Contains Spoilers
Emerald Fennell’s second feature film takes you into a world of intrigue, wealth and hidden danger. We get to know Oliver (Barry Keoghan), a student at Oxford University who struggles to find his place among his peers. He finds himself fascinated with aristocratic Felix (Jacob Elordi) and begins finding ways to earn his trust and friendship.
Felix, being a very empathetic and open-minded person, invites Oliver into his giant family home after learning about his traumatising and grief-ridden past. Like in a picture-book, the Catton Family welcomes Oliver with open arms, showing him around their estate and take him in like he is one of their own. We learn that this isn’t an exception for them when we meet Farleigh, a young man who has lived with them for many years.
Oliver seems to be mesmerised by Felix’ family the more time passes, the more he wants to be closer to him, even taking it as far as sleeping with his sister. If you’ve seen this film, you probably also remember the infamous bathtub scene. We learn that he doesn’t hesitate to cross any lines.
Even though we are constantly around Oliver, as is the Catton family, we don’t really get to know much about him and everything that we do know turns out to be twisted or completely made up. He remains a mystery.
It doesn’t take long until Felix suspects that Oliver is hiding something and when he finds out the truth about his family’s past, the film takes a dark turn.
Similar to Fennell’s Promising Young Women, we once again get confronted with an anti-hero who uses other characters in order to fulfill their own desires.
That doesn’t stop Oliver though and he keeps up his facade until he gets what he truly wants. Throughout the film, the viewer doesn’t know all the little things that will inevitably lead to the shocking ending.
While Keoghan already received plenty of critical acclaim and even an Academy Award Nomination for his role in Banshees of Inisherin, he once again proves that he deserves all the praise he gets. The audience really gets invested in his story and feels for him until we learn who he actually is. While he takes on the role of the narrator in Saltburn, it takes a while for us to realise how unreliable he is. He portrays Oliver’s fixation on Felix so well, that their chemistry doesn’t go unnoticed. Elordi portrays the only character that feels like an open book – everybody seems to know everything about Felix and talks about him at length. Through his performance, Felix is also the only one who feels like an actual person. Every character in this family is very over-the-top and ignores reality while he stays humble and true to himself and his relationships.
In a scene during the climax of the film, Felix and Oliver get into a passionate and emotional argument about the lies Felix uncovered. Here, the chemistry between the two actors is unmatched.
Not only does the acting captivate its audience, but it is also incredibly gorgeous to look at. With a creative set design that fills up every frame and a cinematography that catches your eye, this film makes you want to be a part of the wealthy crowd of Saltburn.
The film ends with a dance sequence as we listen to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’. We can promise you, the song will be stuck with you long after you finished the movie. Ellis-Bextor’s song even made it back into the charts after releasing it 23 years ago.
Even though Emerald Fennell’s thriller received mixed reviews due to its shocking nature, there is no doubt it has been one of the most talked about films of last year. It became a trend on TikTok, with videos replicating the dancing scene going viral and even Jacob Elordi’s bath water isn’t safe from being monetised.
Overall, Saltburn is one of 2023s most iconic films and we really enjoyed watching the story unfold.
You can currently stream the film on Prime Video.