Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn was one of the most talked about films in the award season in 2024. The film was perhaps the most divisive of all, particularly due to the disturbing nature of the film. Barry Keoghan’s lead character Oliver “Ollie” Quick does some weird and salacious things in the film, which made the film viral when it hit streaming in December 2023.
After her success with Promising Young Woman, Fennell wanted to pursue the subject of obsessive love in her next film. An ensemble cast joined the film including Euphoria star Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, and Fennell’s previous film’s star Carey Mulligan.
Why Did Saltburn Go Viral When It Was Released On Streaming?
Saltburn focused on the themes of excess and obsession, portrayed through the greed and carnal desires of the central character Ollie. Many critics quickly drew parallels with Matt Damon‘s 1999 film The Talented Mr. Ripley. In the film, Damon’s eponymous character was obsessed over Jude Law’s rich kid, much similar to Ollie and Felix’s story.
Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan Loses Oscars Run as ‘Saltburn’ Fails To Grab Even a Single Nomination
However, the similarities stopped at a point where Barry Keoghan‘s character does some pretty shocking s*xual things. Word-of-mouth about these shock-value scenes reached audiences during the limited release of the film. When it finally hit streaming in December 2023, the disturbing things were out in the public and discussions ran rampant.
The screen-grabbed or edited-out versions of scenes were shared on TikTok and other social media. These included scenes of Ollie drinking Felix’s bathwater, lying naked on Felix’s grave, and walking around naked in the country house. The shocking reactions turned to intense debates about these scenes on such platforms.
There appeared to be a divisive stance about the film. The film’s supporters claimed that Fennell’s attempt was praiseworthy as it started a conversation on the theme of social class structure using the shock factor. However, others feel that the film’s R-rating completely took away whatever message it intended to deliver.
How Did Felix Die In Saltburn — The Climax Twist
When the final act of Saltburn begins, audiences are in for a shock as the Catton family finds Jacob Elordi‘s Felix dead in the hedge maze. It appears to be an accidental overdose or a suicide and Ollie manages to put the blame on Farleigh, played by Archie Madekwe. He convinces James and Elspeth Catton that Farleigh had served large amounts of cocaine to Felix before his death. Farleigh is then ostracized by the family.
Another tragedy strikes the family as their daughter Venetia, played by Alison Oliver, is found dead in the bathtub, having slit her wrists. Disturbed by his children’s death and Elspeth’s growing attachment to Ollie, James asks Ollie to leave Saltburn and pays him off. After a time jump in the film, Ollie finds out about James’ death.
Ollie encounters Elspeth at a cafe and gets invited back to the country house. He is made heir to the estate. In the closing moments of the film, it is revealed that the whole film was his narration of Elspeth, who is in bed with illness. Ollie reveals that he planned the tragic events that happened to the family. He had stalked Felix from the beginning at Oxford.
Felix’s death was not a fatal accident or a suicide, but an orchestrated murder by Ollie. It is shown that Ollie pours something into Felix’s bottle of liquor and pushes it into his hands after an argument. He likely used Farleigh’s cocaine in a lethal amount to execute the planned murder.
He is also shown to be placing the razor blades on the edge of Venetia’s bath. He probably knew that she would be drunk and deep in grief, and manipulated the situation to make her commit suicide. Ollie left Saltburn with James’ money, which he probably used to live a rich life, before coming back for the estate after James’ death. He even arranges his chance encounter with Elspeth.
As the film concludes, he is seen dancing naked in the empty mansion as the sole heir to the estate. Fans were divided on this climax twist. While some felt it was on character for a sociopath like Ollie, others felt that it made the film feel fragile and pointless.
Saltburn Used Its Visual Allure To Draw Viewers To The Story Of The Elite
While Emerald Fennell intended to knock the “f**king glamour off things” in Saltburn by setting it in a country house in 2006, she almost did the opposite. During an interview with Vanity Fair, she shared that she wanted to create “an element of revulsion.”
The film’s visuals and tones had influences from the Francis Ford Coppola film Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Unsurprisingly, the Gothic visual style of the film gives it more of a vampirical feel, making Ollie and his Saltburn setting a captivating presence throughout the film.
The visuals also help in representing the aristocratic excess, one of the popular themes in the film. While the film critiques the lives of the rich like Felix’s family, it also fascinates the audience with the luxury in which the family lives.
Saltburn is now available for streaming on Prime Video.
