Saltburn is a dark, disturbing, twisted drama with Barry Keoghan’s best performance of his career.

Score: 5/5

The second feature-length film from writer-director Emerald Fennell, Saltburn is another feather in her cap after Promising Young Woman. The film follows Barry Keoghan’s Oliver Quick, an awkward first-year student of Oxford looking for connection. He finds it the wealthy and magnetic Felix Catton (played by Jacob Elordi). After a chance encounter, Oliver builds a strong bond with Felix, leading him to an invitation to Felix’s home, Saltburn, a massive estate for the summer. At Saltburn, Oliver finds everything he could ever desire and more.

Saltburn is brilliant. A comedy, drama, thriller, it does it all, and then some with building tension and twists that change the dynamic and genre of the film as a whole. By the end, I felt like I had seen an even darker and more twisted tale than 2019’s Parasite. The story goes places that pushed me, disturbed me, and made me question my own reactions to what was unfolding on screen.

This story is elevated by a masterful performance by Barry Keoghan. It seems like just yesterday that Keoghan was popping up in big movies like 2017’s Dunkirk with roles that felt too small for his presence. Well, Saltburn leaves no stone unturned, letting Keoghan go the full one hundred percent he deserves. I haven’t seen a performance that goes that hard with a dark character since maybe Joaquin Phoenix in the Joker. It’s something else; that alone would be a reason to watch it. That is not to sell short a stellar ensemble built around him. Both in newcomers like Alison Oliver’s Venetia Catton and heavy hitters like Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant.

It’s also everything surrounding the actors. Every detail adds to the feelings of humor, disgust, and horror to the events that unfold. The decision to shoot in full screen gave everything a claustrophobic effect but kept me dialed into precisely what they wanted me to see. The movie is a visual marvel, with shots that look like art pieces and moments that reveal who every character is without saying a single word. A costume party in this movie highlights this to a pitch-perfect effect.

Here I thought Dream Scenario was going to be the movie that wouldn’t leave my head, but Saltburn is one that I expect will get the awards nod come the beginning of next year. It’s a dissection of obsession and an exploration of class warfare that I will remember for years to come. So, if you have an opportunity, go see Saltburn; you might never leave its pull.