Saltburn is a captivating and stylish thriller that manages to remain engrossing even though it treads very familiar ground. Drawing inspiration from sociopathic classics from The Talented Mr. Ripley and You to the recent surge of satirical narratives on wealth, exemplified by Triangle of Sadness and White Lotus, this story echoes a wave of themes we’ve seen on screens of all sizes lately.
Enter Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl, An Education), who shines as Felix’s mother and steals most scenes from Richard E Grant (as her husband and Felix’s father). Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman An Education), simply disappears into a small cameo role.
Writer-director Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) stumbles a bit with noted familiar storyline, some sophomoric stunts and a fumble on when to close the show, but the Oscar winner for best original screenplay, for her first film ever, punctuates her sophomore outing and second sociopathic thriller with an unforgettable finish that Keoghan swings into with swagger.
The dialogue given to this exceptional ensemble is rich with witty banter, skillfully weaving in reflections on wealth disparity and the repercussions of obsession. Although it is hard to love this film, Saltburn undoubtedly earns a place as one of the better popcorn thrillers this year
In a nutshell: A familiar thriller peppered with some sophomoric stunts but saved by a great cast and witty script.
Where to find it: In theaters, beginning November 17, 2023.
Would it be better with Olivia Colman: Of course.
Award potential: In a year like last, Keoghan would take the Paul Mescal (Normal People, Aftersun) slot. But this year he's up against titans Cillian Murphy, DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper, Colman Domingo and Jeffery Wright — and dark thrillers rarely rise. Elordi
and Pike will and should also be on most shortlists but I don't expect this twisty tale to blow up award season.
The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks
No comments:
Post a Comment