Saltburn

Released November 22, 2023

Written and Directed by Emerald Fennel

* Light Spoilers - but nothing you probably couldn’t guess from the trailer…which I didn’t watch until after seeing the movie*

Some stories are challenging because they reveal a greater truth or unpack an uncomfortable subject that needs to be explored. Saltburn was not one of those stories, it was interesting but hollow and overwhelmingly unsettling. The brilliant filmmaking aside, I went into this movie without knowing much about it, but I was left with little more than discomfort and disgust after watching. I appreciate that was entirely intentional but it’s just not the type of experience I am into.

On a technical level Saltburn is brilliantly constructed. The cinematography is striking and the use of colour and framing can’t be applauded enough. I was captivated by how beautiful the architecture was presented, making the most of the locations and the repeating motif of mirror reflections was incredible. There are also several shots where characters are looking at the world through other materials, behind glass, or through the crack of a door, emphasizing the voyeuristic point of view. Similarly, the tightly framed shots created feelings of claustrophobia rather than intimacy. Saltburn is full of creatively lit scenes where characters are sometimes reduced to a striking silhouette. One scene where the room’s curtains are abruptly drawn leave the room bathed in a blood crimson red light. It’s incredible and completely in line with the mood of that scene.

The movie takes place in the late 2000’s and is full of well timed needle drops showing music from the time. The original score itself is great, ranging from sinister to triumphant.

The performances are remarkable. Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) and Richard E. Grant (Loki) were both phenomenal and Barry Keoghan (Killing of a Sacred Deer, Banshees of Inisherin) is more off putting and creepy than ever. Again contributing to why this was not an enjoyable experience. He is known for being odd and often takes on roles with that energy. Even when a character doesn’t have that vibe he still ends up manifesting that attitude. Either way his performance in Saltburn falls right into the Barry Keoghan type and I did appreciate how it plays with that image to make the audience second guess what’s happening. It’s a testament to his performance that he was both surprisingly sympathetic and utterly creepy at the same time.

What starts as an odd one sided friendship turns into a perverse showcase of obsession. The depictions of class divide and the decadence of the rich were clear but I don’t think I really “got” the point at the end. It felt like a peepshow into grotesquery that didn’t really amount to anything. Sure it’s a great way to slowly peel back the layers of a creepy sociopath, but why?

There were several scenes where I was so disgusted that I almost lost my lunch, and I am not a terribly squeamish person. If you are going to put the audience through that type of nastiness it had better be for a good reason, and unfortunately, for me, there was not enough to justify sitting through the discomfort that is Saltburn.

Again I can fully appreciate the way this was made and Emerald Fennel’s (Promising Young Woman) stellar direction, but I can not recommend this to anyone who watches movies for anything beyond appreciating great filmmaking. There are plenty of other beautifully made movies that won’t leave you feeling sick to your stomach. So unless you are into that…I would skip this one.

Let me put it this way, if you hand me a box of cookies that is immaculately wrapped and I open it to find they are oatmeal raisin…I wont be terribly happy, even if you presented it beautifully. Thats what Saltburn feels like, except the cookies would be pre-dunked and sopping in Jacob Elordie’s bathwater.

6/10* - Exquisitely made but not a movie I could recommend. If you just want to see great cinematography maybe. If you are a masochist who likes to experience disgusting and disturbing things…maybe contact a therapist first…and then go on and enjoy this as a double feature with Poor Things. Perfect for a sick and twisted mind 😉. For anyone else I would say this is one to skip.

*Slightly inflated because of how well made it was and the cinematography alone. Otherwise this would lose some points just for how disturbing and pointless it felt to me.

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