Not just feel-good, but also social criticism
Some people like ant-sweet romance. Others like films that make you think. Which films from the past 50 years make a bid for ‘tastiest socially critical film’ that not only makes you enjoy it with all your senses, but also makes your brain crack. Food as a powerful tool for research. These films use food as a powerful tool to explore themes of capitalism, consumerism, ethics and dehumanisation. Food plays a leading role in each of these films in exposing the ways in which societies deal with excess, scarcity, and the moral implications of food production and consumption. The tastiest socially critical films: we list 10, especially for foodies. Which one do you think is missing from this list? Let us know.
1. The Menu (2022) – Mark Mylo Summary: A group of wealthy people are invited to an exclusive dinner on a remote island, where unexpected and sinister revelations follow. Social criticism: It explores the dynamics between the elite and the service industry, and critiques the glorification of fine dining and the distance between culinary obsession and human experience. More info & tickets for The Menu as a film & dinner event can be found here. 2. Eating Animals (2017) – Christopher Quinn Social criticism: A strong condemnation of industrial agriculture, the way animals are treated, and the impact of mass meat production on the environment and public health. The film calls for conscious choices around food consumption. Summary: Documentary based on Jonathan Safran Foer’s book, which tells the story of the industrialisation of the meat industry and its impact on the environment, animals and public health.
3. Okja (2017) – Bong Joon-ho Summary: A young girl tries to save her genetically engineered super pig from a multinational company that wants to use it for meat production. Social criticism: The film offers a sharp critique of the ethics of the food industry, particularly meat production, and raises questions about genetic engineering, animal rights and capitalist exploitation.
4. Super Size Me (2004) – Morgan Spurlock Summary: Documentary in which the filmmaker spends a month eating only food from McDonald’s to examine the health effects of fast food. Social critique: A powerful critique of the fast food industry, consumerism and the health crisis resulting from poor eating habits. The film questions corporate responsibility for public health and highlights the effects of marketing and food addiction. 
5. Delicatessen (1991) – Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet Summary: In a dystopian future, a butcher serves his tenants by selling human flesh. Social criticism: A satirical look at the effects of economic scarcity and survival in an impoverished society. The film reflects on the cruelty and alienation of human existence in a consumer society. 6. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) – Peter Greenaway Summary: A tyrannical restaurant owner mistreats his wife, who starts an affair, leading to murder and revenge Social criticism: Here, food is used as a symbol of power, greed, and decadence. The film criticises elite morality and the destructive relationships between violence, sexuality and consumption
7. Babette’s Feast (1987) – Gabriel AxelSummary: A French refugee cooks an extravagant feast for a Danish religious community. Social criticism: A subtle reflection on spirituality, art, and the value of self-sacrifice versus pleasure. The film shows how food can serve as a bridge between spirituality, forgiveness and human connection. Meer info & tickets voor Babette’s Feast als film & diner event can be found here.
8. Tampopo (1985) – Juzo Itami Summary: A widow and a truck driver try to make the perfect windows together. Social criticism: The film offers a reflection on the cultural obsession with perfection in cooking and explores how food can form a social and emotional bridge in a consumerist world. More info & tickets for Tampopo as film & dinner event can be found here. 
9. Soylent Green (1973) – Richard FleischerSummary: In an overpopulated future, food shortages will be made up with a mysterious food product called “Soylent Green”. Social criticism: This dystopian film is a warning about environmental degradation, overpopulation and the unbridled power of corporations over the food supply, with a shocking revelation about the true nature of the food system. 
10. La Grande Bouffe (1973) – Marco Ferreri Summary: Four men decide to eat themselves to death in a villa. Social criticism: A satirical attack on consumer societies, decadence and boredom within the bourgeoisie. The excess of food symbolizes the self-destructive nature of excessive consumption and materialism. More info tickets for La Grande Bouffe as a film dinner event can be found here.
Which one do you think is missing from this list? Let us know via info@cinemaculinair.nl
