#4: Saltburn

Release Date: November 17th, 2023

Format: Theater (Regal Edwards in Long Beach, CA)

Written by: Emerald Fennell

Directed by: Emerald Fennell

3 Stars

This movie goes for it, which is fun. I’m just not sure what it wants to be.

At first I thought it was going to aim for satire, a sort of English commentary on class in the same way Get Out was an American commentary on race. It’s not on Get Out’s level as a satirical work. Whereas Get Out is cerebral and sinister, Saltburn’s script is at times hamfisted. And it’s not a protagonist who wants to get out. He wants to get in, and stay in. 

Okay, so maybe it’s not satirical. Maybe it’s just good, campy fun. But I’m not sure it works as that either. You’re not particularly enjoying watching this violent psychopath kill a family, as disgustingly wasteful as they are (I actually enjoyed the effort writer/director Emerald Fennell makes in humanizing the family). I feel bad for the mom as she suffocates to death. I feel bad for her son and daughter who are garishly victimized and killed.

So this isn’t satire and it’s not fun. I guess it’s a more decadent The Talented Mr. Ripley. That’s a tough act to follow, but that’s ultimately what I think it ends up being. And it doesn’t totally fail in that regard. It’s beautiful to look at, and the settings, soundtrack, and performances all work.

But it all adds up to a movie in search of a purpose, or at least a genre.