Saltburn is Emerald Fennell's second film, her debut film as writer and director was Promising Young Woman released in 2020. Fennell returns with another powerful film with a stellar cast, including the lead role played by Barry Keoghan (his first lead role), and Rosamund Pike giving a brilliant performance as Elsbeth.
The film is set in 2006 (now seen as a period film!) it follows Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) an awkward freshman at Oxford university who tries his best to fit in, but is clearly isolated from the rest of his students. He is from up north in England, whereas the rest of his fellow classmates have had relatives who have been going to Oxford for generations. This distances himself from everyone as they see him as the scholarship boy who has to get his clothes from Oxfam. This is until he meets Felix (Jacob Elordi) a beautifully handsome and wealthy student who befriends Oliver after he helps him when his bike is broken. Oliver becomes very quickly infatuated by Felix, but Felix does not notice and takes pity on Oliver after hearing stories about his childhood and home life. Felix invites Oliver to his family's estate, Saltburn, for the summer, a massive country house with towering doors and ceilings. At Saltburn Oliver meets the rest of Felix's eccentric family, father Sir James (Richard E Grant), sister Venetia (Alison Oliver), mother Elsbeth (Rosamund Pike), cousin Farleigh (Archie Madekwe) and Elsbeth's friend Pamela (Carey Mulligan) a houseguest who has overstayed her welcome.
Fennell satirises wealth and extravagance in this black comedy. She slowly peels back the layers of each character until we are finally aware of what is taking place, each scene reveals more and more until all the revelations are revealed and you can't look away. This film is shocking, loud, and could be described as grotesque at moments, however, through the artistry of the filmmaking she still makes us want to continue watching these shocking scenes. Fennell is not afraid of an unlikeable protagonist, she is bold with her choices making us sit in the uncomfortableness of long scenes. Fennell could have cut earlier in many of these sexual scenes as it wouldn't affect the plot (examples being the bathtub, graveyard, and final scene) however, she chooses to not cut making us have to sit in the uncomfortableness of these scenes for a long time. The ending of this film did feel quite sped up however, with all the major revelations happening towards the end, whereas the rest of the film is at a good pace.
Barry Keoghan gives a brilliant, fearless performance as Oliver, and definitely deserves an Oscar nomination for his ability to portray a character with so many different emotions and arcs. He is able to be make us feel for him and fear him, being vulnerable in some scenes but sinister and powerful in others. Rosamund Pike is perfect as Felix's mother, Elsbeth, who lives above everyone else in her privilege, her comedic timing is perfect with her hilarious, quick witted comments. Jacob Elordi portrays the wealth and power dynamic between him and Oliver perfectly, and their height difference is an added bonus. Even though Carey Mulligan only features in a couple scenes, her peformance in this scenes, and relationship with Elsbeth adds much humour to these scenes.
When I was at the screening of this film, the cinema was full of laughs, and gasping at some shocking sexual scenes. This film was a fun, crazy ride, Fennell is able to make a dark and twisted film, still overly enjoyable, and is not afraid to do what she wants. The last scene with Barry Keoghan had me smiling, accompanied by the upbeat song (murder on the dancefloor, which i now can't get out my head), even though it could be described as an uncomfortable scene after some of the grotesqueness of what we have just witnessed. Saltburn is a creative and unique film portraying class conflict, wealthy extravangence and jealousy. It is full of gorgeous cinematograohy, a fun filled dialogue with some hilarious punchlines, but also some shocking and uncomfortable scenes that will have the viewer cringeing in awkwardness.
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