After being persuaded by TikTok hysteria, I watched Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn” in December. I am not sure what I was expecting, but my presumptions were definitely off. “Saltburn” started out as a simple college drama that follows Oliver Quick, a painfully awkward scholarship student. Seemingly by accident, Oli befriends Felix, the rich, charming “cool” guy. The viewer sees the heartwarming beginnings of Oli and Felix’s friendship. They were an unlikely match, but brought each other joy.
At its release, “Saltburn” held up on the charts, reaching eighth on the North American charts and maintaining the majority of its popularity into its third week. On TikTok, “Saltburn” took many by storm. People were posting about the most shocking scenes from the movie and giving their take on what the move might mean. Oftentimes, people would get into debates, arguing over which interpretation of the film is correct. The public perception of “Saltburn” was absolutely puzzling; some people loved it and other people hated it. All of these signs pointed to a movie that was hugely popular, artistic, and thought-provoking, so why didn’t “Saltburn” win any major awards this season?
Simply put, “Saltburn” was just too weird for awards. While it did receive nods at the BAFTAs and the Golden Globes, “Saltburn” left all of the award shows empty-handed due to the fact that it was unconventional and likely too complicated for many people to enjoy. Most of the characters in the movie are morally ambiguous, and the lack of a good guy and bad guy can make many viewers uneasy. The film’s complicated nature made it open to interpretation, and therefore very polarizing.
As the movie progressed and new characters were added, “Saltburn” morphed into an eclectic maze of oddities that caught me off guard. I was thrown into a colorful, fever dream-chic murder mystery party full of angel wings, masks and copious amounts of drugs. Movie fanatics can draw similarities to Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet.” The extravagant colors and extremely artistic cinematography were a lot to take in.
While summering at Saltburn, Felix’s family mansion, Oli begins to exhibit odd and obsessive behavior toward each of the family members. He slinks around their mansion, watching them in their most intimate moments to drink their bathwater and instigate fights between his housemates. At this point in the movie, the viewer knows something is wrong, but can’t begin to decipher the motives behind Oli’s behavior. Oliver’s strange behavior quickly invokes eerie and disconcerting feelings in viewers, immersing them in the mystery, history and shiny allure of Saltburn.
The story of “Saltburn” is multifaceted and makes the viewer’s head spin and jaw drop. It is a deeply complicated movie with a relevant message that selfish desires can become dangerous if they aren’t controlled. Not to mention, “Saltburn” has an electric, catchy, and familiar soundtrack featuring “Time to Pretend” by MGMT, “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers and 2001 dance hit “Murder on the Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
This year, “Saltburn” was up against some tough competition in the wake of the Barbenheimer phenomenon featuring the highest-grossing and impactful “Barbie” and the historical drama “Oppenheimer.” Both of these films featured fan-favorite actors. Particularly, “Oppenheimer” swept the shows this award season; the film won seven BAFTAs, five Golden Globes and has an incredible 13 Oscar nominations.
Though popular and societally important, “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” lack the artistry and unique beauty that “Saltburn” possesses. They are rather straightforward with their messages and feature familiar actors who have already been type-cast and stereotyped by viewers. “Saltburn” provides viewers with fresh and generally unrecognized actors and a profoundly different kind of cinematography. These features that differentiate “Saltburn” deserved to be recognized during the award shows.
The general feel of “Saltburn” is pretty much summed up in the last few minutes of the movie; alone in Saltburn, Oliver strips naked and dances through the estate, disturbingly triumphant after all he’s done. While “Saltburn” might not have shared this triumph at the award shows this season, it sure made an impact on society and was extremely controversial. And after all, what is good art if not polarizing?
I found it odd that Poor Things got more awards recognition when it seemed just as weird, if not weirder, than Saltburn. I was hoping for Saltburn to at least get recognized by the SAG awards for best ensemble. It had such great performances from its cast.