Saltburn is a dark, weird, and hilarious tale about lust and greed.
PLOT/STORY
Saltburn follows college student Oliver Quick’s (Barry Keoghan) stay with the rich and illustrious Felix (Jacob Elordi) at his private manor.
Saltburn is Lavish and Lust
Her first film since 2020’s Promising Young Woman, writer-director Emerald Fennell and company crafts Saltburn as a dark, weird, and oftentimes hilarious take on lust and greed. Taking major influence from books such as The Talented Mr. Ripley, Fennell weaves the story and characters via a tapestry of intrigue and mystery.
With the help of director of photography Linus Sandgren’s cinematography, Fennell and company centers the characters in a dream-like state. They achieve this through the film’s 4:3 aspect ratio. It expands with Suzie Davies’ production design, bringing 2006 to life. Additionally, the editing by Victoria Boydell, paces the film, effectively captivating audiences.
Performances
Finally, when it comes to the performances, the cast delivers some stunning work. Starting with Keoghan, his portrayal of Oliver is fascinating. Especially when he’s interacting with Elordi’s Felix. Speaking of Elordi, his portrayal of Felix exudes a cool casualness. In fact, his suaveness echoes into his chemistry with Keoghan.
As for the rest of the cast, Richard E. Grant and Rosamund Pike deliver some solid work as Felix’s father and mother respectively, both bringing some humor and drama to the mix. The same with Alison Oliver, who gives a fantastic monologue to Keoghan’s Oliver towards the end. But, the standout was easily Archie Madewke as Felix’s cousin Farleigh, who serves as a contrasting foil to Oliver.
CONCLUSION
Writer-director Emerald Fennell’s follow-up feature Saltburn is a dark and weird tale complemented by a ton of unexpected humor. It centers the characters through Sandgren’s dream-like cinematography and Davies’ production design. Therefore, Fennell and company enamors the audience through mystery and intrigue. On top of that, the stunning performances from Keoghan, Elordi, Madewke, Grant, Pike, and Oliver contribute to the overall tone, balancing drama and humor effortlessly.
All in all, Saltburn is definitely one to experience on the big screen, when it hit theaters this Thanksgiving.
Score: 4.0 out of 5
