This list of Best Food Films is long overdue. In the past, I tried to do a proper Food Cinema series for the Cinematheque but the series never happened. As consolation, I programmed a few contemporary food related films for various film festivals but a proper spotlight was always elusive. In a way, the delay was perhaps meant to be considering that the top 2 films in this list have been released in the last 3 years. Now, the timing is right.
Top 20 Food Films
1. The Taste of Things (2023, France/Belgium, Trần Anh Hùng)
A lovely film that takes us from the journey of growing food, sourcing local ingredients, careful food preparation ending with food consumption. This is that rare film that lets us hear the moaning pleasure of having that delicious dish while also showcasing the glutinous nature of devouring vast amounts of food. The film is also a tender love story forged over food and extends the statement “that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Because in this film, a man also cooks for a woman, thereby making the kitchen an equal space for men-women to neatly perform their food dance.
2. The Great Indian Kitchen (2021, India, Jeo Baby)
The film, true to its title, showcases scrumptious dishes being prepared. The food preparation and techniques are shown in incredible detail but it becomes apparent that the film is more than about food and the kitchen is more than just a space to make food. The difference in roles of the husband and wife are emphasized as are the expectations of a woman in some segments of society. The Great Indian Kitchen is in stark contrast to The Taste of Things in showing the different roles of men-women in a kitchen. The Taste of things shows a more equitable kitchen but Jeo Baby’s indian film transforms a kitchen as an isolated prison for a woman forced to cook.
Even though this film is rooted in South India, aspects about marriage and treatment of women are applicable to many other patriarchal societies around the world. Credit to the director Jeo Baby of how this depiction is shown, by repetition of the same tasks, which definitely produces a visceral reaction.
3. Tampopo (1985, Japan, Jûzô Itami)
The pleasure of food consumption is shown in all its glory highlighted by this scene of how to properly eat a bowl of ramen. The film is hilarious, thoughtful and makes one hungry.
4. The Lunchbox (2013, India/France/Germany/US/Canada, Ritesh Batra)
Another tender love story forged over meals but in this case, for the longest time, the cook and the eater don’t share the same space. In fact, their meals are transported in the tiffins which exchange many hands as their long journey via trains, bicycles and walking.
5. Pig (2021, US/UK, Michael Sarnoski)
Pig covers many aspects of the food business process, right from procuring ingredients to suppliers who distribute those ingredients to restaurants to chefs who use or misuse those ingredients. In addition, the film also highlights the fickle nature of restaurants and trends and smartly shows how memory is tied with our food experiences. The sun is hardly seen during the film and the overcast look enhances the film’s mood and energy, which in one incredible sequence channels the same spirit as that of Fight Club.
6. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994, Taiwan/US, Ang Lee)
The food preparation is shown in loving detail in addition to how food brings a family together.
7. The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014, US/UAE/India, Lasse Hallström)
Food preparation and recipes are at the core of this film but like Ratatouille, The Hundred-Foot Journey challenges the notion of who can cook and be considered a chef.
8. Ratatouille (2007, US, Brad Bird/Jan Pinkava)
Food preparation is in focus but film also illustrates the role critics play in increasing a restaurant and a chef’s fame. There is also a challenge to traditional notion of who can cook and who is worthy to be considered a chef. And all of these are neatly packaged in a glossy animated gift.
9. Big Night (1996, US, Campbell Scott/Stanley Tucci)
Even though restaurants are featured in other films on this list, Big Night focuses more on the nut and bolts of the restaurant business and what it takes to keep the lights on. Also, pasta is highlighted unlike most films on this list.
10. Babette’s Feast (1987, Denmark, Gabriel Axel)
Babette’s Feast is the ultimate food movie and for the longest time was #1 on this list. In spirit, this film is a precursor to The Taste of Things. While The Taste of Things keeps the food circle small, Babette’s Feast focuses on a village and community.
11. Like Water for Chocolate (1992, Mexico, Alfonso Arau)
Like Water for Chocolate emphasizes how love is an invisible yet key ingredient in food dishes. This film hammers that point home when in the absence of love, sadness and tears turn the dish bitter.
12. Mid-August Lunch (2008, Italy, Gianni Di Gregorio)
No matter the age, people love to eat. And some love to cook even more. Easily, one of the most charming and light hearted films about food on the list. As a bonus, this tender film features a different age category than the other films on this list.
13. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011, US, David Gelb)
The only documentary on this list. Pure brilliance.
14. In The Mood for Love (2000, Hong Kong/France, Wong Kar-Wai)
The act of picking food up from stalls is elevated in the most seductive manner via “Yumeji’s Theme” used for the noodle-stand scene between Maggie Cheung and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung’s characters. There is no dialogue in the scene and the score turns a normal occurrence of going to the noodle stand into a seductive waltz.
15. Ramen Shop (2018, Singapore/Japan/France, Eric Khoo)
In the tradition of Tampopo and Eat Drink Man Woman, Ramen Shop is a mouth-watering film that scrumptiously shows that in different cultures, food is more than just sustenance. The film covers the incredible Singaporean food scene and also depicts a way to combine Japanese and Singaporean food cultures in a unique manner. Ramen Shop also shows that how a food can lead to a love story, which in this case is via the Singaporean dish Bak kut teh (Pork rib soup).
16. Hunger (2023, Thailand, Sitisiri Mongkolsiri)
Hunger highlights the cut-throat food competition that fuels some chefs to create new dishes. The film also gets to the core of what makes a soulful dish and pits street food vs high end cuisine.
17. Ravening (2018, India, Bhaskar Hazarika)
Aamis (Ravening) boldly pushes the boundaries of food by covering the vastly different dishes that exist in North East India, dishes which turn our entire conception of Indian food on its head. The film then goes into even more uncharted territory by including an ingredient that will make people squirm in their seats.
18. East Side Sushi (2014, US, Anthony Lucero)
Fusion of different food cultures is highlighted along with the struggle a chef has in establishing her mark in a culinary world that often looks at a person’s gender or ethnicity rather than letting their dish do all the talking.
19. The Menu (2022, US, Mark Mylod)
The first 20 minutes are a beautiful testament to the perfection some chefs seek in preparing their dishes. Then the film changes course completely and descends into a much more gory territory.
20. Chef (2014, US, Jon Favreau)
Covers food trucks and the how that has played an important part in the North American food culture over the last few decades.
