Emerald Fennell is very quickly making a huge name for herself as one of the fastest-rising directors within the film industry. Her latest production, 'Saltburn', is just more evidence that the actor-turned-filmmaker knows what she is doing when it comes to making movies.
'Saltburn' is a film that I had anticipated seeing for a very long time. An all-star cast, intriguing trailer and impressive advertisement campaign here in the UK set up for a promising cinematic event. And on that front, it certainly delivered.
Of course, we saw Fennell make her feature film debut back in 2020 with 'Promising Young Woman', starring Carey Mulligan (who also features in Saltburn). Both women received Academy Award nominations for their work on this film, with Fennell taking home Oscar gold within the Original Screenplay category.
But this movie very much feels as though it is a passion project for Emerald Fennell, a story she has been dying to tell for years. And essentially her response to the question: "If given the opportunity, what kind of movie would you make with a never-ending budget?".
Storyline and screenplay aside, 'Saltburn' is a stunning spectacle with exceptional cinematogrphy and camerawork scattered throughout. If critics had any doubts about the look and style of Fennell's direction in 'Promising Young Woman', they won't have anything to say on that matter with 'Saltburn'.
Throughout watching the film, I constantly found myself not knowing where to look as each frame was filled with stunning scenery that provices the movie with a much stronger intrigue.
Which is kind of ironic seeing as though the whole thing was shot on a square lens.
Fennell certainly had a wide range of tools to play with when it came to casting this movie. Recognisable names such as Richard E. Grant, Rosamund Pike, Archie Madekwe, Carey Mulligan, Barry Keoghan and the rising Jacob Elordi all feature.
The two lead performances from Keoghan and Elordi can't go left unmentioned as the pair do an excellent job in portraying the two unlikely best friends from Oxford university, despite their opposing backgrounds.
Elordi is nothing but likeable and enjoyable throughout, whereas Keoghan stumbles across the more mysterious and unique personality trait where you can't help but feel that something is off.
However, I personally feel that Rosamund Pike delivers a scene-stealing performance in this film as Elsbeth Catton, also known as 'The Mother of Saltburn'.
Pike does an excellent job of providing comedic relief to the storlyline which is desperately required in moment of madness scattered throughout this movie. Something that we haven't seen the English actress tinker with too many times in the past.
But regardless of the breathtaking set design and impressive performances, Saltburn wouldn't be what it is without it's masterpiece of a plot.
Fennell gave the world a small taste of what her creative mind is capable of with 'Promising Young Woman', but is now simply flaunting her talent in this movie.
As an audience member, I personally was clueless as to the direction that the story was moving out. The only thing I was certain of was that I was going nowhere in the meantime.
The female director does an exceptional job of keeping you intrigued as an audience member without revealing to you too much about where the story is going to take you. As we entered the final act of the film, I was still clueless as to what direction it was going to take. The potential scenarios were endless.
But when a specific direction was taken and an unpredictable twist was turned, as an audience member my only task was to pick my jaw up from the cinema floor.
The number of sudden and unexpected twists scattered throughout this film are simply the forever-glowing cherry on top of an extremely tasty cake.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
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