Bon appetit: 8 “delicious” food movies for the ultimate foodies

If you adore cooking and can’t imagine your life without the kitchen and delicious food, our new movie selection will definitely appeal to you.

“Spice and Passion”, USA, India, UAE, 2014

Genre: melodrama

Director: Lasse Hallström

Main actors: Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal

Age limit: 12+

A family of Indian immigrants is forced to flee their native Mumbai. The head of the family (Om Puri) used to own a restaurant, but as a result of riots he lost not only the establishment but also his beloved wife. The widower finds himself together with his sons in Europe, and by chance fate throws them into a small French town. Here the former cook decides to open his own restaurant.

However, literally a hundred meters away is a posh establishment “Weeping Willow”, the owner of which is a strict and rigid Madame Malory (Helen Mirren). She dreams of getting the coveted Michelin stars, and potential competitors clearly annoy her. The woman declares war on her rivals. But in the course of conflicts, disputes and strife, a cold British woman and an emotional Indian begin to get closer.

“Chief Adam Jones”, USA, UK, 2015

Genre: tragicomedy

Director: John Wells

Main actors: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Omar Sy.

Age Limit: 18+

Adam Jones was a famous chef at one of the best restaurants in Paris. But the arrogant chef was not tested by his fame – his abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs caused him to lose everything he had. Now Adam breaks a living in a small bar, here he is engaged in that forges oysters from the shells.

However, Jones does not give up hope to regain his former popularity and achieve his dream – to win a third Michelin star. He tries to return to the profession, but former colleagues, knowing about his difficult character, refuse to work with him.

Adam gets a second chance – he is offered to head the restaurant, which must change absolutely everything: from the design to the menu. In his manic desire to succeed, the chef makes the life of his employees unbearable. Jones behaves arrogantly, demands complete obedience, does not tolerate objections. In this pursuit of a dream, the chef himself is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. All it takes is the last straw. And trouble is just around the corner.

“Toast”, Great Britain, 2010

Genre: melodrama

Director: S. J. Clarkson

Main actors: Freddie Highmore, Helena Bonham Carter

Age limit: 18+

The movie is based on the biographical story of the famous bestselling cookbook author Nigel Slater. He was not a professional chef, but he loved to cook. His homemade recipes quickly resonated with housewives and his book Eat won the National Book Award in 2013.

Nigel was very fond of his mother, who was a disdainful cook. The only dish she could manage was plain toast. Nigel himself was a culinary talent, he loved to invent dishes, remade classic recipes, added new ingredients.

After the death of his mother, the hero’s father hires a housekeeper Joan, and the boy is afraid that the woman will take the place of the deceased parent. At the same time, the new resident of the house is a great cook! Nigel literally confronts her in the kitchen – he every day comes up with new dishes for his father to surpass Joan in cooking.

“Wing or Leg”, France, 1976.

Genre: comedy

Director: Claude Zidi

Main actors: Louis de Funes, Colouche

Age limit: 0+

Charles Duchemin is a tough restaurant critic, feared by France’s most respected chefs. He ruthlessly downgrades star ratings, ruins entire establishments and makes derogatory comments about the professionalism of culinary professionals.

The whole point is that Monsieur Duchemin has a first-class taste, he can determine the composition of the dish almost from one bite. And the critic is also extremely categorical about the products that are used in the preparation of recipes. So he wages a secret war against the owner of a successful chain of cheap cafes, where they cook with preservatives and semi-finished products.

But one day, one of the cooks offended by Duchemin’s criticism forces the restaurateur to eat fast food. Because of this, Charles ends up in the hospital and, to his horror, realizes that he has lost his culinary gift!

“Chocolate”, USA, UK, 2000

Genre: melodrama

Director: Lasse Hallström

Main actors: Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Lena Olin, Johnny Depp.

Age limit: 12+

In a small French town famous for its puritanical morals, a mysterious woman, Vienne Rocher, takes up residence. She arrives here with her daughter Anouk and a small set of belongings. But this woman is about to upend the town’s dull and well-established life.

Vienne opens a pastry shop, whose chocolate flavors attract more and more visitors. And the friendliness of the owner and her magical gift of understanding people’s desires through chocolate win the hearts of the locals. Vienne is opposed by the local mayor, the conservative Count Paul de Reynaud. But even he will not be able to resist the charms of chocolate.

By the way, the movie is based on the novel by writer Joan Harris, and in her book not everything ended as happy as in the picture. But this is only the ending of the first book! In total, about the story of Vienne wrote four – the “Chocolate” itself, the sequels “Lollipop Slippers”, “Peaches for Mr. Curé” and the final part – “Strawberry Thief”.

“Forbidden Kitchen,” USA, Brazil, 2019

Genre: comedy

Director: Fernando Grostein Andradi

Main actors: Noah Schnapp, Seu Jorgi, Dagmara Dominczyk

Age limit: 12+

12-year-old Abe lives in a large Arab-Jewish family where every family holiday turns into a huge conflict. Tired of his parents and grandparents fighting, the boy decides to try to reconcile his relatives through cooking.

During the summer vacation, he secretly gets an assistant in a small street cafe, which is owned by a Brazilian. Abe dreams of creating and cooking that one perfect dish that will bring harmony and peace back to the family.

“Recipe for Love”, France, 2023

Genre: Historical Melodrama

Directed by: Chan Anh Hung

Main actors: Juliette Binoche, Benoit Magimel

Age limit: 18+

The original title of the movie is “The Passion of Doden Buffan”. The main characters are the first-class chef Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) and the exquisite gourmet, as they call him behind the eyes, “the Napoleon of gastronomy”, Dodin Buffan (Benoît Majimel). For 20 years they have been living together, although their strange union is not official. All these years Eugenie cooks for Doden, and the inspiration for the creation of unusual dishes were passion and love.

By the way, Juliette and Benoit 20 years ago were married, they have a daughter in common. Therefore, the “chemistry” between the actors is hard not to notice. To cook looked realistic, and the recipe was followed exactly, as a culinary consultant in the movie was invited to the famous French chef Pierre Gagnaire, the owner of 14 Michelin stars.

“The Menu”, USA, 2022

Genre: Thriller

Directed by: Mark Mylod

Main actors: Rafe Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Holt

Age Limit: 18+

The protagonist Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy) receives an invitation to an exclusive dinner at a restaurant on a small island. The girl feels uncomfortable, because among the guests there are only socialites and only rich people.

The host of the evening – the famous chef Julian Slowik (Rafe Fiennes) – promises to surprise the spoiled guests with unexpected surprises in the menu. And it’s surprises that even the most sophisticated foodies aren’t prepared for. The chef and his team begin to exterminate customers one by one.