Saltburn – Film Review

I’ve managed to see a lot of great films this autumn and the tail end of summer and one or two less good ones but one that I’d been waiting to see for months based on the trailer alone is Saltburn, written and directed by the up and coming Emerald Fennell.

It looked audacious and outrageous and I wasn’t the only person who went into it thinking it may be a stylish horror film, perhaps like a cerebral Ready Or Not or intimate The Wicker Man.

I think it is the first time the film I went to see wasn’t the genre I was expecting. It certainly has everything the trailer depicts but it is so much more shocking, it tricked me 3 or maybe 4 times and I liked that.

So what is Saltburn all about?

Saltburn is a story told with fantastic cutting wit about the a certain type of upper class. The kind of vaguely aristocratic, disorderly decadent, and woefully snobby folks who boast appalling wealth and privilege. It has the outrageousness in parts of a film like Babylon and scenes that can be equally traumatic, hilarious and exhilerating.

Actor Oscar Barry Keoghan stars as Oliver Quick, a “scholarship case” attending Oxford University in 2006 alongside hundreds of the poshest young people in the land. He got there by relentless hard , even his tutor was shocked that he read the Reading List the previous summer whereas the other students largely got their places through legacy, family names, and donations.

Oliver is easy to spot, he is the one who looks out of place in his blazer and glasses as his peers swan around looking effortlessly cool, wealthy and self-assured. After all, they are going to have a better life even if they fail than Oliver would if he came top of the class.

All Oliver wants is to be one of them, particularly the coolest and most affable of them all, Felix. Fait offers Oliver the chance to do a good turn for Felix and despite the huge class difference, Felix is actually an extremely kind hearted young man who takes pity on Ollie even before he learns of his broken home, addict parents and who knows what else.

When summer looms and Oliver states he won’t ever go back home even after the sudden news of the death of his father, Felix, his one genuine friend, invites him to spend the summer at home with his family.

After initially being even more a fish out of water than normal, Oliver soon becomes at home at Saltburn. Fitting in, perhaps even manipulating whomever it is who is in his company. But why?

I won’t give anything away to say I was repeatedly rather shocked at the places Saltburn goes and also surprised at the twists and turns and the slow burning unlayering of Ollie.

There is so much to love about Saltburn when not being shocked. The fantastic sound track, direction and cinematography. Having often been something of an Oliver amongst a group of Felix’s I think they got it just right.

Rosamund Pike plays the mother of the Saltburn family and her every word oozes with judgemental barbs and derogatory insults all delivered with fantastic sharp wit. I especially liked the moment when one of her friends dies and she jibed about her friend “She’ll do anything for attention!” Cutting its true but we all know people like that.

Jacob Elordi stars as Felix and even though some have not thought much of his character, I really warmed to him. I didn’t expect him to be genuine. Rich of course, slightly dopey no doubt but decent. It’s easy to see why half of Oxford University revolves around Felix.

Alison Oliver plays up a storm as Felix’s flirtatious, decadent and trouble-making sister whilst Archie Madekwe is memorable in his role as the poorer cousin who doesn’t want to risk anyone taking his place as the family charity case.

As for Oliver, he is not at all what he seems. How much of him is real and how much a work is part of the fun.

There is plenty of outlandish parties, socialising and yes sex but not in a by the numbers, play it safe Hollywood style. It’s dirty, real, transgressive and at times despite barely showing a thing, utterly shocking.

One goes into Saltburn wondering if Ollie is going into something akin to a house of vampires but if there is a vampire in this film then its the one from Merseyside.

It’s a film I can’t really package as there isn’t anything else quite like it. I’m so glad I went to see Saltburn and if you want to see something that isn’t just a cuttle-cooker type film then Saltburn is for you. It’s a film for adults and grown-ups and not a lame generic superhero in sight,