Movie Review: Saltburn
Very few directorial debuts have been as explosive and dialogue-inducing as Emeral Fennell’s Promising Young Woman. The Best Picture Nominee lost out to Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland in a trio of major categories (Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture), but Fennell won herself a Best Original Screenplay Oscar for the film’s electrifying script. So, what should be expected of Fennell’s highly anticipated follow-up feature, Saltburn? An even edgier and bolder, boundary-pushing socialite thriller that’s guaranteed to have movie-lovers talking for years to come.
From the opening scene it’s laid out right in front of us. Timid and out-of-the-loop Oxford student, Oliver Quick (Banshees of Inisherin’s Barry Keoghan), has an inexplicable fondness for his charming, aristocratic classmate, Felix (Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi). They begin as two students whose lives feel worlds apart, but eventually collide when Oliver comes to the rescue at a moment of bad luck for Felix. Thus begins the transformation of Oliver in Ollie, as the one-time outsider shoehorns his way into a friendship with Felix that leads to a summer of high society living at the privileged young man’s lavish family estate, Saltburn.
With her sophomore effort, Emerald Fennell pieces together another entertaining thriller. One that’s superficial but dares the audience to look away with raucous, high-octane story of desire and fulfillment at any cost. Saltburn may be light on substance, but it’s also as methodical and superbly paced as you’ll ever see from a dark and twisted popcorn-flick.
Barry Keoghan is downright hypnotic on screen, shapeshifting through whatever the moment calls for with a mystifying ease. Ollie is difficult to get a read on, from his soft-spoken and awkward beginnings at Oxford to his newfound confident demeanor displayed all over the Saltburn estate, his intrigue is what makes his character addictive. Keoghan captures this essence flawlessly, once again showing why he’s a rising star approaching deserved A-List status.
Jacob Elordi continues his massive year (he also stars as Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla) with another fine turn, demonstrating the epitome of esteemed, high-class living while also showing a genuinely compassionate side that adds to Felix’s allure. Another strong supporting performance comes from Academy Award Nominee Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), whose regal tastes as Felix’s mom, Elspeth, make for some hilarious mind-blowing quips. For instance, Felix even hands a shaving razor to Ollie upon his arrival at Saltburn with strict directions to groom daily because his mother is repulsed by facial hair.
All in all, Saltburn takes the audience through an intoxicating journey of excess and lust with its collection of flat-out insane characters. Although there’s no real message to the film or deep-seeded existential meaning to what transpires, Saltburn’s greatest strengths reside in its performances and sheer unpredictability. Be warned, there are a few WTF moments, scenes you’ll have to see to believe. Fennell is fearless when it comes to pushing the envelope, and Saltburn is a firm reflection of that fact. And while Fennell’s latest isn’t as emotionally gripping and substantive as her debut effort, Promising Young Woman, it’s every bit as entertaining.
GRADE: 4/5
