Saltburn (18)

Dir: Emerald Fennell

Cast: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe, Carey Mulligan

Emerald Fennell’s sophomore feature film is a dark and twisted tale of privilege and desire, that had me in stitches from start to finish

Following the success of her debut feature, Promising Young Woman, in 2020, actress-turned-filmmaker, Emerald Fennell emerged as a breath of fresh air in an industry crying out for new blood. Her excellent revenge thriller took a gripping and unique approach in highlighting the growing issues of abuse and victim blaming in modern society, as well arguably giving Carey Mulligan the best role of her career. Unsurprisingly, the film was a hit with critics and audiences, and went on to secure Fennell her first Academy Award, establishing her as a true auteur.

When it was first announced, Fennell’s second feature film “Saltburn” quickly became one of my most highly anticipated movies of the year, and I was fortunate enough to be able to catch the opening night screening of it at the BFI London Film Festival. The film sees Fennell return to her native Britain, as we are introduced to Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), a young and fragile student, who struggles to find his place at the prestigious Oxford University in 2007 (Fennell herself graduated from Oxford in 2007). Oliver is consistently belittled by his peers for his conservative dress sense and ostensibly poor background, with his only “friend” being that of fellow outcast and neurotic geek, Michael (Ewan Mitchell).

When Oliver is not attending private tutor sessions with his sneering course lecturer, Professor Ware (Reece Sheersmith), he spends most of his time admiring campus heartthrob, Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi). Felix is everything Oliver isn’t: he’s popular, sociable, outgoing and incredibly wealthy from his family’s aristocratic background. After a chance encounter and subsequent act of kindness from Oliver, the pair quickly become friends, much to the confusion of Felix’s upper class entourage. Throughout the remainder of the term, the two grow closer as Felix becomes compelled by Oliver’s tragic backstory consisting of an alcoholic father and substance abusing mother. Oliver’s infatuation for Felix, however, seems somewhat more homoerotic.

When the academic term comes to an end, a family tragedy leaves Oliver with nowhere to return to for the summer, leading the sympathetic Felix to invite him to his families opulent manor, the titular Saltburn. Upon arriving at the grand estate, Oliver is introduced to Felix’s eccentric, yet hollow, family: There’s the family patriarch, and source of the family’s wealth and heritage, Lord James (Richard E. Grant); the attention seeking sister Venetia (Alison Oliver); and Felix’s mother Elsbeth (Rosamund Pike), who is riveted by Oliver’s horrific family upbringing. The family treat Oliver as a new pet that they have recently acquired, each and every one of them yearning for his attention in their own twisted and unique way. In the background, keeping a watchful eye over Oliver, is Felix’s American cousin, Farleigh (Archie Madekwe), who, like Oliver, is puppeteered by the Cattons for their own amusement. What ensues over the summer months at the eponymous estate is an inebriating nightmare, as we follow Oliver as he is quickly drawn into this dreamlike world of privilege and desire.

One of the most targeted demographics in recent years on film is that of the upper class. Across film and television, we have seen the likes of Parasite, The Menu and The White Lotus take down the one percenters. This could have made it all to easy to dismiss Fennell’s attempt at holding up a mirror to the country’s most affluent as an all too familiar affair. However, what Fennell has managed to create is something truly original, and unlike anything I have seen before. The film has understandingly been compared to Anthony Minghella‘s ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’ (1999) due to similar plot devices and sexual tension between the two male leads. Tonally, however, the film is much more akin to Yorgos Lanthimos‘ Oscar-winning, The Favourite (2019). Like The Favourite, ‘Saltburn‘ takes a darkly comedic approach to tackling the outdated and old-fashioned practices of the classic British aristocracy, which somehow still exists to this day, albeit hanging by a thread. Much like The Favourite, ‘Saltburn’ is an absolute hoot of a time, full of memorable one-liners and quippy exchanges between the outstanding ensemble.

Everyone is on top form here, starting with lead man Barry Keoghan, who fully commits to this role in more ways than you could ever imagine. The talented, young actor has demonstrated in his short but accomplished career his ability to go from vulnerable to menacing in the blink of an eye, something that is only further emphasized here. Acting veterans Richard E. Grant and Rosamund Pike have an absolute blast as the sheltered Lord and Lady of the manor, both of which had the entire audience in stitches on multiple occasions with their deadpan deliveries. The real surprise though is Jacob Elordi as the charismatic but troubled Felix. Elordi is probably best known for his role as the primary love interest in the critically panned Netflix film series The Kissing Booth. The Australian actor manages to put in a career turning performance here, alongside well-established actors such as Pike, Grant and a great cameo by Promising Young Woman star, Carey Mulligan. It is ultimately Fennel’s razor sharp and observant script that allows the film’s stars to shine so brightly, as they fully embody the shrill and spoiled caricatures they portray, as they bounce off each other naturally with ease.

As I watched the film in a packed BFI screening, I could not help but feel spoiled by the film’s aesthetic. Entirely shot in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio by Oscar-winning cinematographer, Linus Sandgren, ‘Saltburn’ fully immerses its audience into the mysterious, dreamlike world within the sprawling titular estate. Sandgren fully encapsulates the juxtaposition of the countries once great aristocratic homes, normally portrayed on the big screen in glitzy, period dramas. Here however, all the warmth and colour has been drained from the once lavish establishment, much like the soulless and regressive inhabitants who occupy it.

While I personally was a fan of ‘Saltburn’, it will no doubt have its detractors. Due to its excessive depictions of debauchery, it will most certainly have some viewers scratching their heads as to what is playing out on the surface, rather than the reading into the satirical undertones bubbling underneath.

Fennell had clearly set out to make an impression with ‘Saltburn’, and her hilariously twisted vision does not disappoint. Now with two excellent feature films under her belt, I cannot wait to see what Fennell releases next, as she has truly cemented herself as one of the most formidable talents working in the industry today.

Saltburn will be showing in UK Cinemas from Friday 17th November