TELLURIDE – Let the record show that Emerald Fennell is an utterly fearless filmmaker. I mean, we already knew that to an extent after her audacious debut, “Promising Young Woman,” but to say she’s taken that to another level with her latest extravagant concoction, “Saltburn,” is an understatement of epic proportions. This is a swinging-for-the-fences with the bases-loaded type of movie. An irreverent monster of a film that leaves you buzzing. We’re talking “cinema,” baby.
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(Oh, and yes, the baseball metaphor is probably a bit too American for a movie that spends a good amount of time on a historic British estate, so perhaps a penalty kick with the World Cup final on the line is more appropriate.)
Debuting at the 2023 Telluride Film Festival, “Saltburn” begins as young Oliver (Barry Keoghan) arrives for his first year at Oxford University. It’s 2006, and we hear an older Oliver refer to the object of his obsession, Felix (Jacob Elrodi), many years down the road. At this point in his life, though, Oliver is a bit of a dork, and the majority of his fellow classmates immediately dismiss him because of it. That is except for Michael (Ewan Mitchell), a socially awkward math genius who thinks he’s found a new friend. Our protagonist has other ideas, and like almost everyone else on campus, he’s quickly drawn to Felix, who is the alpha stud of the pack. Felix is tall, gorgeous, inherently sexy, rich, and comes from British nobility. He has his pick of girls and is the envy of all the boys (no matter their sexual orientation). Oliver is entranced. Who wouldn’t be?
One afternoon, Oliver finds Felix in mild despair on the side of a bike path. His cycle has a flat, and he’s going to be late for a teacher conference. Oliver offers his own bike to assist, and Felix is genuinely thankful for the loan. Not that far after, Felix spots Oliver at the local pub and invites him to party with his posh, snotty, but admittedly beautiful friends. At that moment, Oliver and Felix’s lives are forever changed.
Over the weeks that follow, Felix becomes enamored with Oliver’s story. His father was a drug dealer, and his mom is still battling alcoholism. The fact he even made it to Oxford is something of a miracle in and of itself. Watching this friendship blossom is Felix’s cousin Farleigh (Archie Madekwe), who is immediately suspicious of this common boy (major Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Freddie Miles from “The Talented Mr. Ripley” vibes). And glaring from the wings is the spurned Michael, who warns Oliver this dalliance with Felix won’t last.
But there is cause for concern. As we watch a montage of their burgeoning friendship, the future Oliver tells us he loves Felix, but he’s not “in” love with him. We see Oliver in the bushes, peeping at Felix, making love with his chosen girl of the night. There are close-ups of Felix’s neck, his ears, and his smile. Is Oliver gay? Shoot, is Felix a bisexual tease? It really doesn’t matter, but there is certainly an obsession on Oliver’s end. But, hey, what harm is there in that?
Before classes end for the summer, Felix, who is showering Oliver with his charismatic spotlight as only a best friend could, invites our hero to stay with him at his family’s estate for the extended break. From Felix’s perspective, Oliver has nowhere to truly go and is still recovering from the death of his father. It’s the least he could do.
When Oliver arrives at the Saltburn estate, he’s introduced to Felix’s truly out-of-touch family. His mother, Elsbeth (Rosamund Pike), his father, Sir James (Richard E. Grant), sister, Venetia (Alison Oliver), and, yes, cousin Farleigh are on the grounds to make snide remarks in Oliver’s direction. Initially, Patricia (a shockingly hilarious Carey Mulligan) is on hand as a friend of Elsbeth’s who has stayed on at Saltburn for quite some time to get back on her feet. But in a snap, she’s quietly shown the door. A warning to Oliver that anyone can lose favor from Elsbeth and Sir James at a moment’s notice.
As the summer progresses, Felix tears down more and more of Oliver’s inhibitions, and he slowly transforms into someone new (or does he?). There is jealousy. There is blackmail. There is backstabbing. And just when you think there couldn’t be another twist, Fennell says, “Nope. We’re not done yet.”
Fennell pushes buttons in “Saltburn” with an audacious confidence that has to be celebrated. There are moments so unexpected that even Lars Von Trier might blush. Fennell’s choices are bold. You can even argue they are camp (and we’d agree with you if you flipped the definition on its head and then twisted it back again). But, my word, they work in context and culminate in a truly operatic conclusion you didn’t see coming.
As noted earlier, you feel the influence of “Ripley” in Fennell’s screenplay (in more ways than one) and the twists and turns of “Dangerous Liaisons” aren’t far behind. That being said, Fennell isn’t just here to have a good time. She’s here to rip Britain’s ruling class to shreds. And she does so with justifiable precision.
None of Fennell’s ambitions would succeed without a quartet of performances that are in tune with the tone she’s trying to establish. Keoghan is simply spectacular as he slowly reveals every aspect of Oliver’s personality. But considering his growing body of work, are you really surprised? On his breakout series “Euphoria,” Elrodi has often been notably stiff, but you witness his genuine acting prowess here. It’s by far the best thing he’s done in his young career. In a surprise to no one, Pike delivers a comedic masterclass while somehow bringing genuine depth to a character that is anything but grounded. And Oliver, best known for Hulu’s “Conversations With Friends,” is an absolute powerhouse late in the film, in a scene that brings the madness into clearer focus.
Sure, you can quibble with the length. Maybe the narrative doesn’t need that one extra twist. Maybe the story could get to the estate a wee bit quicker, but overall? Bravo, Ms. Fennell. Bravo. We’re absolutely impressed with “Saltburn” (and not just with that last music cue). Now, what are you going to do for your third go-around? [A-]
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