Male obsession: A thematic element that has been prominent in cinema. Many examples of this include Nagisa Ōshima’s 1983 anti-war drama “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” and even 1986’s “Top Gun.” This even extends to literature, with John Knowles’s coming-of-age novel, “A Separate Peace,” a famous example of this thematic element. This theme is prevalent in Emerald Fennell’s latest film, “Saltburn.”

“Saltburn” takes place in 2006 and focuses on Oliver Quick, a new student at Oxford University who struggles to fit in with the student body. One day, he encounters the wealthy Felix Catton, whom he forms a strong relationship with. After the end of the university exams, Felix invites him to stay at his family’s sprawling and extravagant estate, Saltburn, for the summer — an unforgettable and eventful period. 

Barry Keoghan is genuinely phenomenal in his portrayal of Oliver Quick. Keoghan – who gave a phenomenal and heartbreaking supporting performance in Martin McDonagh’s 2022 tragicomedy “The Banshees of Inisherin,” along with making appearances in other films such as David Lowery’s “The Green Knight” –  perfectly captures the strange nature of this figure in his performance. There are also elements of author Patricia Highsmith’s famous literary character, Tom Ripley (who has been portrayed on film by a plethora of actors, including Dennis Hopper in Wim Wenders’s 1977 neo-noir film “The American Friend”), in Oliver as well. 

Jacob Elrodi is quite good as Felix Catton, an affluent student at Oxford with whom Oliver quickly grows an obsession. 

Along with the two leads, there is also a fantastic supporting cast of performers. These performers include Rosamund Pike (who portrays Elspeth Catton), Richard E. Grant as James Catton (the patriarch of Saltburn), and Carey Mulligan as “Poor Dear” Pamela (a family friend). 

One of the standout performances of the supporting cast is from newcomer Alison Oliver, who portrays Venetia Catton, Felix’s sister. In her feature film debut, Oliver portrays an outcast of the Catton family who struggles with an eating disorder, with whom Oliver Quick soon becomes acquainted.  

Emerald Fennell, the writer and director of the film, crafted a fascinating film. In her second feature-length directorial effort after 2020’s “Promising Young Woman,” Fennell garners some fantastic performances out of the actors, along with a great screenplay featuring a premise seemingly influenced by both Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1968 film “Teorema,” and Anthony Minghella’s 1999 adaptation of “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” 

The film’s best aspect is easily the gorgeous cinematography by Linus Sandgren. Sandgren brilliantly filmed “Saltburn” in a 4:3 aspect ratio, shooting it on 35mm Kodak VISION3 film stock, giving it a distinctly grainy look. This resulted in some fantastic shots, including a wide shot of Oliver arriving at Saltburn, capturing the sheer scale of the estate.

Photo of “Saltburn” movie characters. (Contributed/IMDb)

In terms of the film’s soundtrack, “Saltburn” is a fantastic mixtape of early to mid-2000s indie and electronic music. The soundtrack features a plethora of hits including MGMT’s “Time to Pretend” (which is featured in a montage in the second act), “Hang Me Up To Dry” by Cold War Kids (which quietly plays in the background during the sequence where Oliver attempts to clean Felix’s room), Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on The Dancefloor” (which is prominently featured in the third act), and Arcade Fire’s “No Cars Go” (which plays at the pub where Oliver parties and drinks with Felix and his friends).

My only gripe with the film is the pacing in the second act, as it starts to drag at certain points, but thankfully, it starts to pick back up in the third act.

“Saltburn” takes the viewer on a journey through a strange summer, with brilliant direction from Emerald Fennell, a phenomenal leading performance from Barry Keoghan, stylish cinematography from Linus Sandgren and a fantastic soundtrack. 

Prepare to lose your mind. 

“Saltburn” is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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