Saltburn
2023 · Directed by Emerald Fennell
Original language: English
- drama
- comedy
- thriller
The story
Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton, who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family's sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.
What it’s like
Saltburn is a film of rich, saturated decadence: sun-drenched English estate lawns, candlelit dining rooms, a swimming pool and a grand house shot with a glossy, deliberately heightened sheen, and an overheated palette of gold, bruised green and deep velvet red. Camera moves are sweeping and sometimes sly, with symmetrical framing that makes the family's gilded rooms feel like a stage set, and the score swells with rich orchestral strings and pop-era needle drops that give the whole thing a feverish, slightly unhinged pulse. Its vibe is lush, sly and sticky, the kind of watch that suits a late night alone with the lights low or a cocktail-in-hand evening with friends who like to gasp out loud. The pacing starts with a slow, watchful build and then accelerates into a mounting sense of unease, with a young outsider's hunger for belonging curdling into something darker as his grip on the family tightens. Intensity is high: there is graphic, sudden violence, including a brutal and bloody sequence, plus explicit sexual content, nudity, and disturbing cruelty and self-harm themes that land hard rather than lingering as gore. This is not gentle viewing. It is for viewers who enjoy dark comedy, class satire and unsettling thrillers, and who are comfortable with provocation.
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