“Saltburn” is a movie that recently came out in theaters this November starring Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan directed by Emerald Fennel. Boy, is it a wild ride, and I loved every minute of it. So let’s get into it.
I want to preface this article by saying I did NO prior research to watching this movie. The only things I knew about it were that Jacob Elordi was in it (with an eyebrow ring?) and that it was leaving everybody completely shocked, and thus (ironic to use this word but…) I went to see it (twice).
In short, without trying to spoil anything, the movie is about a boy named Oliver (Ollie) Quick, played by aforementioned Barry Keoghan, who is spending his first year at Oxford University in the early 2000s (2002 I think). He becomes unlikely friends with Felix (Jacob Elordi’s character) after Felix’s bike breaks down and Ollie lends him his in Felix’s time of need. Felix is taken aback by this act of kindness, and takes an interest in Ollie, inviting him to be part of Felix’s friend group, going to parties with them, pub outings, etc.
Their friendship develops as Ollie and Felix learn more about each other, Ollie has a seemingly dark past filled with alcoholic parents, a dead dad, etc. Felix, on the other hand, has a filthy rich family, including his cousin Farleigh who lives with him in their giant mansion, Saltburn, in the English countryside (or at least I’m pretty sure it was the English countryside). This house has everything: countless rooms, a hedge maze, a swimming pool, ponds, etc. We find all this after Felix invites Ollie to come and live with his family over the summer break from Oxford, and Ollie accepts.
Throughout the movie, you find that Ollie is completely obsessed with Felix. He loves him. In what way, one cannot be sure, but he loves him nonetheless, in a way that is pretty uncomfortable to the viewer. You start to see Ollie creepily obsessed and stalking Felix, watching him from doorways, outside windows, you name it. And the movie goes from there, but like I said, I don’t want to spoil too much.
This movie was absolutely stunning. How it was shot is genuinely beautiful, with so many amazing shots accompanied by the beautiful English countryside and Oxford’s beautiful architecture. Not to mention the beautiful shots of each of the beautiful people in the cast as well from MANY desirable angles (listen I’m a lesbian but Jacob Elordi might have awakened something in me idk). There is one shot where Ollie (the main character played by Keoghan) is lying by the pond outside Saltburn and you see his and Saltburn’s reflection in the pond, and it is perfectly symmetrical, and it is just stunning. Everything looks so clean and thought out, it is truly a sight to behold. And I love the font used for the title, it is everything to me.
The thought and detail put into this movie is amazing. I found myself looking for every possible detail, any foreshadowing, and honestly, anything I could find during my two viewings of this movie. Things I didn’t notice the first time, I noticed the second time, and it just made me love this movie all the more. One thing that surprised me is that one of the producers is none other than Margot Robbie, one of the geniuses and main actress of the Barbie movie (arguably the best movie to come out this year). She is truly a genius, and I am positive she had a large role in making this movie so detailed and enjoyable to watch.
Another thing I like about this movie is how truly uncomfortable it can make the viewer at times. Whether it is through Ollie’s stalking of Felix or his general nerdy, uncoordinated demeanor, the numerous up-close-and-personal sex scenes, or any number of things, the discomfort level is off the charts throughout the whole movie, and I love it. I love to look over at my friend, or the other in the theater, and see the looks on everyone’s face when the craziest possible thing that could have happened just happened on screen, and they aren’t sure what to do. It just makes the experience so much better. The TikToks of people with their mouths agape, thinking about the movie well after they leave the theater, are completely accurate.
Like I said, I don’t want to spoil too much for those of you who haven’t seen it, so I’ll end it here. In closing, I just want to say a few things to remind you how to make this the best possible viewing experience for yourself. Number one, go with your besties. This is a bestie movie through and through, and the debrief in the car afterward is INSANE (listening to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” of course). Number two, do NO research, or as little as possible. I knew nothing going in and the shock factor is top-tier. Finally, be prepared because I did not realize it would be two whole hours, and while it does seem to go by fast, two hours is still two hours.
So with that, enjoy the movie!!