Sommerleigh Pollonais, Senior Writer
Plot: A student at Oxford University finds himself drawn into the world of a charming and aristocratic classmate, who invites him to his eccentric family's sprawling estate for a summer never to be forgotten.
Review: Writer/director Emeral Fennell's debut film Promising Young Woman was a movie that made me laugh, gasp and squirm in equal measures. A dark comedy if there ever was one, her foray into the thriller genre continues with Saltburn, a movie that also uses dark comedy throughout. But this time around it's the absurdity of the uber wealthy placed under the spotlight.
Your hands are so soft. Like a baby with a very good skincare regimen
Barry Keoghan continues his trend of portraying characters that make you feel uncomfortable and in danger in equal measure. He plays Oliver, a young man on scholarship to Oxford who's befriended by the very rich, handsome and alluring Felix (Jacob Elordi) and is later invited to spend summer holidays with Felix's family at their palatial estate called Saltburn. It's easy to imagine Keoghan as a predator patiently stalking his prey waiting for their weakest moments to take them out. It's the way he stares balanced with just the subtlest changes of expression that makes this character one of the most unnerving I've seen in some time. And is it just me or does he look like a young Joel Edgerton? I would love to see those two onscreen together.
His solid performance is just one of many. Jacob Elordi's charisma shines as Felix, Archie Madekwe is on point as Felix's suspicious cousin Farleigh and Sadie Soverall delivers a scene-stealing turn (her bathtub monologue is a standout moment in the movie). The cinematography shifts and blends beautifully to match the changing tone and the score is outstanding.
That party looked lit!
The longer it goes the crazier things get and maybe this movie should come with a disclaimer as there are a few scenes that will either make you laugh, gasp or cringe, depending on your tastes. All I'll say is be warned; while not a straight-up horror in any way there are moments that will make you wonder what you've gotten yourself into.
I also wish they left things a bit more ambiguous as it does feel a bit like the screenplay didn't trust the audience enough to connect the dots. Maybe it's because people struggled with her last movie's conclusion (the abovementioned Promising Young Woman), but I didn't need things spelt out for me. And a less "on the nose" climax could've made this even more thrilling.
When you think about it, every hour can be happy hour
The Talented Mr. Ripley for a modern age, Saltburn is a wickedly funny look at the wealthy, their disconnect from the real world, the way some of them treat people as disposable and, dare I say, karma at work? Maybe that's being a bit too harsh or maybe it's just Barry Keoghan's crazy good performance making me root for the bad guy. Either way, it's a wild ride and the kind of movie that will leave audiences chatting it up long after the credits have rolled.
Sommer's Score: 7 out of 10
Have you seen Saltburn? What did you think of it? And you can check out more dark comedy and thriller content below:
SILENT NIGHT IS A SLOW BURN, TONAL SHIFTING HORROR COMEDY
THRILLER/COMEDY 'PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN' IS A WICKED GOOD TIME
DARK COMEDY 'DO REVENGE' DOES TEEN REVENGE RELATIVELY WELL
Sommerleigh of the House Pollonais. First of Her Name. Sushi Lover, Queen of Horror Movies, Comic Books and Binge-Watching Netflix. Mother of two beautiful black cats named Vader and Kylo. I think eating Popcorn at the movies should be mandatory, PS4 makes the best games ever, and I'll be talking about movies until the zombie apocalypse comes. Double Tap Baby! Read More
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