The movie “Saltburn,” staring Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan, caused a bit of a stir when it came out in theaters, with TikTok videos being posted about it consistently, reaching over 159,000 posts with #saltburn according to TikTok’s website. I was also intrigued due to the reviews claiming that it was interesting, not what they were expecting or even outright disturbing. I watched it with my good friends and a great snack, but I just do not think the movie is for me.
I can admit it is a great movie, but it really eludes my interest since the structure is so unique and different from any movie I have ever seen. I am not critiquing it for Oliver’s questionable vampire and bathtub scenes as much as his character in general. I am a sucker for a redemption arc or a villain with the title of a villain simply because the corruption is within the ‘good,’ but Ollie is a villain for the sake of taking and punishing the rich for… being rich, I suppose. Purely deranged and hedonistic is something I am not used to and frankly uninterested in because I cannot defend or understand the character.
There is something we do in films where we place ourselves in the story, often trying to sympathize with or understand the main character. I simply could not imagine plotting and scheming for the death of people who are arguably innocent because I was annoyed they were rich. The most I will do is align my schedule with someone I think is cute to ‘bump into them randomly,’ not the insanity of plotting against a whole family, especially killing the person within that family who cared the most for me.
All of that being said, I must admit it is a fantastic movie, which is not shocking considering it is an A24. The symbolism, foreshadowing and intricate plot points that you catch with each rewatch and analysis make this movie golden. Furthermore, it highlights the complexities of grief in such a beautiful way that I know I will watch this film again and again. I’ll watch it to see the colors, the outfits, the scenes and the acting. All-in-all, I recommend this film to anyone who will watch it, but its unconventional nature is definitely something that will prevent this from being a favorite film of mine.
