Unless you live under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly seen something (maybe too much?) about Emerald Fennell’s 2023 psychological thriller Saltburn. Even if you didn’t watch it, you’ve heard that one snippet of “Murder On The Dancefloor” about a million times, seen far too many ads for a Jacob Elordi bathwater candle, and been either wildly confused (if you haven’t seen it) or unwillingly pulled back to your revulsion (if you have) by the never-ending stream of references to “the grave scene” or “the vampire scene.” My For You page may have mostly gotten over its Saltburn phase, but I haven’t. Regardless of your opinions or your viewer status, Saltburn is undoubtedly a cultural landmark (despite its lack of Oscar nominations…). Let’s talk about it. (Spoiler–free, don’t worry.)
Saltburn was released nationwide in the US on Thanksgiving Day. However, thanks to last-minute free tickets from the RTF department, I saw it three weeks early at Austin Film Fest. There was not one single thing about it online. The SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike was still going on, so there was very little promo. All I knew was that Jacob Elordi was in it. Talk about whiplash. I don’t think there was a better way to see Saltburn than with a giant, entirely unprepared crowd in the Paramount Theater. Truly unparalleled. Unbeatable experience.
Would I watch it again? I’m not sure. I still don’t think I’ve gotten over some of the most disgusting scenes. But I’m also not over just how stunning this film truly was. Maybe it’s the theater-kid-turned-film-major in me, but the cinematography, production design, and costuming were a marvel. Like just gorgeous. (If you’re dead-set on not watching it, at least look up some pictures because wow.) I didn’t shut up about this film for a month (and I still haven’t, clearly). If I watched it again, though, there would definitely be some scenes I would have to skip.
One of the reasons the Saltburn buzz was so big was because there were wildly different takes on it. It was brilliant / it just used nudity to shock people. It makes great points about classism and wealth / it pretends to make a good point but actually goes nowhere. Some people loved how “out there” it was, and others found it entirely disgusting. People everywhere were simultaneously engrossed and grossed out. (I’d say I’m somewhere in the middle of all this.)
Should you watch it? That depends. The Saltburn craze is past its peak. You can gather the gist of the movie from the content online. You can definitely get by without being totally lost. It’s more of an indie deep cut than an everyone-needs-to-see-it, La La Land type. However, the sheer beauty and craftsmanship of this movie were honestly life-altering for me. If you’re a film major or just someone who likes movies, you should probably watch it. It has led to some of my most interesting conversations in the last few months, and it will always be one of those movies that people talk about simply because of its sheer icon status. Basically? Watch at your own risk (and definitely not with your parents).