High End Dying Review – The Horrors of Fine Dining

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

That was unexpected! The film begins with a disclaimer about self-harm, so be warned.

The short horror film High End Dying, directed by Helen Liu and written by Jordan Symes, follows Chef Eloise, whose new restaurant is harshly criticized by an established food critic named Alistair Brown. Devastated but determined to prove her worth, Eloise invites Alistair back to try her revamped menu—with an unexpected new ingredient.

At just eleven minutes long, High End Dying is a satirical, horror-themed jab at snooty critics and the absurd expectations placed on chefs in fine dining to create something uniquely transcendent. Something that might send the critic spiraling back to his childhood days, recalling that one favorite home-cooked meal by Mom—the only real solace of his life. I flinched at a few scenes—not exactly the kind of bloody horror I can easily stomach (pun intended)—but those who enjoy a bit of gore in their horror films will love it. Ultimately, it’s all about whether Alistair finally finds Eloise’s food to his taste.

The film brings to mind Delicacy, a French graphic novel by James Albon, about two brothers running a restaurant where certain dishes gain popularity due to an unusual ingredient. High End Dying is a fast-paced, horrifying twist on a similar concept. The entire story unfolds within Eloise’s restaurant, where she expects her employees to give 100% to her dishes—quite literally. The script takes dark, violent digs at the food industry, notorious for its grueling hours and low pay. It leaves us with an intriguingly morbid message: you could give someone everything, and it still might not be enough.

Yon can watch High End Dying on YouTube.

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