LAST SUPPER

A few years ago I was in Lima, Peru, on a Sunday afternoon.

As I walked to my hotel, I passed a gate with a small brass plaque announcing the entrance to Maido, one of the “World’s 50 Best Restaurants,” as chosen by San Pellegrino and partners.

The sign said Maido closed at 4, and it was getting toward 3, so I asked the burly gatekeeper if I would be allowed to dine there, so close to closing time.

He called upstairs and then ushered me inside.

Maido is the brainchild of Japanese chef Mitsuharu Tsumura, who has fused Japanese and Peruvian flavors to great acclaim.

The service was a bit rushed, given the late hour, but I enjoyed every bite, from the guinea pig appetizer to the rich chocolatey dessert. And, best of all, I found it reasonably priced.

I thought about that memorable meal as I watched “The Menu,” the new thriller from Searchlight Pictures.

The story takes place in a restaurant called “Hawthorn,” named for its island location, ostensibly off Washington State, although the scenery more closely resembled coastal Georgia.

Hawthorn is run by acclaimed chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes), who charges his clientele an eye-watering $1250 per person for the privilege of dining in his exclusive establishment.

The diners are high-rollers, the kind of foodies who seek out such places more for the bragging rights than savoring the slavishly-prepared food.

Among them, some young Wall Street wizards who worship money above all else; a failed movie actor looking for redemption; and an imperious food critic who proudly announces that she was the first to put Julian “on the map” early in his career.

Their visit begins with a tour of the property, including the barracks style living quarters for the staff. The spartan conditions, including rows of simple cots, seem oddly out of place in such a luxurious retreat.

“You live here?” asks a curious diner.

Slowik’s major domo, an officious Asian woman, tells the group they are devoted to their kitchen idol, but in a way that registers both inscrutable and maybe a bit malevolent.

Then everyone is seated and the experience unfolds. The film is presented as a menu, with each offering announced with a title card. But not before Slowik claps his hands sharply and his chef’s assistants yell in unison “Yes, Chef!”

The pageantry at first comes off as unnecessarily pretentious, but then unnerving, as the tension builds with each clap and you begin to wonder why Slowik brought together this particular group on this particular night. And is there more to the menu than meets the eye?

Unfortunately for the assembled group, the answer is yes.

In one early scene, Slowik admonishes a young woman (Anya Taylor-Joy), a last-minute substitute date for a character played by Nicholas Hoult, that “You shouldn’t be here tonight.”

The line cuts like a Ginzu knife.

So, welcome to Hawthorn, where the sinister floor show includes more than the amuse bouche and entrees made from seaweed and air.

Maido this is not.