Written and Directed by Emerald Fennell
Starring Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, and Archie Madekwe

Emerald Fennell’s follow-up to her Oscar-winning writing and directing debut feature, the gutsy and tremendous Promising Young Woman, is another gutsy and tremendous film experience that takes viewers on an all-new mesmerising and unforgettable journey.

As is the case with many movies, Saltburn is especially one where the less you know prior to seeing it, the more you are guaranteed to get from it!

Its opening sequence retrospectively collates a summary of Oliver’s (Barry Keoghan) time spent with Felix (played by rapidly rising Australian star Jacob Elordi) that will soon be elaborated upon. What we know for sure from this brief overview is that past events have left Oliver looking to label the love he has of his friend and that Felix is seemingly no longer in the picture. Upon his arrival at the prestigious Oxford University, Oliver is very clearly immediately infatuated by the charming and popular Felix. It’s easy to understand why. Oliver’s upbringing and family are the polar opposite of the aristocratic Felix’s. When they formally meet by chance encounter, Felix is extremely receptive to Oliver’s kindness and soon invites him to his family’s lavish estate that changes the course of both their lives forever.

A pinch or two of Babylon and sprinkles of Get Out ground in Pride & Prejudice! That is how I would summarise Saltburn in a sentence. It’s a film where Emerald Fennell again achieves precisely what she sets out to, though admittedly not everyone will have equal appreciation for her final product. To be truthful, that hardly matters as Saltburn continually evolves in depth of story, characterisation, and genre making it an increasingly alluring, intriguing, and exciting film to watch to the end. A great example of this occurs when Oliver first becomes acquainted with Felix’s personal life and meets each eccentric member of his immediate family. The propensity for romance heats up in strange and sensual ways, a twisted sense of humour forms, and an unmistakably sinister presence emerges. Saltburn’s invigorating screenplay provokes audiences to ponder potential reasons behind the strange ways of its characters, draws utmost curiosity to discover how Oliver will respond and to witness what the consequential impact will be on his newfound friendship with Felix. Perhaps the themes to be extracted from this wildly unpredictable feature aren’t incisive or abundant in nature, but there is something to be said about privilege and communication. Or lack of the latter. Finally, further compliments must be given to the acting performances in this film, which are all superb. Special mentions go to the brave and brilliant Barry Keoghan, to Carey Mulligan in a supporting role playing a stylish family friend who may have overstayed her welcome, and to Rosamund Pike as Felix’s mother, Elspeth, whose characterisation and dialogue are as hideous as they are hilarious. Trust me when I say you won’t be forgetting these colourful characters or this daring film in a long while! 

Saltburn is showing in cinemas across Australia from November 16th.

Moviedoc thanks Universal Pictures for the invite to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

Follow on Twitter – Moviedoc / LIKE on Facebook – @moviedoc13 / Follow on Instagram – moviedoc_melbourne

©