Saltburn

Image credit: cinemaclock.com

There is so much to love about cinema. So many delicious layers that make up the cake. My absolute favourite thing about the movies is how they make you feel. In case the 1500+ reviews haven’t given some sort of hint, I absolutely love movies and love talking about them because they are an artform that penetrates, manipulates, and celebrates the human condition of torturous emotions.

So when I see a film that leaves me speechless and temporarily unable to process my feelings about it, you know that once I regain the ability to master language I’ll have things to say! While I’m a tad late to this party, it’s time to talk about Saltburn.

Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) is a bland but bright Oxford scholar who finds it difficult to make friends. But this changes when he meets Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), a handsome and aristocratic classmate. Felix takes Oliver under his wing and soon their friendship leads to him inviting Oliver to spend the summer with his eccentric family at their manor, Saltburn. Oliver finds himself in a world he’d only dreamed of and while he relishes in the company of his new colourful and charismatic friends, he fears that it will all be over come the end of summer.

Ho boy, how to even begin with this movie. I’m still reeling. It’s a very clever example of modern gothic, sticking to the generic tropes of both narrative and aesthetic, but then completely discombobulating you with an edgy, modern script and soundtrack. But this is not only what I mean by ‘clever’. This is a very manipulative film – like most gothic thrillers are – but the cleverness of it comes from the specific way that it manipulates its audience. For two thirds of the film, you think you’ve got it worked out: vibes of Brideshead Revisited meets An Education meets Rebecca help to shape your powers of perception and you spend your time looking for the clues that foreshadow the big twist. But then the twist comes and while it’s a twist that’s anything but new, you still weren’t expecting it! From there, everything you think you know is thrown out of the rear window and you’re left at the mercy of the writer, director, and cast.

Image credit: theplaylist.net

Speaking of the cast. Barry Keoghan is astounding! I can’t rave about his performance without giving some of the game away so you’ll just have to believe me when I say that he did just as much manipulating as the screenwriter or the director. Holy Hell! We then have a fantastic supporting cast that make up the eccentric and captivating Catton family including delightful performances from Richard E. Grant and Rosamund Pike.

The sets are immaculate and the aesthetic is lavish, which only serves to heighten the more disturbing scenes. This film has the macabre appeal of the car crash: it’s terrible to look at, but you can’t look away. If you are a fan of gothic thrillers, I would recommend Saltburn, but be warned that you may experience feelings of acute discomfort, disturbance, and disgust… and that what makes it so damned compelling.

Director: Emerald Fennell, 2023

Cast: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Archie Madekwe, Alison Oliver, Sadie Soverall, Will Gibson, Ewan Mitchell, Reece Shearsmith, Paul Rhys, Rosamund Pike & Richard E. Grant