Warning! This Article Contains Spoilers for The Menu
Trigger Warning: This Article Deals with a Character Committing Suicide
Gourmand Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) gets his ultimate comeuppance in The Menu. Tyler is the one who brings Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) to Hawthorne Island as his date. As a self-described culinary expert, Tyler can describe to Margot how each dish is made, all while gleefully photographing and chowing down on each plate.
Even after it is revealed that Chef Julian Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) intends to kill the diners at the end of the night, Tyler continues to enjoy the meal, knowing full well since the start that it will be his last. However, Chef Slowik eventually gets fed up with Tyler demystifying his art and calls him into the kitchen to cook an impromptu course. Here, Tyler reveals that despite his perceived knowledge about how food is made, he is not a very good cook, and he ends up creating an undercooked lamb and leek dish that the film names “Tyler’s Bullshit.”
Tyler Hung Himself After Being Humiliated By Chef
After the failed cooking demonstration, Tyler proceeds to be reprimanded by Chef Slowik. Chef tells Tyler, “you are why the mystery is being drained from our art.” After Chef whispers something indiscreet in his ear, Tyler is last seen slowly walking out of the kitchen while removing his gifted chef’s jacket and tie.
A few minutes later, Margot, who has gained Chef’s trust, is asked to perform an errand to retrieve a barrel from the smokehouse. As she turns to leave, she is shocked by the silhouette of Tyler hanging in a doorway. Whatever the Chef whispered to Tyler, it was enough for him to want to take his life.
Why Chef Dislikes Tyler, The Gourmand
At the very start of the meal, Chef Slowik makes an essential request to his diners, with him asking them to “not eat. Taste, savor, relish, consider every morsel you put inside your mouth. Be mindful, but do not eat. Our menu is too precious for that.” Almost immediately, Tyler does the opposite of what Slowik asks by sneaking photos of the dishes and eating each one without much thought. Tyler, at one point, even attempts to take Margot’s plate that she doesn’t want to eat, only to be stopped when a glass breaks and Slowik comes to the table.
The definition of a Gourmand is someone who takes great pleasure in eating and drinking, with the term often used to describe gluttony. While Tyler is interested in the food and its preparation, he cares little about the skill and technique it takes to make these dishes. In some ways, Tyler’s status as a Gourmand made him worse than the other patrons, and his ultimate fate in The Menu is just what the man deserved.