Delicious (2025) Review: A Disturbing Take on Class, Power, and “Eat the Rich” Horror
A Film That Feeds on Unease
I went into Delicious (2025) with zero expectations, but by the time the credits rolled, I was left with a strange mix of fascination and frustration. This Delicious 2025 Review isn’t just about whether the film is worth your time, it’s about how it builds an eerie, unsettling atmosphere that lingers long after the screen fades to black, yet somehow the story itself feels like it’s crumbling under its own ambitions.
From the very start, there’s a deliberate sense of discomfort. A well-to-do family drives through what seems like a riot, only to arrive at a luxurious retreat that feels detached from the chaos outside. Then the perspective shifts.
A group of hotel employees lounges around, watching the rich newcomers with quiet judgment. One of them casually pisses into a bottle while complaining about money problems. It’s crude, unsettling, and sets the tone for a film that never stops hovering between satire and horror. And it’s here where Delicious (2025) shows its teeth whether or not it bites hard enough is another story.
The real shift happens at dinner. The family is served an elaborate meal, then offered a complimentary nightcap. The mother and father accept their drinks, the kids get Cokes, and everything seems ordinary until it isn’t. When the mother steps away to the restroom, she fails to acknowledge a service worker standing nearby.
That moment, subtle as it seems, seals their fate. What follows is a slow, insidious invasion, as a young hotel worker named Theodora manipulates her way into their home and gradually dismantles their lives.
The way it unfolds is unsettling, but not always in a satisfying way. There’s a growing sense of dread, a feeling that something is deeply wrong, yet the film never quite convinces me that any of it could realistically happen.
Style Over Substance? Horror That Never Fully Commits
There are moments in Delicious that visually stand out, but whether they serve a deeper purpose is debatable. One of the few shots that actually lingers in my mind is a quiet, almost dreamlike moment, the young daughter standing in the garden, framed by towering trees. The composition feels deliberate, hinting at something larger, but like much of the film, it doesn’t lead anywhere concrete.
The cinematography leans into dim lighting and claustrophobic close-ups, trying to create unease, but the execution feels uneven. Some moments are effectively unsettling, like the quiet horror of blood leaking from a faucet or the sudden shift in atmosphere when Esther, the mother, realizes that every person at a party works at the same hotel.
But just as the film starts to build momentum, it pulls back. It flirts with surrealism but never fully embraces it, making it feel like a watered-down version of the social horror it wants to be.
Even the core horror elements, the suggestion of cannibalism, the eerie dinner scenes, the slow but deliberate dismantling of the family’s control never fully land.
There’s an idea here, a grotesque metaphor about class and consumption, but the film hesitates. If it had leaned harder into psychological terror or outright horror, it could have been truly memorable. Instead, it lingers somewhere in between, never quite committing to either.
Delicious 2025 Review: Manipulation or Just Implausible Writing?
Theodora’s ability to infiltrate the family’s life happens so quickly and so seamlessly that it strains credibility. The premise itself is compelling, a stranger embedding themselves into a wealthy household, slowly turning their privilege against them but the way it plays out feels forced.
John and Esther, the wealthy couple at the film’s center, aren’t naive. They hold the power from the start, yet they inexplicably hand it over without much resistance.
Theodora fakes an injury, they invite her in, and suddenly, she’s part of their lives. When their own daughter accuses her of stealing, they dismiss her concerns. Even when Theodora’s behavior becomes blatantly invasive, they don’t push back.
That’s where the film lost me. There’s no slow erosion of trust, no carefully constructed manipulation. Theodora doesn’t have to try all that hard to worm her way in, and that makes the entire premise feel hollow.
In Saltburn, Oliver spent months embedding himself into the family’s world, slowly gaining their trust. Here, Theodora barely lifts a finger, and yet she’s given free rein.
Then there’s Esther’s bizarre, impulsive decision to run off with a much younger man while on a family vacation. Up until that point, she had been cold, distant, but composed. And then suddenly, she’s abandoning her husband and children for some boy she barely knows? It felt less like a natural character arc and more like the film desperately trying to shock its audience.
An Ending That Asks Questions Without Answering Them
If Delicious was aiming for ambiguity, it succeeded but not in a way that felt satisfying. The film never explicitly confirms whether Theodora and her circle literally “eat the rich” or if the phrase is purely metaphorical. Either way, it doesn’t feel like it fully delivers on its premise.
There’s a moment near the end where Esther, asking about another woman who accompanied them to the beach, is told simply, “She’s gone.” No further explanation, no resolution. Her belongings are still at the beach, but that’s it.
The film expects this vagueness to feel profound, but it comes off as incomplete. If the goal was to make a statement about power, class, or revenge, it doesn’t land with enough weight to be effective.
And then there’s the scene where Theodora, now completely emboldened, brings an entire group of people into the family’s house while John is still there. He wakes up to the sound of strangers in his home, yet instead of throwing them out, he just… accepts it? That was the final straw. The film had already asked me to suspend my disbelief too many times, and by this point, I was done trying.
Final Verdict: Did Delicious Deliver?
I wanted to like Delicious (2025). It had the potential to be a sharp, unsettling commentary on power, class, and privilege but it never quite figures out what it wants to say. It teases horror but refuses to fully embrace it.
It builds tension but never truly capitalizes on it. Instead of a tight, gripping psychological thriller, it feels more like a beautifully shot but frustratingly hollow experience.
If you’re a fan of slow-burn psychological horror with a social edge, Delicious might still be worth watching, if only for the aesthetic and the atmosphere. But if you’re looking for a film that delivers on its promise, that builds its tension into something truly unnerving, this one might leave you just as frustrated as I was.
Final Rating: 5/10. Watch it if you’re curious. Skip it if you value your time.
Craving something more satisfying? Check out my [Top 10 Dark Dramas That Deliver], a curated list of films that masterfully blend tension, atmosphere, and storytelling to leave a lasting impact.
What did you think of Delicious (2025)? Were you hooked, horrified, or just plain confused? Drop your thoughts in the comments below or tag me on socials, I want to know if I’m the only one still digesting this strange little film.
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