This movie had been on my list for a while because I was already a fan of Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan and then the trailer sealed it for me. But what really made me eager to see this was the initial wave of reactions on social media after the release. Many people posted that they went in knowing absolutely nothing about the movie and were just there to see Jacob Elordi and were left in shock and horror by the film. I was both nervous and excited to see what was causing such extreme responses. And I have to say the reactions were warranted.

Saltburn follows a university student named Oliver Quick (Keoghan) who becomes obsessed with his wealthy schoolmate, Felix Catton (Elordi), who invites him to spend the summer at his eccentric family’s estate named “Saltburn”. It was directed by Emerald Fennell who is an actress and a director and has done many projects at this point but, to me, she will always be young Camilla on The Crown (does that affect my viewing of the movie? Honestly, maybe). It’s ironic that I have so much to say about a movie that doesn’t have much to say itself. 

It starts off with a lot going for it. Visually, it looks super cool. A lot of colorful parties set against outdoor backdrops and old fashioned architecture with a film grain. The early 2000s soundtrack creates a great vibe, but foreshadowing in dialogue and motifs tip you off that something is wrong here. We are often shown characters through mirrors and reflections, indicating a duality in their beings; there’s another side to them we may not be seeing on the surface. When these three aspects (visuals, soundtrack, foreshadowing) came together, it made for some really fun sinister parties scenes which is a specific tone I greatly enjoy.

When a movie so clearly tells you there’s more to the story, you spend the whole time just waiting for the other shoe to drop. But when it did here, it wasn’t as interesting as I was hoping it would be. But isn’t that always the case? The questions are more interesting than the answers. It’s the not knowing, the wondering, the theorizing that builds tension. When the truth starts to come out, it’s like the air being let out of a balloon. When movies can make the reveal just as interesting, or even more so, than the setup, that’s what separates the truly great ones from the rest of the pack. As fun as this one was, it didn’t quite land the plane.

This is often referred to as a “third act problem”, when the final third of the movie, the conclusion, is not successful for whatever reason. In this instance, I think the third act problem stems from the pacing and the message. The action and hints of the first part of the movie move slowly but continuously. Once the reveal and a major plot point come, the film suddenly changes completely. Felix leaves the picture and the movie loses steam without him. It becomes all Oliver, all the time. While Barry Keoghan is great and interesting as Oliver, Jacob Elordi just has a magnetism (both naturally and given to him by the filmmaking) that leaves the movie a bit lacking in his absence. I think the two leads balanced the energy of the film and when the focus shifts to just one, the tone of the movie suffers. After this major change, the movie also feels like it begins to race towards a conclusion instead of the more even pace of the first half. This could be reflective of the plot it’s portraying, but it didn’t totally work for me.

The biggest fault of the third act and of this movie as a whole is the message. Or should I say lack thereof? This movie either does not know what it is trying to say, has nothing to say, or has something to say but did not communicate it successfully. All of those are bad options. Especially considering this movie is structured as somewhat of a satire. The point is to be satirizing something. To be commenting on something. 

The locus of the story is the relationship between Oliver and Felix. It is clear from the start that Oliver has an unhealthy obsession with Felix. At first, it seems like a crush, but then turns possibly more sinister. It reminded me of another disturbing (but less fun) piece of entertainment, the show Yellowjackets. Both explore this ambiguous line between romantic love and attraction vs. obsession and jealousy. More succinctly, the line between wanting to be with someone or just wanting to be them. Yellowjackets looks at the constant comparison and jealousy in the friendships of teenage girls and how all-consuming that can be (sorry for the gross pun. It is a show involving cannibalism), wanting to become somebody else so badly that you literally absorb them. Saltburn isn’t quite so literal, but it’s not so far off. The exact nature of Oliver’s feelings towards Felix are muddy, which works for the first half of the film, but they never reveal themselves one way or another. The film ends without ever really understanding Oliver’s true intentions or motivations. It’s unfortunate because Barry Keoghan’s performance has so much potential to explore a lot of interesting ideas about covetousness, desire, aspirational hunger and greed, and more, but he doesn’t get the chance to fully go there.

The idea of Oliver potentially wanting to be Felix is a version of this story that is about the haves vs. the have nots. That is the obvious, surface-level dichotomy. Felix and his family are all rich and spoiled and vapid and Oliver is an intelligent, hardworking scholarship student. The movie sets up this binary but doesn’t push it any further into a place to comment on either those with wealth or those desperate to attain it. The lack of clear character motivations and overarching discourse hurt the film as it gets lost between being a satire and a psychodrama. It never fully commits to either, preventing a successful story in any direction. On the satire front, the movie seems to start to make points about various cultural aspects but never follows through on the threads it pulls. The film seems clever on the surface, with some funny moments and biting dialogue, but ultimately doesn’t have anything interesting or insightful to say about the world or people it portrays. A pretty package with nothing inside.

Remember how I started this by saying people were left absolutely dismayed after seeing this movie? Well here is where that is relevant. To me, shock value was used to hide the underlying emptiness. It seems edgy and provocative, but it’s all bark and no bite. The scandalizing moments serve just to scandalize and not to provoke further thought. Comparatively to an equally dark and jarring work, The Boys makes it immensely clear what or who they are satirizing in any given moment. Yes, they have some of the craziest scenes I have ever seen on television and some are definitely just for fun, but mostly they are there to further a point. There’s a method behind the madness. Saltburn is pretty much just pure madness. 

I want to be clear that while all of this does not make Saltburn a “good” movie, it absolutely made it a fun experience. The shock and awe was maybe the best part. I was wildly entertained and the energy of the crowd in my very full theater was perfect. Everyone reacting in horror together was so much fun and the movie would not have hit the same way watching at home alone. We were all on board this unhinged train together. How often do you get to say, “I’ve definitely never seen that before”? (In this case, it’s usually followed by “I could have lived my entire life without seeing that” but it still stands.) 

This movie would be tiers below where it currently stands without such an incredibly strong cast to bolster it. Barry Keoghan is extraordinarily talented and elevates anything he is in. Jacob Elordi seems to be experimenting with a bunch of different types of roles outside of Euphoria and is really knocking it out of the park. In this film, he seems so completely at ease and comfortable in his own skin in a way that serves the character so well. Rosamund Pike might be the most entertaining character in the whole film as Elspeth. Every single line out of her mouth is quotable and funny. Playing off Richard E. Grant as her husband, the two are a true dynamic duo. Alison Oliver is so pitch-perfect as Venetia, she looks like she just walked off the set of Skins (particularly relevant as this “period piece” takes place in 2006). 

Should you see this movie? That really depends on what you’re looking for out of your moviegoing experience. Do you want something light and fun with good vibes? Then this is not for you. Do you want something thought-provoking and meaningful? Still not for you. Do you want something disturbing and salacious? Do you want to gasp and squirm in the theater with the rest of the crowd at a movie that is not in the horror genre? Then Saltburn might be the film for you. In any circumstance, proceed with caution when seeing this movie. Not only is it not for everyone, but it is likely not for most. I had a ton of fun seeing it but you have to be able to take it for what it is. It’s amusing, it’s funny, it’s twisted. It looks incredible and showcases great performances. The ride is more fun than the destination, but we can still appreciate the journey from the right perspective. 

2023 Count: 28 seasons, 52 movies, 1 special