Warning: There may be spoilers in this piece, not big ones though :) ...
Saltburn is a 2023 black comedy psychological thriller film written, directed, and co-produced by Emerald Fennell, who previously won an Oscar for her debut feature Promising Young Woman. Starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, and Carey Mulligan, the film follows an Oxford University student who becomes obsessed with a wealthy fellow student within his college, who invites him to spend the summer at his eccentric family’s estate.
The film is based on the novel of the same name by Evelyn Waugh, which was published in 1945 and satirized the British aristocracy of the interwar period. Fennell updates the story to the mid-2000s, adding elements of dark humor, suspense, and eroticism. The film explores themes of class, privilege, desire, and identity, as well as the dangers of obsession and manipulation.
The film’s protagonist is Oliver Quick (Keoghan), a scholarship student who feels out of place at Oxford due to his working-class background and his parents’ substance abuse and mental health issues. He is drawn to Felix Catton (Elordi), a charismatic and popular student who belongs to a wealthy and eccentric family. Felix invites Oliver to spend the summer at Saltburn, his family’s sprawling estate, where he meets Felix’s parents, Sir James (Grant) and Lady Elspeth (Pike), Felix’s sister, Venetia (Oliver), Felix’s American cousin, Farleigh (Madekwe), and Elspeth’s friend, Pamela (Mulligan).
At Saltburn, Oliver is welcomed by the family, who are amused by his lack of social graces and sympathetic to his situation. He soon becomes infatuated with Felix, who seems to reciprocate his feelings, but also plays mind games with him. Oliver also seduces Venetia, who is engaged to a boring aristocrat, and becomes involved in a twisted love triangle with Felix and Farleigh, who is secretly in love with Felix. Oliver’s obsession with Felix grows stronger, as he tries to fit in with his world and win his approval. However, he also discovers the dark secrets and scandals that lurk behind the facade of the Catton family, and realizes that he is in over his head.
The film is a masterful blend of comedy and drama, with witty dialogue, stunning cinematography, and a haunting soundtrack. The cast delivers excellent performances, especially Keoghan, who portrays Oliver’s complex emotions and motivations with subtlety and nuance. Elordi is equally impressive as Felix, who is charming and charismatic, but also cruel and manipulative. Pike and Grant are hilarious as the eccentric and oblivious parents, while Mulligan steals every scene she is in as the cynical and sarcastic Pamela.
Saltburn is a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat, as it takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions, from laughter to shock to horror. It is a film that will make you think about the nature of human relationships, the power of social class, and the consequences of obsession. It is a film that will stay with you long after the credits roll.
Saltburn is rated R for language, sexual content, nudity, and violence. You can watch Saltburn in cinemas and stream it on Amazon Prime.
