Saltburn: Weird as heck, but I kind of liked it!

WARNING: If you want to see the film spoiler-free, as I did, and you have kept away from reviews and social media commentary, read my review AFTER you have seen the film.

Saltburn | Released in Australia November 2023 | Viewed December 2023 | Directed by Emerald Fennell | Main cast: Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E Grant, Alison Oliver, and Archie Madekwe

I was keen on Saltburn, partly because I wanted to see Emerald Fennell's second film as a director, after I loved A promising young woman. I went into the viewing spoiler-free and I am glad that I did so, as my experience of it was both shocking and captivating. I had read that there was controversy surrounding the film, as there was with Emerald Fennell's directorial debut. I'd also seen criticisms that the film contained shock for shock's sake. That's about all I knew going into the film, and a vague sense that the plot focussed on class and privilege.

It's quite challenging to write a thorough review of the film without spoiling it, so I hope you have noted my warning above. Saltburn derives much of its plot from The talented Mr Ripley (1999) so if you know that film, you'll have a general idea of Saltburn. In his review of the film on Instagram, @mattzhaig called it an "event film". I like that description as it seemed apt, coming along "once in a decade" and defining "a pop cultural moment", as Haig suggested.

The story follows the unlikely Oxford University friendship between intense working class interloper, Oliver Quick (a super creepy Barry Keoghan), and aloof rich boy, Felix Catton (rising star and Brisbane boy, Jacob Elordi). The friendship progresses into a summer spent at the Catton family estate that forms the film's title. There is a hint that Oliver is the latest in a long line of 'pets' that Felix adopts, and that Felix and his family have a kind of weird fascination with the working class. These things make the film's pivot even more glorious.

If you've seen the brilliant The talented Mr Ripley then you'll know what its derivative is trying to achieve. Haig called Saltburn a "high pot boiler", again an apt description, I think, as Fennell's version of Ripley is a satire of the inane and superficial lives of the supremely wealthy and the British class system. My favourite scenes in the film are the ones with the eccentric, posh, vacuous Catton family and their kooky house guest, beautifully played by Carey Mulligan, the star of Fennell's first film. Richard E Grant and Rosamund Pike are perfectly cast in their roles as the Catton parents and they pull off over-the-top problematic behaviour of the upper class with aplomb.

The film quickly descends into madness, with a series of visually provocative scenes of wealth, debauchery, desire, and obsession. It's a dark, erotic and rich viewing experience, with a sprinkle of satirical humour (that only the British can pull off) and loads of completely bonkers goings-on.

Adrian Horton's review for The Guardian is worth a read as it delves into the idea of style over substance, something that seems to have plagued Saltburn since its release and has divided audiences over the film's power. Horton comments on the concept of vibes and how in Saltburn they create a visually stunning (and very often shocking) viewing experience but they also have the potential to, as Horton puts it, "distract, overcompensate, mislead". Saltburn deserves inspection in terms of whether it pulls off a clever social commentary or shocks for the sake of it.

I'm still not sure how I feel about the film, several months since I've seen it. I think I like it! I found it captivating, and at times disturbing, not because of the scenes themselves (and if you've seen the film, you'll know what I mean), but because I was surprised that Fennell actually went there. Haig called the film brave in his Instagram review. I agree.

I also tend to agree with the essence of the film's criticisms, though. Fennell could have delved deeper into the film's themes and into the characterisation of the psychopathic Oliver and gone for less of the crazy. Some of the scenes, like the bathtub one, could have been done differently to achieve the same plot point, so as to leave the viewer with something to think about beyond the shock value.

I still think the film was visually stunning and the entire cast brilliantly took on their roles. I love seeing British eccentricity and psychopathic characters on screen, and I love a good dark and bizarre film. It just feels like people will remember the crazy and the shocking rather than any messages the film may have been trying to convey. They may see it, too, as simply a brave piece of cinema, rather than a clever satire of wealth, privilege and obsession.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐