‘Saltburn’ Movie Review [Beyond Fest 2023]: Emerald Fennell’s Eat-the-Rich Debauchery Is All Style
Photo from MGM/Amazon Studios
From Jeff Nelson
Academy Award winner Emerald Fennell approached Promising Young Woman with boisterous social commentary on gender politics as they relate to misogyny and toxic masculinity. Now, she sets her sights on classism and status in Saltburn, leaning into dark comedy as a tool against the rich. The humor is there, but it isn’t nearly as smart as it believes itself to be.
Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) is a withdrawn student at Oxford University, crossing paths with the charming, popular, and attractive Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi). The unlikely pair strike a close friendship, even though his social circle disapproves of Oliver’s strange attitude. Nevertheless, Felix decides to invite his new friend to join him and his eccentric family for the summer at their massive estate, filled with opulent surprises.
Saltburn opens with a dreamlike perception of Felix from Oliver’s perspective. He states over voice-over narration that everybody believes that he’s in love with Felix, which he doesn’t convincingly deny. However, Oliver challenges the difference between loving a person and being in love with them. The film is largely built around that premise, as our point-of-view character’s fixation develops into an utter obsession – for Felix, for the estate called Saltburn, and for the general attention that he so desperately craves.
Fennell’s screenplay is sexually charged, becoming an orgy of debaucherous eroticism that doesn’t skimp out on the weird factor. It goes for shock value, but its purpose isn’t entirely for a reaction, as it all plays into the otherworldly excess that the Saltburn estate has to offer. Time is an illusion on these grounds, where summer days and chilling nights start to blend together, separating those who can handle it and those who cannot. Saltburn is undeniably sexy, never shy to allow all of its oddness to hang out.
As a dark comedy, the awkward moments and laughs are there, primarily resting on Oliver’s status as an outsider, failing to understand this world and its customs. Additionally, Felix’s family are a cast of colorful characters, where he’s by far the most reserved of the bunch. His mother’s (Rosamund Pike) hilarious bluntness is a clear standout, as Oliver attempts to settle into the family’s flow that persistently tries to push him out.
Saltburn is far less effective as a thriller. Its direction is familiar and obvious, but the film doesn’t realize that the audience is already several steps ahead of it. The messaging is generic, attacking the rich in a fashion that never digs beneath its vain surface, leaving us with an ending that has an excellent needle drop, albeit a poor conclusion with haphazard character work.
However, these issues don’t extend to the stellar ensemble cast at work here. Keoghan is drop-dead sexy as Oliver, but it goes beyond physical appearances. Every glance has a purpose, constantly meant to exert an erotic longing that pierces through your soul. Elordi has a much more subtle role as Felix, but he successfully draws out the character’s vulnerabilities, which rarely make it into the dialogue itself. Pike is an absolute knockout as Felix’s mother, Elspeth, serving her crude, frank humor to absolute perfection. She frequently earns the biggest laughs throughout the film thanks to her precise delivery.
Make no mistake, Saltburn is a beautiful sight to behold. Fennell has a strong visual understanding of this world, allowing Linus Sandgren’s eye-popping cinematography to speak for itself. The estate’s enormous stature is always felt, yet there’s an energetic intimacy that never wavers. Suzie Davies’ extravagant production design brings the mansion to life, giving each room its own identity that plays a vital part in the story.
It’s easy to get lost in Saltburn’s sensational style, but its underwhelming storytelling and drab commentary break the illusion. Fennell adds nothing new on class or status, leaving us with a sub-average thriller. Her dark sense of humor works, particularly thanks to the delivery of its impressive ensemble cast. However, the film lacks its own perspective beyond its influences, overly relying on style over substance.
Rating: 2.5/5
Saltburn hits theaters on November 17th, 2023 in limited release before it expands on November 22nd, 2023.
