A satirical thriller about the class system
Emerald Fennell returns with her second feature film after the resounding success of her debut, Promising Young Woman. Saltburn is a satirical thriller that takes a shot at the class system, and portrays the shocking attitudes of the super rich.
Oliver Quick is the main character, played by the excellent Barry Keoghan, a working class guy from Merseyside who turns up like a fish out of water at Oxford University in 2006 and desperately tries to fit in with the elite students at the establishment. He ends up getting a way in by helping rich aristocrat Felix (Jacob Elordi) when he has a bike puncture, and this ends up with him spending the summer at his sprawling estate, known as Saltburn, with his bizarre family.
Saltburn is a stunning setting, and Oliver’s introduction to the estate has a vibe of Henry Hill’s first encounter with the gangster world in Goodfellas, as the camera takes him around the mansion using his POV. The music in the film perfectly takes you back to 2006, with a number of hits blaring out from that moment in time. Fennell’s direction makes the film feel like its come from an auteur who has been around for decades, with her intimate close-ups and wonderful selection of shots.
The supporting cast is superb, with each character stealing scenes throughout the movie. But the highlight is Rosamund Pike’s judgmental matriarch Elspeth, who has some of the best one-liners in the film.
The film builds up very nicely and reaches a shocking crescendo as the disgustingly rich family goes on a downward spiral, and as Oliver’s behaviour becomes more bizarre as the film progresses. It’s a solid follow up to Fennell’s debut feature, and you won’t be able to take your eyes off it with its stunning shots and wonderful acting.
Read More: Saltburn Ending Explained
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Verdict - 8/10
8/10