to make. But since these diners are definitely not peasants, the most satisfying bread course for the elite is simply not eating it.

The template for this setup is, obviously, Titus Andronicus, so we eagerly await the inevitable disaster, and are mentally engaged in imagining how it will play out. One dramatic thread is seeing how Chef reveals secrets that the guests have from each other. For this, Chef is delightfully surprised by the unexpected substitution of Margot for Tyler’s girlfriend, who dumped him just before the dinner. Sensing she had to be a professional, Chef figured that one of her married male clients may also be a guest. This leads to several scenes where he isolates the increasingly defiant Margot to pump her for details.

Another thread is seeing how deeply the staff is committed to Chef’s insane rule, and this is more fun, especially when Tyler is revealed as Chef’s most dedicated disciple. Shades of Jonestown here.

Again, we are held more by the fast pace and the possibilities than the wit in its execution. The only outright misfire is a too obvious coast guard “response” to a desperate text from Margot.

In keeping with the “capitalism is evil” theme, the hero(ine) is the female prostitute, who even Chef realizes is the only person of integrity. Besides himself, that is. The payoff last shot – with Margot eating a cheeseburger – is priceless, and well satisfies the appeal of its genre.

A very worthy cast has been assembled, and they deliver. Fiennes is no surprise, of course, but Taylor-Joy gamely stretches into her role, showing the most confidence sine The Queen’s Gambit. And Hoult all but steals the film, adding yet another notch to his growing list of heartthrob weirdos.

So why isn’t it pure delight? Well, it might be if you haven’t seen it done before, and better. The fact is, the concept is so perfect for a “no holds barred” farce, that I couldn’t help re-imagining it with a different director. Especially if it was the legendary Mel Brooks. We know that Ralph Fiennes can let loose with funnier antics that would have gotten bigger laughs. But, more important, the plot almost cries out for a musical comedy treatment, with crazy choreography and songs. This group of loony fascists deserved better.