What Jeff said:
Saltburn is marketed as a dramatic comedy. I don’t see the comedy, but it is very interesting. The cinematography is striking and creative, but not in a way that detracts from the story. The main overtone of wealth inequality is contrived but real. The outcome was not obvious to me throughout the film, and suspicions only crystallized about half way through. A long film that doesn’t feel too long.
Mike’s verdict:
Saltburn is unsettling.
From the very first scenes, the film instills a feeling of unease similar to that of The Shining – it’s clear there is something uncomfortable coming well before there is any obvious reason to feel it. But unlike the Kubrick film, the initial disquiet present in Saltburn is not from atmosphere or tone – it is due entirely to Barry Keoghan.
The school and the initial cast of students come across much like any other movie that uses the “first days at a new school” trope: almost everybody fits in. But Keoghan’s Oliver really, really, doesn’t fit in. He has the face of someone who the neighbours later declare “I never did like him…” when talking to the evening news about the 50 bodies that were found in his backyard. Even the obligatory red herring character wasn’t nearly as creepy.
Of course, Keoghan was no doubt intentionally cast to ensure his character would starkly contrast the young, attractive, and rich Oxbridge setting, but he contrasts too much. While the writing and the plot initially try to guide the audience toward sympathy for him, it doesn’t work – I was suspicious of him immediately and that suspicion never subsided.
Even so, there were points at which I did question my suspicions. The anticipation of a “big twist” had been so immediate that by the time the film shifted to the house in the country I began to wonder if it was going to pull a From Dusk Till Dawn and suddenly turn into a vampire movie. My heart jumped a little when Oliver dramatically declared himself to actually be a vampire, though it clearly was not true.
While my suspicions about Oliver were ultimately vindicated, Saltburn is by no means a predictable film. The villain is straightforward, but his motivations and methods are definitely not. Moreover, there are two significant shifts in the tone of the film that help push the story forward and keep the audience wondering what is going on.
The first shift in tone occurs with the start of the summer break and the arrival at Felix’s country house. Saltburn doesn’t suddenly become a vampire movie, it suddenly becomes a Wes Anderson movie. The whimsical and aggressively-individual characters (or caricatures?) that make up Felix’s family provide much needed diversity. Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Carey Mulligan, Alison Oliver, and Paul Rhys give remarkably captivating performances that completely overshadow Jacob Elordi‘s comparatively dull Felix. And the dynamics between each of the quirky family members is both awkward and entertaining.
There is probably an argument for the family’s antics to be seen as comedy, but I think that tragicomedy would be a better label – an especially appropriate label given the second major tone shift that occurs as the film’s climax builds. The scenes that make up Oliver’s birthday party – the party itself, the simple but striking antler and angel wing costumes, the Minotaur at the centre of a labyrinth – are almost Shakespearean. Shakespeare through the eyes of Wes Anderson, maybe? Whatever the inspiration was, the story is compelling.
The final reveal felt rushed, probably due to editing that was forced to cope with an already generous runtime. But the direct and unambiguous summary of Oliver’s actions was an effective means of decompressing the tension that had been simmering since the first scenes.
I never did like him…
If I were to rewatch an Emerald Fennell film, it would be Promising Young Woman, but Saltburn is certainly worth viewing once.
8/10