Saltburn is without a doubt the best gothic-pop thriller of all time, and that is not up for debate. Some viewers might call this movie distributing, gross or satanic but those are all the things that make it so spectacular.
The craft of Emerald Fennell (the beyond-talented director) is otherworldly. From the Renaissance opening to the jaw-dropping ending, I was hooked all through.
The movie opens up with the protagonist, Oliver Quick arriving at Oxford University in the late summer of 2006. Oliver–-played by Barry Keoghan–-is an outcast in this new world, and his poor social skills drive him into a state of loneliness.
However, everything changes when he sees Felix (Jacob Elordi). Oliver and Felix quickly connect and towards the end of the school year, Felix asks Oliver to spend the summer at his house, Saltburn (which he fails to mention is a castle from 1300 with anything imaginable at one’s fingertips).
Having accepted Felix’s generous offer, Oliver embraces this new life where he can lounge all day and participate in his hobbies. That all changes though, when things take a turn for the worse.
The overall plot of this movie is genius. Without spoiling, the build-up to the eventual shock of the ending is Oscar-worthy. Immediately after I first watched it, I watched it again. Discovering all of the foreshadowing towards the ending is the most fun part. The scene where Oliver tests his limits with the Butler and the eggs is so subtle but makes so much sense after rewatching.
The movie’s overall theme that transpired is very obviously, “eat the rich.” This movie captured that and made Oliver capsize the upper class for his gain.
The plot also delves into obsession, and how far someone would go for what they want. This sounds like a basic theme, however, the escalation of distributing events from the movie hit this idea out of the ballpark.
Additionally, the whole film was aesthetically pleasing to watch. From the set design to the outfits, everything was so gorgeous. It was such a fabulous movie, even when things went dark. The large daunting castle that is now known as Saltburn added to the mystique of the movie. The sheer size of the mansion is eerie, and it is a confusing maze that puts things on edge.
If you’re looking for something new to occupy your mind, watch “Saltburn.” It’s a crazy, wicked movie, yet so amusing and clever.
