Published: 21st February 2023

A food-journey through film

To coincide with Pancake Day, we have put together a round-up of some of our favourite films featuring food, glorious food. There’s something for everyone. 

If you’re a foodie, love the drama of a kitchen or like exploring the weird and wonderful world of food, we have the perfect line up for your next movie night. So get your popcorn or strangely unique movie snack and tuck in! We’ve included a short synopsis about each film, to help you choose your next movie-night pick.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs

contains one use of mild language and scenes of mild comic threat

In Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, local inventor (and town nuisance), Flint Lockwood develops a new machine that develops food out of water for a hungry town. But, it soon spirals out of control. We hope you brought your appetite.

Threat and horror

Scenes show characters in danger from falling pieces of giant food.

Language

Infrequent mild bad language includes 'crap'.

A scene shows a monkey throwing brown lumps at people. A character realises he is actually throwing around his own droppings.

The Princess and the Frog

contains mild scary scenes

In The Princess and the Frog, Tiana is a waitress in 1920s New Orleans, dreaming of owning her own restaurant – but first, she must break a curse. Some mild scary scenes are counterbalanced by comedy and are reassuringly resolved. 

Violence

There is some very mild slapstick violence.

Threat and horror

There are some mild scary scenes, most of which feature a villain who practices voodoo, as well as an army of shadow creatures who briefly threaten people. There are scenes in which dolls come to life, a scene in which a villain is despatched by colourful ghouls, a scene in which a poacher flings knives into a tree whilst chasing the heroine, and the heroes being threatened by alligators.

Language

There is infrequent very mild bad language ('butt').

Sex

Sexual content is limited to some kissing and undetailed references to 'getting comfortable'.

Injury detail

There is very brief sight of blood when a character is bitten.

Ratatouille

comic violence, mild bad language

In Ratatouille, street-rat Remy moves to Paris to follow his dreams of becoming a great chef, despite his family’s wishes. However, being a rodent in a kitchen proves to have its challenges. 

Violence

There are frequent scenes in which the kitchen staff attempt to kill or capture the rat, although he escapes unscathed through slapstick action sequences which balance humour and threat. There is also a moment in which a couple are seen arguing, with the woman then producing a gun, followed by a gun shot which occurs off-screen. Nobody is hurt.

Language

There is a single use of the term 'bloody' when a character described Paris as "this bloody town". Other language is far milder, including 'hell' and 'God'.

Sex

There are some mild sex references and innuendo, including a reference to a character 'fooling around' with another.

Rude humour

A man vomits.

Nudity 

There is brief nudity seen in a painting.

Injury detail 

A man is bitten and scratched by a rat and there are some red marks on his body.

Alcohol and tobacco

Animated characters drink alcohol.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

contains mild threat, mild bad language 

In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, young Charlie Bucket wins a coveted golden ticket to visit the eccentric Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory. But, not everything is as it seems. This one is for the dessert-lovers.

Threat and horror

Occasional scenes of mild threat include a character being chased by a large wasp, a child being turned into a giant blueberry, a character dodging a knife when he is transported into a scene from a film, and a child being swarmed by squirrels. There is also a scene in which some singing mannequins catch of fire and melt.

Language

There is infrequent use of mild bad language, including 'hell', 'jerk' and 'boogers'. An unsympathetic character also uses the term 'retard', although his usage is not condoned or approved of.

Infrequent scenes of comic violence include a girl beating up some men in a karate lesson.

Julie & Julia

contains one use of strong language and moderate sex references

In Julie & Julia, food blogger Julie Powell decides to take on the challenge of recreating all 524 recipes from the classic cookbook of her favourite chef, Julie Childs. Based on a true story.

Language

There is infrequent strong language ('f**k'), as well as some milder bad language (for example, 'bitch').

Sex

In one scene, a woman says "These damn things are as hot as a stiff cock" whilst juggling hot cannelloni from a boiling pan in her hand. The phrase is light-hearted and highlights surprise at a risqué phrase used by a woman in the 1950s.

There are also several kissing scenes, some in underwear or on beds.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

moderate violence, sex references

In Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, legendary archaeologist Indiana Jones is on a dangerous mission to rescue a sacred stone, stolen in 1930s India. There’s some food, we promise.

Violence

Scenes of moderate violence include shootings, stabbings, fistfights and the use of a whip. In one scene a man is killed inside a rock crushing machine, although sight of blood and injury detail is limited

Threat and horror

A priest mysteriously extracts the still-beating heart from the chest of a sacrificial victim using his bare hand. The victim is subsequently lowered into a volcanic pit, and although the man's body is not seen burning, his heart bursts into flames. Other scenes of threat include chase sequences, encounters with large insects, and characters hanging on to a collapsing rope bridge.

Language

There is some mild bad language, including uses of 'shit'.

Sex

There is some suggestive dialogue between a man and woman in a bedroom, although the scene is comic and no sexual activity is shown.

Injury detail

There is gory sight of a beating heart that has been removed from a man's chest using magical powers.

Nudity

Statues show female nudity and in one case a stone breast is held in order to open a door.

Theme

An evil cult kidnaps children and makes them work in a mine. They are whipped if they do not obey.

Alcohol and tobacco

Adult characters drink and smoke. A man is drugged.

Chef

strong language, moderate sex references

In Chef, Carl Casper quits his position as head chef at a prestigious restaurant in Los Angeles, and heads home to Miami to start his own food-truck business. While trying to piece together his estranged family, Carl desperately seeks to reignite his passion for food

Language

Multiple uses of strong language ('f**k' and 'motherf**ker'). Other bad language includes uses of 'prick', 'asshole', 'shit' and 'douche'.

Sex

Moderate sex references include men joking about 'getting pussy' and having a 'threeway'. One man also warns misbehaving colleagues to 'grab their ankles' and is seen holding a long stick of bread in front of his groin in a suggestive manner.

Other issues include scenes of smoking, with a couple sharing a roll up that could be a joint.

The Menu

strong violence, threat, suicide, language, sex references

In The Menu, a group of diners are invited to sample a celebrated chef's lavish tasting menu, only for their meal to take some dark twists.  

Violence

A woman is stabbed in the throat with a knife, resulting in blood spurting from the wound. A man’s finger is chopped off, with sight of bloody injury detail. There are fight scenes in which characters are hit in the head with objects such as a saucepan and kitchen machinery. A man is stabbed in the thigh with scissors.

Threat and horror

Frightened characters are menaced in various ways that escalate throughout the film, and they are threatened with death. Men are made to run through darkened woods to escape capture. There are scenes of knife and gun threat.

Language

There is strong language ('motherf**ker', 'f**k') and milder terms like 'bitch', 'whore', 'prick', 'shit', 'ass', 'Jesus', 'Christ' and 'God'.

Sex

There is a verbal reference to a man masturbating in front of a woman.

Suicide

A man shoots himself in the head, resulting in a spurt of blood, and another man sets himself on fire. A man is found hanging, but we do not see this act take place.

There are verbal references to the domestic abuse a man witnessed his drunk father inflict upon his mother when he was a boy. A woman talks about being sexually harassed in her workplace.