Saltburn (2023) Review

A TWISTY TALE TWIXT

PRIVILEGE AND DESIRE

While popular film genres such as action, horror, and comedy are the more dominant categories of feature film classifications, there are a plethora of subgenres out there that help grouping movies that can be pinpointed down into a specific presentation. Perhaps the most interesting one (and peculiar) category would have to be the ones found in the “Black Comedy” subgenre. Black comedy (or sometimes referred to as “Dark Comedy”) is a very niche and artistic motion picture genre that deals with subject matter (something taboo, dark, or controversial) and presenting it in a comically representation. In conjunction, black comedies are not to be confused with horror comedies (another niche subgenre), with narratives detailing a unique sense of humor and the willfulness of sometimes “pushing the envelope” in the macabre nuances in the plot and / or social commentary…thematically speaking. Dark comedies can be hard to find and not as commonplace in amongst such favorite / popular genres out there, but there are some prime examples out there, including 1964’s Dr. Strangelove, 1971’s Harold and Maude, 1988’s Heathers, 1996’s Fargo, 2000’s American Pyscho, 2009’s Inglorious Basterds, and 2022’s The Menu just to name a few. Now, MGM Studios (as well as MRC) and director Emerald Fennell present the latest film to be classified as a black comedy film endeavor with the release of the movie titled Saltburn. Does the film find its “dark comedy” aesthetics provocative and spellbinding for a tantalizing feature or is a bizarre endeavor that lacks that twisty turn of events within its narrative?

THE STORY

Newly arriving at Oxford University, Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) is gawky and awkward student who is struggling to fit in with his peers and already been seeing as a “leopard” at the college, not being invited to popular functions and parties that many others are attending. His mundane life takes a dramatic turn of events when he comes across Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), who befriends the loner as the pair begin to spend time together, sharing a bond with one another. Drawn by Felix’s magnetic personality and dashing good looks, Oliver finds his way to being invited by the wealthy and popular classmate’s family estate, Saltburn, for the summer. Oliver is exposed to Felix’s world of privilege and desire, introducing him to the rest of the family, including his mother Elsbeth (Rosamund Pike), his father James (Richard E. Grant), his sister Venetia (Alison Oliver), and his American cousin Farleigh (Archie Madekwe). As Oliver becomes increasingly engrossed in the Catton’s lavish lifestyle, he develops an obsessive fascination with Felix, drawn to his charm and charismatic ways, and enjoying himself as the family’s guest for the season. However, Oliver’s motives and intentions are being questioned by Farleigh, who sees the outsider having ulterior motives, as dark desires and false facades amongst them all begin to crumble, revealing a darker and manipulative presence that threatens to shatter all who dwell at Saltburn.

THE GOOD / THE BAD

Borrowing my lines from my review for The Menu (not lazy or anything, but it definitely conveys what I want to say on the subject) …. of course, I do love a wide variety of movies that span a large selection of genres and subgenres out there. That being said, a do have a few genres that I do favor more than others, including the action, comedy, and fantasy film genres out there. This, of course, brings up the subgenre of “black comedy” endeavors that (not to be confused African American comedy driven features) is somewhat of an elusive muse to me. Sure, I’ve seeing several pictures that have utilized (semi and / or fully) this particular form of storytelling, but I haven’t been the biggest fan of these dark comedy productions. That not to say that I discredit them or wave them off as second-rate movies, but it just isn’t my particular “cup of tea” ….if you will. I don’t know. There’s just something about them that I have a hard time of “getting myself” immersed in their story. Maybe it’s because of the darker elements that blend together with comedic flourishes. To me, the combination of such two very distinct genres don’t exactly mesh well together. I usually just find it a bit odd, especially since such polar opposites are usually at odds with each other. It’s all about finding balance and such balance between the two aspects can sometimes be a little bit distracting. Perhaps my personal favorite of such black comedies’ endeavors would have to be 1996’s Fargo and 2009’s Inglorious Basterds, which (to me) had the better balance of comedic levity and darker tones spread out in their presentation. In the end, while not exactly my personal favorite film genre to watch, I do have to appreciate the endurance of such a movie subgenre that, while cater to a particular crowd, still manages to produce some intriguing details on finding comedy within such dark situations…..or vice versa.

Naturally, this brings me back around to talking about Saltburn, a 2023 psychological black comedy film and the latest film to tackle the thematic tones and themes of a dark / black comedy endeavor. To be honest, I really didn’t hear much about this movie when it was first announced. There wasn’t a whole lot of “buzz” being generated from it online for quite some time. Nothing about the director, nothing about the plot, or even nothing about the cast. So, I really didn’t hear about the movie until the film’s movie trailer was released. In truth, I didn’t even catch it when it was released online (didn’t even make a post about on my blog) and my actual “first look” at Saltburn’s trailer was at the theaters during the “coming attractions” preview. From the trailer alone, the movie definitely looked quite alluring. While the film’s cast immediately caught my attention (i.e., Keoghan, Elordi, Pike, Grant, Madekwe), the movie’s premise looked quite interesting…. with the footage shown in the preview plenty of twists and turns in a rather dubious tale of seduction and power. So, I was a bit curious to see the movie, especially just to know the mystery behind the plot. Plus…. I’m not going to lie…. I was definitely curious about the film’s name….Saltburn. After that (before the film’s theatrical release) I began to hear about some “word of mouth” about the movie, with many advance / early reviews for the movie stating how excellent the movie was. This, of course, fueled my interest in seeing the movie and decided to check it out a few weeks after its release. And what did I think of it? Well, I actually liked it. Despite some missed opportunity to fully examine some character substance and a few other narrative plot points, Saltburn is a tantalizing and twisty psychology study of power, desire, and manipulation. It has a few blemishes in its undertaking / executing, but the sheer force of spellbind and provocative tale of duplicity is captivating.

Saltburn is directed by Emerald Fennell, whose previous directorial efforts includes the film Promising Young Woman as well as appearing as an actress in project such as Call the Midwife, Barbie, and The Crown. I know of how much praise that Fennell received for Promising Young Woman, but I actually never had the chance to see the movie. However, from what I heard about, it was pretty good. So, with only one theatrical feature film under her belt, Fennell makes the most of her sophomore film and (to her credit) does exactly that, with approach to Saltburn being the somewhat enticing and provocative allure that she presumable gave way to in her theatrical film debut project. There’s definitely an air of mystery throughout Saltburn, with Fennell luring viewers into a world of dubious motives and duplicity personalities, which speaks to the characters of the movie (more on that below), but also to human nature in a nutshell. The passion for sexual desires, longing to belonging, social class differences are the instrumental fundamentals that swirl around the main narrative of the story, with Fennell looking to examine those said core principles of human behavior in a wild and brazing way. Fennell does do a good job in presenting those unbridled feelings and emotions throughout the movie’s characters, with most being deriving from Oliver as well as several other ones. The sense of privileged life being glamours and one of passionate excess, while Fennell has Oliver (an outsider looking in) wanting to become entangled in this “upper class” world of carefree select grouping. A character study of examining disturbing human motivations and inducement of not wanting to let go or to even (uncomfortably) indulging oneself into such lustful frivolities. It’s quite clear from the movie that’s what Fennell wanted to get to the heart of in Saltburn, with the director dancing around such subject matters of human behaviorally studies, which gives credence to some of the more “uncomfortable” and “WTF” moments that are scattered throughout the feature. Yes, some moments are quite a bit abrasive and / or a bit twisted in the manner of which they are presented / capture, but, for the movie’s purpose, Fennell does do a great job in capturing these moments in a disturbingly beautiful kind of way.

Of course, the movie is sort of framed with a classic “fish-out-of-water” narrative framing, with story focusing on Oliver’s journey in becoming transfixed on Felix and his family’s lifestyle. As mentioned before, Fennell gives the project a sense of mystery and intrigue throughout the narrative, explaining (as well as examining) the different people that Oliver comes into contact with and (as the plot propels forward) find out more to what he’s all beneath his skin. The movie definitely gave me that feeling of Promising You Woman, which was a given with Fennell at the helm of both endeavors, but also of Gone Girl, with the director luring us (the viewers) into a tangled web of passion, privilege, and desire. I wanted definitely interested to see how the movie would play out and what type of twists that the story would take to come up with its inevitable conclusion and, for the most part, I felt that Fennell did a solid job in accomplishing that feat as well as introducing a

The twists were pretty good and wild to say the least, with many I did not see coming, which provide some great “investment” as a viewer wanting to see how everything was going to come together in the end and unraveling the mystery behind Saltburn’s mystery. Could there been tweaks made? Yes, but I’ll go into more details about that below. Suffice to say that the story in Saltburn is one that is filled suspicion and duplicity, which gives credence to some of the more “wilder” and unexpected scenes to take place as Fennell navigates such a “dream-like” world of affluent behavior and characteristic of human manners and the façade behind that.

Other aspects that I felt that Fennell did a good job in is within its context of its dark comedy angle. Yes, some of those “uncomfortable” moments that I mentioned above do play a part in this particular film nuance and certainly hit their intended mark on the story’s shocking moments. Yet, the movie is funny in areas, with that underlining tone of macabre layering around it, which (of course) is the “bread and butter” of this particular genre of storytelling. Thus, the combination of humor and twisted darkness permeates across the entire project as well as sprinkling such mystery and drama into the mix. This concoction does work and helps generate somewhat quite interesting and entertaining aspects that gives Saltburn some investment to watch how the story unfolds and how it all comes together in the end.

For its presentation, Saltburn is quite solid across the board, with the film’s background adding both a layer of realism to the proceedings as well as wealthy lifestyle of “old money” thrown into the mix. Of course, the prime example of this can be found in the film’s namesake (Saltburn), which refers to the stately manor of which the Catton family resides is quite the focal point in the feature. Fennell herself said she wanted to find a place that was unique to the film and hadn’t been a familiar film location for such a place. In the end, she and her team found quite a beautiful “hidden gem” in the English countryside in Drayton House (near the village of Lowick, Northamptonshire, England), which gives the impression of a classy manor, sprawling and expansive within both exterior and interior shots, yet still feels claustrophobic and a tad slightly derelict (rundown); a sentimental feeling that gives off the display of in the Catton family (something a bit off) and in the sudden and unexpected house guest in Oliver Quick. Also, the set decorations and costume designs for much of the sets and characters are quite layered and exquisite, which has that impression of luxury and style, yet still feeling normal and relatable. Thus, the film’s “behind the scenes” key players, including Suzie Davies (production design), Caroline Barclay and Neneh Lucia (art direction), Charlotte Dirickx (set decorations), and Sophie Canale (costume designs) for their efforts in bringing this movie world, which is filled with wealthy and style as well as grounded in normal day clothing, fashion, and appearance, to life in such a vibrant and life-like way. In addition, I do like how Fennell gives an examination of Catton family, which represents the arrogance and a bit out-of-touch-with-reality mantra to everyday common folk, with Saltburn showcasing their lifestyle being a bit excessive; safely happy within their bubble existence and looking down at everyone else.

In addition, the film’s cinematography work by Linus Sandgren is quite good throughout the entire movie and give the movie that necessary “boost” of cinematic flair and visual style that speaks to the narrative being told. Usage of a wide array of different / dramatic camera angles as well as usage of lights and shadow help provide plenty of unique and captivating moments that are quite unique and picturesque in a cinematic viewing experience. Another interesting aspect that Sandgren does (with probably Fennell’s vision for the project) was to shoot / present the movie with a 4:3 aspect ratio rather than a standard wide screen format. From what I could read about this decision, Fennell / Sandgren stated that the wanted to “give the impression of “peeping in””, which certainly fits that particular perspective throughout the feature. Sandgren’s work probably won’t get nominated for any type of words, but I do have to commend his efforts on Saltburn and bringing a level of cinematic creativity to a movie that could’ve been easily presented (in a presentation manner) rather straightforward way. Lastly, while the movie’s score, which was composed by Anthony Willis, is solid across the board in and out of the movie (providing plenty of melodical notes and pieces in his composition), the film also provides plenty of musical songs within its soundtrack, which helps provide some of the more montage-like moments or even give some context to some scenes. While I won’t spoil it…hearing the song “Murder on the Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Baxter in the movie in one particular was kind of amusing….in that dark comedy sort of way, which definitely fits the movie’s thematic tone and premise perfectly.

There were a few missteps that I think that the movie took within its undertaking that, while not derailing the movie in any way, shape, or from, gives Saltburn a sort of stumbled feeling within its execution and organizing of how it presents certain things. How so? Well, for starters, the movie does get a bit carried away with some of its more WTF moments and “in your face” scenes that are handled with such unbridled vulgarity. It’s not a total deal-breaker as I sort of expect such things to happen in a movie that mainly discussed such elements of passions, desires, and obsessions. Yet, beyond those “shock and awe” moments here and there, there are a few that are a bit odd and are just that for that “shocked” reaction from viewers and nothing else. Also, from a writer’s perspective, certain type of storytelling narrative parts is bit limp and don’t exactly everything fully, leaving a lot of room for ambiguous interpretation from the viewer. I do know that Fennell does this to make us (as the viewer) allow to give off such differences of opinions on such polar opposite of the social spectrum and character motivational desires. However, some of the story beats don’t exactly land well in the movie’s script or don’t fully capture what they wanted to original convey. Basically, certain parts of the script could’ve been ironed out / detailed out further in the storyboarding process, which would allow a better grasp on all fronts of Saltburn’s plot. This can also be further examined in some of the characters that, while are mostly drawn out for some well-roundness or clear-cut representation of what Fennell desired them to be, there are a few that are left underdeveloped slightly and could’ve been easily expanded upon.

With the movie been quite the character study piece, the cast in Saltburn is quite good all across the board, with many of them players having some intriguing and WTF moments that are scattered throughout the feature, while also been a theatrical playground for the acting talent involved on this project to delve into such dubious and devilishly twisted characters in and out of the plot. Leading the charge in the movie would be actor Barry Keoghan, who plays the central protagonist character of Oliver Quick. Known for his roles in Dunkirk, Eternals, and The Banshee of Inisherin, Keoghan has started to appear more and more projects and getting the opportunity to playing large supporting roles / lead roles. Such an opportunity comes in the form of this movie, with Keoghan getting show his acting chops with his performance of Oliver Quick in Saltburn. The character of Oliver is quite a fascinating subject matter to examine, an awkward and gawky young man who charms his way next to a handsome and charismatic other man, who then shares him with the rest of family…. all the way charming everyone with his innocent and timid demeanor. Keoghan gives quite the performance in the role, which is quite juicy for any actor to play, with the opportunity to showcase his acting talents….and he certainly does. As Oliver, Keoghan is quite exceptional and gives off such a great screen presence in the movie, allowing the actor to play such a multi-facade individual where shady ambiguity and unhealthy obsession come together in a person’s personality. Such a character of substance is an actor’s dream and Keoghan gets to play such a meaty role and does with flying colors. From dialogue to body language, Keoghan is terrific as Oliver Quick.

Behind him, actress Rosamund Pike gives such stirring performance as Elspeth Catton, Felix’s mother. Known for her roles in Gone Girl, Pride & Prejudice, and The Wheel of Time, Pike is quite the talented actress with her career proven that; amassing quite a collection colorful portrayal of characters both leading and supporting throughout her acting career. Thus, to see her co-star in a movie like Saltburn is quite the treat, with the steadfast actress playing such an interesting character. As Elspeth, Pike gives off a sense of warmth and motherly affection, yet is also to convey a certain type of distance and coldness at the same time, which is something that comes across quite well in this particular character. So, to see her interact with many of the other cast members on the movie is highly enjoyable and seeing her play such a character is a perfect match.

The third recognizable acting talent in the movie would have to be actor Jacob Elordi, who plays the character of Felix Catton, an affluent and popular young man and who becomes the object desire for Oliver Quick. Known for his roles in The Kissing Booth, Euphoria, and Priscilla, Elordi has certainly becoming a recent rising star of late and has begun to appear more and more in prominent roles. Saltburn is one of those projects as Elordi certainly knows how to carry himself throughout the entire picture and allows his screen presence to unfold in the film. As Felix, Elordi is quite good as playing such a charismatic and easy-going persona, able to quite the magnetic focal point wherever he goes and attracted to all sorts of people. Such a character is quite the fixation as he attracted to both men and women as Elordi can easily slide into the character with great ease. The character himself is quite the paradox and one that unfolds with great interest throughout the movie, showing the fixation that Oliver has on him and how both their intentions become quite ambiguous as narrative propels forward. In the end, Elordi was a perfect casting choice for Felix, a handsome young man with an infectious attractiveness that the movie makes quite irresistible.

The next important characters in the movie are found in the roles of Farleigh Start, Felix’s American cousin, and Venetia Catton, Felix’s sister, who are played by Archie Madekwe (See and Gran Turismo) and actress Alison Oliver (Conversations with Friends and Best Interests) respectfully. Both are young and upcoming acting talents, so it’s nice to see them participate in a project like this and getting the chance to play alongside such recognizable players like Keogan, Elordi, and Pike. For Madekwe’s part, he does make the character of Farleigh as a sort of antagonist-like towards Oliver, who sees the new outsiders as a threat and is constantly putting him down, which Madekwe does quite well throughout the movie. Oliver’s Venetia is interesting character, one that is quiet and beautiful, yet harbors some deep passion for Oliver within the movie. I do think that a little bit more characteristic in Venetia, especially she plays a vital role in a few scenes, but, for what it’s worth, I felt that Oliver did a good job in the role.

While majority of the other acting talent get a lot of attention within the movie, actor Richard E. Grant ( Gosford Park and Can You Ever Forgive Me?) and actress Carrey Mulligan (She Said and Promising Young Woman) sort of get the classic “short end of the stick” when it comes to screen time / character development within their roles of Sir James Catton, Elspeth’s husband / father to Felix and Ventia and Pamela (listed as Poor Dear Pamela), Elspeth’s friend who is staying with the Catton family as well. Both Grant and Mulligan are quite talented individuals and have definitely proven themselves to be quite capable acting talents within their own rights. So, to see them in this movie is quite a treat (much like the rest of the cast). That being said, their characters sort of gets pushed aside, especially with the other characters having more time to develop. Sir James Catton doesn’t become important to the story until the latter portion and Pamela does seem more like an afterthought. Thankfully, Grant and Mulligan’s talents prove that they can bolster James and Pamela beyond thinly written characters, which could’ve been easily expanded upon.

The rest of the cast, including actor Paul Rhys (Da Vinci’s Demons and Victoria) as the Catton’s butler Duncan, actor Ewan Mitchell (The Last Kingdom and House of the Dragons) as college student Michael Gavey, actress Dorothy Atkinson (The Gold and Pennyworth) as Oliver’s mother Paula Quick, actor Shaun Dooley (The Woman in Black and The Awakening) as Oliver’s father Jeff Quick, actress Millie Kent (The Shepherd and The Spilt) as India, actress Aleah Aberdeen (Silo and Grantchester) as Alicia, actor Will Gibson (making his debut in the movie) as Jake, and actor Reece Shearsmith (The League of Gentlemen and Inside No. 9) as Professor Ware, fill in the roles for the movie’s minor supporting characters throughout the story. While most (if not all) in this category are limited by design in the presence in the feature, the acting ability from this grouping is spot on, with a few capturing small “nugget-like” performances in their respective characters.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Feeling lost and alone, Oliver Quick finds an attraction to the handsome Felix Catton, who invites him to say with his family at their family estate for the summer, and swiftly becomes entangled in a web of deception and desire in the movie Saltburn. Director Emerald Fennell’s sophomore film takes a closer look at the human condition level of behavior, wrapping a motion picture of dubiousness and intriguing of shady individuals, ulterior motives, and lustful desires that’s found within us all, while mixed together within a dark comedy presentation. While the movie does struggle in a few minor areas, especially in some narrative beats and certain character developments, the film excels within its mystery-like premise of unfolding its plot, with special thanks to Fennell’s direction, a duplicity tale, dark comedy influences, a solid presentation, some slick cinematography, intriguing characters, and a great cast. Personally, I really liked this movie. Yes, there were a few minor gripes that I with the story and its characters (not digging deep enough on some parts), but, as a whole, I did quite enjoy this film. Of course, those disturbing WTF moments made me squirm a bit, yet the project’s helmer, cast, and character study nuances help bolster the feature for a twisty dark comedy picture that works effectively well. Plus, a big shout to Keoghan and Pike for their performances in the movie. Thus, my recommendation for this movie would be a favorable “highly recommended” as the movie delivers on its promise and gives us (the viewers) glitzy and twisted tale of love and passion and how one’s desires can borderline an unhealthy state of mind. As a word of caution though, just don’t watch this movie with anyone who is easily offended with a few uncomfortable scenes. Beyond that, you’ll have a good time with this movie. In the end, Fenell excels once more with Saltburn, a captivating and character study piece of human behavior and twisty glitter ball explosion tale twixt privilege and desire.