★★★★1/2 (out of 5)
Nothing can prepare you for Saltburn. After the brilliant Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell stuns once again with the dark and immensely twisted Saltburn; a stylish film on class, wealth, and our own immoral and perverted desires to obtain it. This is one fucked up, horny film that will leave you both sickened and stunned. Think The Talented Mr. Ripley meets the first 30 minutes of Babylon. It’s twisted and a bit of a slow burn, but ultimately enchanting. It’s bold, unpredictable, provocative, and just so funny, buoyed by a cast who completely understood the assignment and delivered glorious results.
Barry Keoghan is fearless in Saltburn, bearing it all in more ways than one. He’s always been such a gifted actor, but you’ve never seen him quite like this before! His character is fascinating, with his constant weaving in and out of control a real highlight, making him so much more interesting and flawed than the audience surrogate he starts out as. Jacob Elordi is stunning. Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant dial it up to eleven and get some of the best laughs, stealing every scene they are in.
Emerald Fennell and cinematographer Linus Sandgren craft a gorgeous film of vivid saturation and striking imagery (some of which cannot be unseen). Equally strong is Fennell's screenplay which is hilarious, almost every scene has at least one memorable joke or biting line of dialogue. The only critique I might have is that there isn’t much to chew on; the film doesn’t have too much to say and isn’t too deep. But my god, is it ever a fun romp!
Saltburn had me captivated from start to finish, truly one of the most unique and original films that I've seen in some time. At times it's bizarre, amusing, sexy, and intriguing, and at times it's just plain weird. It’s a slow, sensual burn with a jaw-dropping finale. I can’t believe what I just watched, and yet I love it in some messed-up way! It definitely isn’t for everyone, but I loved it! I’m simply a fan of bold filmmaking, and this movie is BOLD! I’m so glad something this original and wild exists in the world. I can for sure say I haven’t seen anything like Saltburn before - and won’t be forgetting it anytime soon!
That final shot!!!
(See it with a crowd… just to see the reactions… it’s one hell of a ride!)
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