Before Denis Villeneuve became known for his massive worlds in ‘Dune‘ and ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ he told a much smaller story that takes place almost entirely at a dinner table. In his short film ‘Next Floor‘, a group of elegant diners sit down for what seems like a luxurious meal.
Everything looks perfect; the silverware shines, the dishes never stop coming, and the maître d keeps everything under control. But when the floor suddenly gives way, the dinner turns into something far more disturbing.
The Disturbing Theme Of ‘Next Floor’
The film begins with a grand banquet. Well-dressed guests sit in silence as the waitstaff brings them platter after platter of strange, heavy food. The only person who speaks is the maître d, whose calm command, ‘Next Floor‘, becomes the only line in the entire short film. At first, the scene feels like a simple display of excess. But soon, the ground beneath the diners cracks and collapses.
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The table, the food, and everyone around it crash into the identical room below. Dust fills the air, yet the diners simply pick up their utensils and start eating again. The waiters, perfectly trained, follow them to continue serving as if nothing happened. Then it happens again. The table falls through another floor. Then another. And each time, the feast continues.
Villeneuve’s camera shows every unsettling detail: oysters that look like brains, roasted animals that resemble dogs, even a full gazelle with its back split open. The food looks artistic yet horrifying, and the silence around the table makes it all feel even stranger.
The Relentless Fall Of The Greedy Symbolism
As the diners keep falling, it becomes clear that this isn’t just an odd dinner party; it’s a punishment. Some viewers believe the guests are already dead, doomed to repeat this grotesque meal forever. The diners are “forced to feed themselves at fast-forward velocities” as they “sink ever deeper into Hell.” The maître d and his staff could easily represent demons, making sure the torture never ends.
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At first, the diners barely eat. They prod at the raw meat and pick at the strange dishes with discomfort. But after several falls, their restraint disappears. They begin devouring the food wildly, ripping it apart with their hands and mouths. Each floor brings out a deeper level of hunger and desperation.
The short film ends with the maître d turning toward the camera. His blank stare feels like a warning. It’s as if he’s telling the viewer: this isn’t just their punishment; it could be ours too. The diners’ grotesque menu symbolizes how the wealthy exploit nature’s rarest and most precious creatures for their own pleasure. Each floor collapse represents the world falling apart under the weight of overconsumption.
Villeneuve doesn’t spare the servants either. The waitstaff may not be eating, but they keep serving. So, they are part of the same cycle as well. By the time the maître d gives his final ‘Next Floor,’ it’s clear that this fall has no end. The diners will keep eating. The servants will keep serving. And the floors will keep breaking. In only twelve minutes, Villeneuve manages to say a lot without saying a word.
