Saltburn - MOVIE REVIEW
styles: victorian, flamboyant others: the talented mr. ripley
7.5
In 2020, I celebrated Christmas by going to New Jersey (NYC theaters were still shut down) to see Promising Young Woman in theaters by myself. Since the NJ Path ran on holiday hours, there wasn’t a direct stop to the theater— so I had to walk about a mile to get there. It was cold; I remember dipping into a suburb to piss in a yard quickly and hustling from locked entrance to locked entrance at Newport Centre Mall due to COVID restrictions and Christmas Day; of course, I remember the movie too. Premiering at Sundance and scheduled to be released shortly after, Promising Young Woman became an awards darling in a year where more film delays were made than ever. I say that because it wasn’t an award movie, but good. It boasted the best performance from the underrated Carey Mulligan and carried a sick, questionable tone that polarized audiences in conversation.
Saltburn is another sick headrush, possibly more satisfying than her last. A satirical Victorian romp, brimming in color, handsome appearance, and daringly twisted. It’s a 2006 set piece, frank in a desensitized manner, titillated and morbid; it revels in the idea that anything can happen and gleefully explores the limits of what is possible. Despite the ridiculous, extreme behavior of the characters, a lot of it is pretty entertaining.
It begins as a campus piece, where new Oxford outcast Oliver (Barry Keoghan) meets aristocrat Felix Catton (Jacob Eloridi). Felix, the charismatic, handsome center of every party, takes Oliver under his wing— being a brainiac from a less fortunate family, Felix quickly becomes like a brother to Oliver, who looks up to him — things escalate further when he invites Oliver to stay at his family’s estate for the summer. A Victorian castle on a massive piece of land consisting of his parents (Rosamund Pike and Richard Grant), his Oxford cousin (Archie Madekwe), and his sister Venetia (Alison Oliver). The relationships are murky and borderline inappropriate, with Oliver being warned that he'll eventually be dumped like Felix's other summer friends. Oliver will do anything to make sure that doesn’t happen.
The cinematography of Saltburn is impressive, with Linus Sandgren's sharp frames capturing the vast campuses of Oxford and Saltburn. The locations are heightened and appear larger than life on screen. Oxford parties look like Hogwarts gone wild, and the Saltburn castle looks like a 21st-century Game of Thrones palace. Emerald Fennel’s script is episodic, filled with plenty of character moments without much narrative build-up, yet it works; there’s a humor and edge that borders off-color. The bathtub scene, in particular, is almost foul. It’s too bad Saltburn wasn’t released earlier in May, as it would have made a great summer movie; it could have even worked as fitness motivation, as everyone in this movie looks built.
While Saltburn is not a perfect movie, it still manages to be watchable and hypnotic. The film's bombs and twists come a little late, and the story gets pretty ridiculous early on, ranging from shocking to gross-out. However, the explosive final 45 minutes feel consistent with the story, even if it already ends at a certain point yet must keep going. Casting here is also perfect. Barry Keoghan only plays dynamic characters, so his turn here marks another gem on his resume. Jacob Elordi, the Euphoria vet, having a massive year in movies (this, Priscilla, The Sweet East), is perfect as the talkative, charming prince of the castle, taking and using as he pleases, yet full of intrigue and manipulation. The supporting cast is also great; Archie Madekwe (Gran Turismo), as Felix’s cousin Farleigh, is brought to life and compliments the movie’s tone. Richard Grant and Carrie Mulligan deliver unrecognizable yet distinct turns, as does Rosamund Pike as Felix's hot mom.
There's a lot to like about Saltburn. The film is entertaining and beautiful to watch, with the range to be both sexy and deprived, even when it borders on off-color. The alt-rock soundtrack is filled with appropriate throwbacks to 2006-2007, and the opening title sequence is one of the best of the year. Despite losing itself at times, I still enjoyed the film's downward spiral. Working on a much bigger scale, Saltburn is a decent sophomore outing by Emerald Fennel, with an attractive gaze and jaw-dropping scenes. She already has a Tumblr GIF cult classic on her hands.
MGM will release Saltburn in select theaters November 17, 2023. It’ll be everywhere on Thanksgiving.