Margot Mills (Anya Taylor-Joy) and her date, Tyler Ledford (Nicholas Hoult), travels to Hawthorn, an exclusive fine-dining restaurant on a private island. The restaurant, run by renowned chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes), boasts a small number of guests, including food critic Lillian Bloom and her editor Ted; wealthy regulars Richard and Anne Leibrandt; fading movie star George Diaz and his assistant Felicity Lynn; three business partners, Soren, Dave, and Bryce; and Slowik’s alcoholic mother, Linda. Upon arrival, the group is greeted by maître d’ Elsa, who provides a tour of the island. Elsa notes that Margot was not Tyler’s originally planned guest, raising curiosity about her presence.
Dinner begins with an air of exclusivity and precision, each course introduced by Slowik with dramatic and unsettling monologues. As the evening progresses, the atmosphere grows increasingly tense. During the third course, truths about the guests are revealed through images laser-printed on tortillas, exposing personal and professional secrets, leaving the guests uncomfortable. The tension escalates during the fourth course when sous-chef Jeremy commits suicide in front of everyone as part of the “performance.” When Richard attempts to leave the restaurant, the staff intervenes violently, severing his left ring finger as a warning.
As the evening unfolds, Slowik’s disdain for his angel investor Doug Verrick becomes evident. Verrick, who had attempted to meddle in the restaurant’s management, is drowned in front of the guests. During the fifth course, Slowik allows Katherine, an employee he had sexually harassed, to stab him as an act of retribution. The female guests are then invited to dine privately with Katherine while the male guests are instructed to run for their lives in a cat-and-mouse game. Despite their efforts, all the men are quickly caught and returned to the dining room. Katherine reveals to Lillian that it was her idea to kill both the guests and the staff, thwarting Lillian’s attempt to gain her favor.
Slowik finally explains his motivations. Each guest was carefully chosen for their role in his disillusionment with his craft or their exploitation of the work of artisans like himself. He declares that no one will leave the restaurant alive. However, since Margot was not part of the original plan, he offers her a choice: to die with the staff or the guests. When she hesitates, he assigns her to the staff. Margot reveals her true identity as Erin, a sex worker hired by Richard, one of the guests, to role-play as his daughter—a detail that had deeply disturbed her.
Slowik further discloses that Tyler knew the night would end in death but was so eager to experience Slowik’s art that he accepted the conditions. He had even hired Margot to accompany him after his ex-girlfriend declined the invitation. Slowik humiliates Tyler by forcing him to cook for the guests. Tyler’s attempt is a failure, and Slowik derides his skills, exposing him as a pretentious fraud. After whispering something into Tyler’s ear, Slowik sends him away. Tyler is later found to have hanged himself in a closet.
Margot is tasked by Slowik to retrieve a barrel needed for the dessert course. During her errand, she sneaks into Slowik’s house, where she is ambushed by Elsa. The two fight, and Margot fatally stabs Elsa in self-defense. While searching the house, Margot discovers a framed “Employee of the Month” photo showing Slowik in his younger years, smiling while working at a greasy spoon diner. Inspired, she finds a radio and calls for help before returning to the restaurant with the barrel.
A Coast Guard officer named Dale arrives, seemingly offering salvation to the terrified guests. However, after a tense moment, Dale reveals himself to be part of Slowik’s staff, crushing any hope of escape and returning to the kitchen. Margot, frustrated with the entire evening, confronts Slowik about the lack of joy in his cooking. She complains about being hungry and orders a cheeseburger and fries. Slowik, moved by her request, prepares the meal himself, rekindling his passion for simple, honest cooking. After tasting the burger, Margot praises it and asks to take the rest “to go.” Slowik grants her request, allowing her to leave. Margot takes the opportunity to escape on the Coast Guard boat docked nearby.
As the final act of the evening, Slowik introduces dessert: an elevated s’mores dish. The staff decorates the dining room with sauces and crushed graham crackers and dresses the guests in marshmallow stoles and chocolate hats. Slowik sets the room ablaze, igniting the barrel Margot brought back and killing everyone inside, including himself and his loyal staff.
From the safety of the boat, Margot watches the restaurant engulfed in flames. She eats her cheeseburger, wipes her mouth with a copy of the evening’s menu, and gazes back at the island, now consumed by fire.
