Saltburn (2023) 🇬🇧🇺🇸

Well, I lost interest roughly halfway through the movie and couldn't get it back. I just wanted to finish it. It started off interesting, especially since it's a movie with Barry Keoghan, who is such a great actor. The issue is that his character was very one-dimensional for what he did in the movie. From the beginning, you don't assume any bad intentions from him in his pursuit of friendship with Felix. Even when he arrives at Saltburn and seems uncomfortable with Felix's weird and overly traditional family, I couldn't tell if he was going to get hooked on their lifestyle or just despise it and leave. Then, halfway through the movie, he suddenly starts his manipulations—seemingly out of nowhere. He begins with the parents, particularly the mother, winning her over simply by flattering and patronizing her. And that was it. She was on his side. He later moves on to the others. The issue with this is that there's no buildup. We don't see any hints of hidden motivations or desires that would lead him to manipulate them, nor do we get a clear sense of what his ultimate goal is. You could argue that this was intentional, meant to keep the audience in the dark. But to me, that doesn't add up. Even when we meet his family (who seem normal and loving), we still get no insight into why he is the way he is—no hints about his upbringing or any history of psychopathy. So we're left without any real understanding of his motives. And that continues until the very end. After everyone is dead (well, after he kills them all, presented as a "plot twist"), and he gets everything for himself, we still don't know why he did it. It doesn't seem to be about money, nor does it feel like it was for status or power. It doesn't seem like anything, because the movie never really establishes a reason. As I said, his character remains flat throughout the whole film. Even his relationship with Felix felt shallow and lacked chemistry. When the movie tries to be dramatic about Felix's death during the funeral scene, it just didn't work for me (and I cry easily in movies). I also think the movie tries too hard to be iconic with weird, unnecessary scenes—like the bloody oral sex or Oscar humping the dirt on top of the grave (among others). It definitely won't be a forgettable movie because of these bizarre moments, but it also won't make it onto my list of favorites 😅.