By 
In her second feature, Saltburn, Emerald Fennell continues her style of social commentary via dark comedy. Her debut, Promising Young Woman, was largely well-received as a piercing and funny commentary on the way society treats sexual violence against women. But in this reviewer’s eyes, the film was flawed in its approach, a muddled attempt due to trying to pay homage to the past while also being a modern commentary, and the editing made it an unevenly paced and frustrating work. Saltburn is a cleaner film in that sense, and while it is entertaining, it still suffers from some of the same flaws.
The film follows Oliver (Barry Keoghan), who attends Oxford on scholarship but is drawn by the charms of his wealthy classmate Felix (Jacob Elordi). He is invited back to Felix’s estate for the summer, the titular Saltburn, where he begins to ingrate himself into the family while dealing with their eccentrics. As one might guess, large chunks of the film are a lampooning of the behaviors of these wealthy people. Due to the excellent cast, many of these scenes are quite amusing. Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant are hilarious as the heads of the family, both of whom use optimism as a mask for their otherwise judgmental and demanding views of others around them. Pike especially shines in these satirical moments, where her absolute disregard for anything but her own standards of decorum prove quite funny.
Much of the film ruminates on the silliness of the standards of the wealthy. Moments where Oliver’s cheaper suits or lack of decorum at breakfast are commented upon by his wealthy hosts produce chuckles, and Keoghan’s doe-eyed nature in these scenes really make them work. Keoghan is also to be commended for the scenes where his darker nature is revealed and his own manipulations are on display. This is one of his better performances, as he really has the opportunity to shine and do a lot throughout the film. Archie Madekwe and Carey Mulligan have small roles that are amusing and aid the film’s satire.
Yet like her debut, Fennell struggles to stick the landing. Because of a growing sense of tension, one expects the film to add up to something unexpected in its events or commentary. Surely it can’t be so simple? And yet by the film’s end, shallow simplicity is where the film rests. In a closing twenty minutes that can only be described as condescending and disappointing, the film spells out in black and white what it had subtlety and sometimes wonderfully hinted at throughout the runtime. It’s like getting whacked in the head with a sledgehammer, proving that the film has nothing more to offer than a hollow “eat the rich” message. While films shouldn’t necessarily be condemned for the messages they select, the manner in which they go about it is fair game for criticism, and the way this one gets there reduces the film to something far less interesting.
This is a betrayal of many great small moments throughout the film. There are several striking and startling sequences that make Saltburn bold, and even in the disappointing ending there is a very notable, highly amusing scene that uses the song “Murder on the Dancefloor.” But Saltburn is weak as a sum of its parts. While this one feels more coherent than Promising Young Woman, it fumbles in the end, and the final monologue from Keoghan regarding his feelings for Elordi’s Felix is confused as a result. Hopefully Fennell can improve her editorial prowess, as she does so much right as a director that you want to keep seeing her films.
