Boredom leads you to do a lot of things, and sometimes coming up with a plan to destroy an entire bloodline is what you deem necessary. A modern, dark comedy that takes place in 2006 starring Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi is directed by Emerald Fennell in the new film Saltburn, a movie that explores dynamics within wealthy households, discovering friendships, and deceit.
The main character, Oliver Quick, is a scholarship student at the University of Oxford who is struggling to fit in. He soon befriends Felix Catton, who is sympathetic to Oliver’s traumatic stories. Oliver finds solace in Felix, who soon invites Oliver to stay at his family estate, Saltburn. However, following his arrival, things turn out to be quite disastrous. The film doesn’t take a dark turn, since it was dark from the very beginning, which often goes unnoticed by viewers. Its pacing seems very slow, but when rewatching, you’ll notice the subtle trails of foreshadowing.
Fennel does a great job at creating suspense in the lens of an innocent eye. From first glance, it would seem like it’s an Eat-the-Rich movie, but Oliver is upper middle class, so it’s not about money. Oliver’s obsession with Felix starts from the very beginning, manipulating him to think he’s his savior, and lying about his family. Even when caught in his scheme, he still tries to display this archetype of a timid boy. Throughout the film you will see Oliver maneuver his way into the family whilst attacking when he sees an opportunity.
Saltburn was a visually amazing film with tons of nostalgia that we all love. It was like watching two different movies, with the first act being a comedy around college students and the second act being twisted amongst elites. Oliver killing Felix wasn’t even the distraught part, but his wealthy parents’ reaction to his death, almost as if it represents the rich need to push scandalous situations under the bus.
The symbolism is overall outstanding and quite eye-catching for the intended audience. In a few scenes where the climax is about to take place, you’ll see Oliver with antlers in a maze with Felix, who happens to be standing next to a minotaur statue. Oliver is supposed to represent the Greek mythological character, the Minotaur, who symbolizes greed, fear, animalistic desires, and is always somewhere hidden in the shadows. The Minotur is a monster trapped in a labyrinth, in the movie the labyrinth Felix dies in, where the minotaur is in the center of everything.
Even in death Oliver is not pleased and is still obsessed with Felix. Him disrespecting Felix’s grave shows us that even in death he still won’t receive peace. Oliver is in the center of the entire family’s demise with no interior motive. Watching Saltburn is like having an intense rush that never ends. If you enjoy movies like Midsommar or Hereditary, you might like to watch Saltburn.
