Saltburn, starring Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi, is a dark comedy and psychological thriller that left many viewers shocked. What was originally meant to scare its audience scarred many instead.
The story follows a seemingly poor British college student Oliver Quick, who is attending Oxford. He soon becomes close friends with Felix Catton, a rich British socialite who eventually invites Oliver to his family’s estate, Saltburn, for the summer. Soon it shows Felix and the rest of his family slowly passing away due to mysterious circumstances. The shocking twist at the end reveals Oliver as a psychopath responsible for the deaths, ultimately gaining sole ownership of the estate.
The story delves into themes of desire and obsession, portraying Oliver as a maniacal figure whose obsession for Felix leads to the deaths of the entire Catton family. The movie features not only twisted characters but also graphic and unsettling scenes.
Senior Avantika Kartikeyan defends the inclusion of such scenes, arguing that they effectively highlight Oliver’s insane obsession. According to her, each disturbing act emphasizes the lengths Oliver is willing to go to for wealth and status, reflecting his perceived inferiority to Felix’s family. She also praises the numerous easter eggs in the movie that foreshadow the unfolding events.
“I believe that these scenes truly showed how insanely obsessed Oliver was,” Kartikeyan stated. “Each time Oliver does something that seems disgusting and really weird, it kind of shows how far he would go for money and status, and I think that this is also shown by how he is kind of treated like he is beneath Felix’s family until he starts killing them.”
Although Kathikeyan loved the unsettling theme circulating throughout the movie, senior Renu Kumar was deeply disturbed.
“I believe that it was fully unnecessary to add all of these crude scenes to the movie,” Kumar states. “I heard that the actor for Oliver, Barry Keoghan, improvised a lot of these scenes, so I think that had he stuck to the script, the movie would have been a lot more fun to watch.”
Regardless of the diverse opinions on these movies, Saltburn has received a significant amount of “online hype” that has skyrocketed the career of many of the main actors in the movie, as well as pushed Jacob Elordi as one of the most attractive actors in this era.
Although meant to be a general psychological film, Saltburn shocked many with its bold stance on lust and obsession and its numerous infamous graphic scenes. Overall, it is a great watch for those who do not get easily disturbed.
