Saltburn

For those of you who have lived under a rock the last few weeks it seem and have not heard of the movie Saltburn. It is the latest craze of a movie available on Amazon Prime. A bit of a description of the movie without spoiling anything for anyone, it is the story of Oliver Quick at Oxford University when he finds himself drawn into the world of the charming Felix Catton, who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family’s sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.

Here is the thing, it is a very average movie with very "edgy" moments lets call them. Now do not get my wrong, it is a well done movie with a great script and great acting, but the certain moments that have everyone talking about, the bathroom scene, scenes for example, are not really needed in the movie. Like think about it.

They are very much made to cause a buzz about the movie which is genius marketing on the movies part because it has now created that very buzz all over various social media outlets, but if you take away those moments, the story does not change. It is as though someone made the script, knew it a very good movie but nothing that would spark any real attention in 2023 which had a lot of buzzworthy movies.

Again, nothing wrong with that. As it has gotten the movie more views than it probably would originally have gotten and have made it more popular.

Now the acting in the movie was something that should have actually gotten the movie the buzz it has now. I mean Barry and Jacob really do a great job of carrying the movie and making it what it is. Barry in particular, to play this kind of aloof young man trying to fit into a society that he clearly doesn't fit in. And then Jacob, this honestly has turned so many people's impression of his acting. I always found him to be very good in Euphoria, but this was such a escalation of his talent and it was showed.

What I enjoyed, similar to the Menu (if you have not seen that go watch it), is that it slightly makes fun of the rich by having someone from a lower society come in and show them what the real world is like and how things are not what they believe for them to be.

I also very much enjoy how the seemingly poor man joining them seemingly takes control of everyone by essentially positioning them in very indecent situations, if you know what I mean. Which let's be real, the rich of the world are not really used to having that happen to them. And then to have the rug pulled out from under him when his entire story of what Oliver's life is supposed to be. It gets blown up right in his face which was brilliant to then try to play it off as he was just doing what everyone else did in Felix's life, trying to give a sad performance for him to enjoy. This holds so true in many dynamics as the one with the money is essentially seeking someone to help so they can feel superior.

The one line about how Oliver is a moth to drawn to the window trying to get in, willing to do anything to get in to the light within Saltburn that draws to him is just a perfect line to sum up the third act of this movie.

Overall, it is a very good movie about someone outside of a society being drawn into it and seemingly getting drunk by the perks it provides him. But really, other than the edgy moments there is nothing special about it. And then again the edgy moments are edgy moments for someone who has not seen a lot of different style of movies. Again, there is nothing wrong with that, but the thing that bugged me is the fact that those moments really have no place in the movei other than "shock" value.