“Saltburn” Review

Barry Keoghan stars in “Saltburn” as Oliver Quick, a poor student who befriends his rich classmate and becomes deeply involved in the rich lifestyle that he’s only dreamt of.

With her directorial debut of “Promising Young Woman” amazing me with its incredible script, direction and acting, I grew excited for writer/director Emerald Fennell’s sophomore effort “Saltburn”. After all, it’s a director's sophomore effort that cements them as a force to be reckoned with. As good as Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” were, “Us” and “Pulp Fiction” secured their status as filmmakers. As was the case with “Promising Young Woman”, “Saltburn” is an intriguing film that deals with troubling themes and shocking twists with energized mania.

In the mid-2000s, a shy scholarship student at Oxford University named Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) befriends a rich student named Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), the most popular guy in his college. When the term ends, Felix invites Oliver to stay with his family at the titular estate for the summer. As Oliver becomes more acquainted with the Catton family and embraces their elite lifestyle, it’s clear that Oliver isn’t just gawking at the extravagance of Saltburn. Over the course of one summer, the film explores what disturbing things obsession will stir up inside of us. 

While the film is full of incredible performances and stunning cinematography, the real star of “Saltburn” is Emerald Fennell who has crafted something truly special with her script and direction. What Fennell has essentially made is a story akin to “The Great Gatsby” with a far more nefarious Nick Carraway who is brought to fruition by Barry Keoghan’s performance. The themes of infiltration, dependency and obsession are captivating and add a refreshing twist to a recent type of movie. With recent films like “The Menu”, “Triangle of Sadness” and “Parasite” all satirizing the extremely wealthy, “Saltburn” stands out by having a protagonist who is far from innocent compared to his wealthy companions.

Barry Keoghan is incredible in this film and his character is one that is hard to nail down until the very end. Is Oliver a twisted plotter or a repressed poor kid who is struggling with the excesses of wealth? Either way, you just can’t take your eyes off of him as he gradually works his way into the family and figures out ways to exploit their emotional weaknesses. 

Equally engaging is Jacob Elordi who portrays this golden child of this well-to-do English estate. Despite coming from a place of privilege and luxury, it’s clear that Felix detests his background and the egos he’s surrounded by. Elordi finds the likability of this character and is able to create with Keoghan this strange, close friendship that is as believable as it is engrossing. 

With cinematographer Linus Sandgren (“La La Land” and “Babylon”) and production designer Suzie Davies (“Mr. Turner”), Emerald Fennell creates a beautiful film with the Saltburn estate becoming a character itself. Through its halls, the worst instincts of the characters are revealed and, no matter how polite Felix’s parents (Richard E. Grant and Rosamund Pike) and sister (Alison Oliver) act, it’s clear that the benevolent rich people act isn’t fooling anyone, Oliver most of all. 

While “Saltburn” is quite good, it’s the final act where it becomes great with a series of shocking twists that had me floored. Fennell knows how to trick the audience by keeping our focus away from the truly disturbing truth hiding in plain sight. The extreme imagery the film gets away with is all due to Fennell and the cast’s commitment to keeping their characters grounded amidst a sea of excess. Even if you can predict where the story is going to go, its execution is still marvelous. 

With two excellent films now under her belt, as well as an Oscar for “Promising Young Woman’s” screenplay, there is no doubt in my mind that Fennell is going to keep enticing me with her subsequent releases. I’ve seen many films this year but very few have an ending that is as burned in my mind as that of “Saltburn”.