If I were to do some kind of movies of the year list, Saltburn would be in contention for the weirdest movie of the year! Saltburn is brought to us by Emerald Fennell whose 2020 movie, Promising Young Woman was something that I really enjoyed. Saltburn I feel is a movie that some people are going to hail as brilliant and others will just straight up think that it is too weird
How to Download Saltburn
Saltburn was released on 17 November 2023. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
Saltburn: The Movie Review
A Thriller with an Artistic Twist
I want to start by saying that the trailer for Saltburn was fantastic. I had no idea what I was really getting into. I knew that it was some kind of thriller starring Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi, but outside of that, the trailer does not give much away at all. I have to say that this was certainly one hell of an experience in the theatre and seeing people freak out and get uncomfortable made for a memorable theatre trip that is for sure.
The Plot of Saltburn: A Story of Unsettling Discoveries
To be honest with you, the less you know about Saltburn before you see it, the more you are going to be able to make up your own mind about it and if it is a brilliant arthouse masterpiece or if it is just weird for the sake of being weird. For me, it felt like it was trying way too hard to be weird, but my friend I saw this with loved it and said it was one of his movies of the year!
Barry Keoghan plays Oliver and he is a student at Oxford in 2006. Oliver is not your typical Oxford student, he is from a more “modest” background and is there on a scholarship. Oliver has a bit of a tough time fitting in and finding himself during the first year he is there, but that all changes for him the following year.
The Dynamics of Oliver and Felix’s Friendship
Oliver meets Felix Catton. Felix is played by Jacob Elordi, a guy that I feel like I have seen a great deal lately. Jacob is from a very, very wealthy, and elite family and he and Oliver hit it off and become close friends. They become so close that Felix invites Oliver to his family’s huge estate, “Saltburn” for the summer.
Standout Performances and Uncomfortable Key Scenes
It was kind of fun seeing Oliver try to navigate this family of rather odd and elitist people who seemed to take a rather strange liking to him, almost like he was a pet there for his amusement. The plot is then about Oliver and the stuff that he gets up to with Felix and his family and the less you know about it going into the movie the better you will be. I thought the casting was great, Rosamund Pike and Carey Mulligan were great in their roles along with Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi.
There are three key shocking scenes in Saltburn and these scenes were rather uncomfortable, but they were done well and the whole theatre was squirming and letting out weird sounds as they were witnessing them. There is a scene in a graveyard that I am still trying to process let me put it that way!
Final Thoughts: Is Saltburn Pretentious or a Masterpiece?
However, I get that they were going for the shock value here, but that along with some other weird decisions like the movie being in a 4:3 aspect ratio to me felt like it was done for the sake of being weird. Hey, perhaps I just did not get it! After all, many people are saying that they love this movie and that it is one of the best of the year.
I would not say that I hated Saltburn, but it certainly did not click with me like it did some other people. I hate to say this, but it felt kind of pretentious if I am being honest. Part of me feels like I need to give this another watch, but at the same time, it also feels like a one-and-done kind of movie as once you know the shocking moments and the “twist” I am pretty sure the movie lacks any real impact.
