Saltburn

 This Christmas, as you make your guest lists and check them twice, check them again. You may never know if the downtrodden stranger you just met wants to take over your life. At least, that's the implied message in Emerald Fennell's second feature, Saltburn. Let's see what you think of it.

It all starts in 2006 at Oxford. Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) is a scholarship student snubbed by his richer classmates. He admires the adonis on campus, Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), and formally meets him when Felix gets a flat. Felix pities Oliver for his sad backstory and invites him to his estate, Saltburn, after Oliver's dad overdoses. The titular estate, which was filmed at the actual Drayton House in Northamptonshire, is quite spectacular to say the least. Who can blame Oliver for not wanting to leave?

He gets along fine with Felix's parents, Sir James & Elspeth (Richard E. Grant & Rosamund Pike), who both view him with condescending compassion. He attracts the interest of Felix's sister, Venetia (Allison Oliver), and the enmity of their American cousin, Farleigh (Archie Madekwe). Slowly but surely, we realize that Oliver is actually a sociopath who wants, if not Felix, then his good life. He'll just have to clear all the obstacles away.

Oliver is quite the charismatic villain protagonist. You'll end up loathing him for his villainy towards those whose only "crime" is being oblivious rich folks. You'll also pity him, even a bit, for his implied self-loathing over his true background. We buy into his nice guy persona when he arrives at Oxford. He seems sincere when he seemingly breaks the fourth-wall to introduce his story. You'll shudder when you see who he's actually talking to. The ending clarifies his actions all too well with some flashbacks. All in all, this is a spectacularly unnerving performance from Keoghan.

But Keoghan has a nice ensemble around him. It's easy to dislike Farleigh for his snobbishness early on, but even we sympathize with him once we learn more about Oliver. We sympathize with Felix when he learns about Oliver's lying and obsessiveness. Elordi does that great a job at making Felix an all-around nice guy. Venetia is similarly sympathetic when she's put through the ringer in the last half-hour. Sir James's amiability and Elspeth's over-the-top snootiness are fun to watch. Heck, the family bonding over Superbad of all things is surprisingly endearing. Carey Mulligan is fine in her unrecognizable cameo as houseguest "Poor Dear" Pamela. The only character I really disliked was Jake (Will Gibson), an arrogant math wiz who forces Oliver to prompt him to show off his skills.

Linus Sandgren's cinematography is truly something else. We get some nice tracking shots for the opening credits, Oliver's first tour through Saltburn, and the finale. The Academy ratio formatting amplifies Oliver's most unsettling actions, which I can't really reiterate here. Fortunately, I can reiterate that its nighttime photography is perfectly surreal, especially during a fateful birthday party. The money shot is Oliver seemingly hovering over Saltburn's gates (actually reflected in a pond). You'll be astounded even after you realize what you're looking at. All these sights, glorious or not, are accentuated by a sincerely romantic score by Anthony Willis.

Saltburn is weirdly fascinating if you can withstand its villain protagonist. It isn't easy on the eyes at times, but at least we get a clean joke with a hedge maze. A few critics have called it a twisted take on The Talented Mr. Ripley, a film I haven't seen before, but know of its reputation. You might get their point once you see the film. My theater is demoting it to a single nighttime screening starting tomorrow. Who knows how long it will stay in other theaters? So, see it soon if you're interested. 

At least I know what my next film review is on...