Editor’s Note: the following review contains minor spoilers for “Saltburn” (2023).

Emerald Fennell’s sophomore film “Saltburn” is a dark, devious and erotic satirical thriller about society’s insatiable appetite for wealth, power and pleasure. It is perhaps the most divisive film of 2023. It centers around the story of Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), an awkward first-year scholarship student at Oxford University who struggles to fit in with his upper-class peers. His beautiful, eccentric and unbelievably wealthy classmate, Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), invites him to spend the summer at his family’s sprawling, castle-like estate, Saltburn. 

The movie opens with an adult Oliver Quick, speaking from the future, stating that he was “never in love” with Felix. We are immediately doubtful of the candor of his statement as a montage of sensual memories flashes on the screen: close-ups of Felix’s smile, body and bare skin. We bear witness to Oliver’s profound and unsettling infatuation—perhaps even obsession?—with his friend. 

My expectations of this film being a tale of unrequited queer desire quickly unraveled as Oliver and Felix arrived at Saltburn. The film proceeds to embark on a maze of treacherous twists and turns. A combination of unreliable narrators, ulterior motives and unbridled eroticism creates a heady atmosphere of longing and loathing. There are more than a few intense scenes of disturbing kinkiness, such as Oliver’s cringe-inducing consumption of various bodily fluids belonging to the Catton family. This is hard to watch. These scenes are meant to be hard to watch. These moments visualize Oliver’s consumption of the Cattons as something sexual. These scenes exploit humanity’s unquenchable thirst for power and sex. 

The film luxuriates in these disturbing scenes, just as it luxuriates in its own beauty. Fennell uses lush montages of the film’s gorgeous actors to focus on their bodies, their muscles and their jawlines. Fennell delights in revealing the ugliness that resides underneath the seemingly polished exteriors of her characters. The film also leans heavily on its seductive setting, languishing in the aesthetics of Saltburn — its rambling rooms, enchanting gardens, and mysterious maze. The movie takes place in the summer, adding to its sweaty, sensual mood.

The vibes and visuals of this movie are stunning. Think “Call Me By Your Name” meets “Euphoria.” But, unlike Euphoria, vibes aren’t enough for this film to live on. The film never quite gets to the point. It is a critique of the upper class that forgets to actually criticize. Perhaps this is because Fennell herself is one of them; she is the daughter of Theo Fennell, a millionaire jewelry designer. During her years at Oxford, we can assume she was more like Felix Catton than Oliver Quick. Within Fennell’s world of Saltburn, the Cattons are wealthy, aristocratic and cold-blooded — but they are also the victims of the film. Felix is a polite and attractive heartthrob. His sister, Venetia (Alison Oliver), is quirky and mysterious. His mother, Elspeth (Rosamund Pike), is insensitive and callous, but even her insults about eating disorders and ugliness are delivered with enough humor to be amusing. 

In “Saltburn”, the middle-class character is the predator. The upper-class characters are the prey. Oliver consumes the Catton family’s wealth, property and bodily fluids and smiles, finally satisfied, after his meal.