People throughout social media have been freaking out about the movie Saltburn. Although it’s release on prime video was in December, its existence has been brought to the media recently due to the reaction people have had to certain scenes shown in the movie.

Directed by Emerald Fennel, Saltburn stars Barry Keoghan- playing Oliver Quick and Jacob Elordi- playing Felix Catton. The movie is character driven, following Oliver Quick, seemingly poor student getting pulled under popular, rich upperclassmen Felix’s arm. After a loss in Oliver’s family, Felix invites him to his family’s castle, Saltburn. This is about 30 minutes into the movie and once Oliver arrives at Saltburn, the plot is lost. You no longer know the exact desires or end goal of any character, but it’s just an observation of this family and how they act around Oliver. However, the movie is a thriller, therefore the actions of these characters are intense and unexplained. These are the scenes that the media is blowing up about, causing the question of, is it as bad as they say?

For me, I don’t think that the movie was extremely crass or as bad as advertised. It’s not supposed to be a cute romance and I think that’s why many people have freaked out. The movie is not lighthearted and is rated R for a reason. The scenes which people have labeled as, “the grave scene,” “the bathtub scene,” and “the vampire scene” are all, wrong, messed up things. But given the personality and the mentally screwed up person Oliver is, it makes sense. It’s to enhance how the movie is perceived. So of course, it’s wrong and messed up, but so are other movies, it’s just all based on your expectations.

Having these screwed up bits and pieces was awkward to watch, but the movie was beautifully crafted. The cinematography was very unique as well as the vibrant colors frequently used throughout the film. The actors and actresses absolutely nailed their work, Barry Keoghan got nominated for 3 different awards for best actor in a leading role. As well as many more nominations for the movie in whole.

I think the ending was a little predictable and again- not as big as a twist as media portrays it to be, but still shocking, especially if you have no idea what the movie is about beforehand. Then, “Murder on The Dance Floor” plays and the final scene rolls. It’s a bit of a celebration that Oliver has, and it’s somewhat comedic after all that’s just happened. It just shows how Oliver’s actions are unexplainable. This scene has made the song popular for a few weeks now, spread across TikTok and Instagram, which has promoted the movie even more.

I think the scenes and absurdity of it all has only done the film justice. It’s given it a name and made the title Saltburn extremely well known, even if some of the clout is for Jacob Elordi’s eyebrow Piercing or Barry Keoghan’s genitalia. Applause for Emerald Fennel.