Saltburn (film)

Saltburn

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2023
Founder	Emerald Fennell (writer, director, co-producer)
Products	Black comedy thriller film

Saltburn is a 2023 black comedy thriller film crafted by Emerald Fennell, who served as writer, director, and co-producer. The cast includes Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe, and Carey Mulligan. Set against the backdrops of Oxford and Northamptonshire, the narrative centers on an Oxford student who becomes fixated on a charismatic, aristocratic classmate and later receives an invitation to spend the summer at his eccentric family’s countryside estate.

The film had its debut at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on 31 August 2023. It was subsequently released in UK theaters on 17 November 2023, with a limited release in the US on the same date, followed by a nationwide US rollout on 22 November. Streaming began on Amazon Prime Video from 22 December, where it rapidly emerged as one of the platform’s top-viewed titles. Critical reception was largely favorable, and the film secured nominations for two Golden Globe Awards along with five BAFTA Film Awards.

Plot

In late 2006, Oliver Quick, a scholarship student at the University of Oxford, finds it challenging to assimilate due to his lack of refined social graces. He forms a friendship with Felix Catton, a wealthy and well-liked peer who empathizes with Oliver’s accounts of parental substance abuse and mental health struggles. After Oliver’s father unexpectedly passes away, Felix offers support and invites him to spend the summer at his family’s rural estate, Saltburn.

Upon arriving at Saltburn, Oliver is introduced to Felix’s family and reconnects with Felix’s American cousin Farleigh, with whom he shares a strained rapport. While Oliver quickly gains favor with most of Felix’s relatives—except Farleigh—his fixation on Felix intensifies. One evening, after observing Felix bathing, Oliver drinks from the semen-contaminated bathwater. Later, he performs oral sex on Felix’s sister Venetia during her menstrual period; Farleigh witnesses this act and informs Felix, though Oliver denies it. Additionally, Oliver makes sexual threats toward Farleigh. The following day, James expels Farleigh after discovering his intention to sell family heirlooms.

As summer draws to a close, Felix surprises Oliver with plans to visit his estranged mother, triggering panic in Oliver. At the family residence in Prescot, Felix uncovers that Oliver fabricated his background—his father is alive, and there are no issues of substance abuse or mental illness in his family. Feeling betrayed, Felix orders Oliver to leave Saltburn following his birthday celebration but keeps this decision confidential to shield his family. During the party, Oliver attempts to mend their relationship but faces rejection.

The next morning brings tragedy as Felix is discovered dead within Saltburn’s hedge maze. Oliver insinuates that Farleigh supplied drugs at the event; consequently, James severs ties with Farleigh. Grieving for Felix, Oliver visits his gravesite and masturbates there. After the funeral, Elspeth encourages Oliver to remain longer at Saltburn. Venetia becomes increasingly unsettled and accuses Oliver of fracturing her family; he tries to seduce her but is turned down. The subsequent day Venetia is found dead from suicide. James offers a bribe to Oliver for leaving Saltburn, which he accepts.

Fast forward to 2022: Oliver reads about James’s passing and encounters Elspeth in a café. She invites him back to Saltburn. After spending months together, Elspeth falls terminally ill. On her deathbed, Oliver confesses that he orchestrated all misfortunes at Saltburn: he engineered his meeting with Felix; poisoned Felix’s drink in the maze causing his death; placed razor blades near Venetia leading to her suicide; and arranged the café meeting that resulted in Elspeth leaving her estate—including Saltburn—to him. He then removes her life support, causing her death. Now inheriting Saltburn and the Catton fortune, Oliver celebrates by dancing naked around the mansion.

Development and casting

Saltburn marks Emerald Fennell’s second venture as both writer and director, following her debut with Promising Young Woman (2020). The film was first revealed in January 2022, characterized as "a tale of obsession." By May of the same year, producers Tom Ackerley, Margot Robbie, and Josey McNamara were officially attached, alongside cast members Rosamund Pike, Jacob Elordi, and Barry Keoghan. Fennell commended Elordi’s audition for perfectly embodying Felix’s blend of charm and entitlement, infused with sharp comedic insight.

In December 2022, Carey Mulligan, who starred in Promising Young Woman, joined the ensemble cast.

Fennell’s creative intent was to generate empathy for characters typically deemed unlikable, delving into "the kind of people we find intolerable yet irresistibly captivating despite their cruelty and injustice." Setting the story in 2006 allowed her to strip away the usual glamour associated with English country house dramas she had long wished to reimagine.

Filming

Principal photography commenced on 16 July 2022, with Linus Sandgren serving as director of photography. The choice of a 4:3 aspect ratio was deliberate, designed to evoke a voyeuristic "peeping" sensation.

Emerald Fennell opted to shoot entirely within one unfamiliar estate to maintain narrative coherence and minimize location shifts or extensive post-production alterations. Filming locations included Oxford University’s Magdalen, St Hugh's, and Brasenose Colleges, as well as Northamptonshire’s Drayton House—a venue previously unused for filming. Confidentiality agreements forbade disclosing the estate’s ownership or exact location. Despite Drayton House’s grandeur, the cast adjusted to its interiors to convincingly portray it as their characters’ everyday residence.

Costuming embraced early 2000s trends featuring flamboyant jackets, rugby shirts, and statement jewelry.

Music

Anthony Willis, who composed the score for Fennell's earlier film Promising Young Woman, returned to create the soundtrack for Saltburn, which Milan Records released on 17 November 2023.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s 2001 track "Murder on the Dancefloor" plays during the film’s concluding scene and subsequently achieved 1.5 million Spotify streams on New Year's Eve. This surge propelled the song back onto the UK Singles Chart at number eight with 2.2 million streams—its highest streaming week ever. Other featured songs such as Ladytron’s "Destroy Everything You Touch", Mason and Princess Superstar’s "Perfect (Exceeder)", and Tomcraft’s "Loneliness" gained traction particularly on TikTok, amplifying the film's cultural resonance.

Themes and influences

At its core, the film examines themes of obsession and excess. Fennell drew upon her own experiences with obsessive love, though not to the extreme depicted onscreen.

Her inspirations include films like A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Cruel Intentions (1999), alongside literary works such as Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca (1938) and L.P. Hartley’s novel The Go-Between (1953), along with its 1971 cinematic adaptation. She highlighted the British country house genre as a framework where class dynamics, power struggles, and sexuality intersect. Joseph Losey’s The Servant (1963) notably influenced her due to its potent erotic tension rooted in violence and societal disruption.

Critics frequently draw parallels between this film and Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley (1955) along with its 1999 adaptation because of overlapping social class themes and character motifs; however, Fennell minimizes these comparisons. Richard Brody of The New Yorker observed resemblances to Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited. An Australian university publication described the film as a fusion of Call Me by Your Name (2017) and Parasite (2019).

Visually, the film draws heavily from Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) and Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980). Fennell’s Gothic aesthetic echoes Coppola's portrayal of supernatural allure, particularly evident in a garden sequence that evokes vampiric possession. She has described her work as a "vampire movie" centered on "the fetishization of beauty."

Additional critical associations include Pier Paolo Pasolini's Theorem (1968) and Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon (1975), both exploring intersections of class, desire, power, and seduction. Fennell summarized her critique of British social hierarchy as "Barry Lyndon meets indie sleaze."

Release

Saltburn had its world premiere at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on 31 August 2023 and served as the opening film for the 67th BFI London Film Festival in the United Kingdom on 4 October 2023. The film also made its Australian debut at SXSW Sydney on 20 October 2023.

Distribution rights were secured by Amazon MGM Studios for $75 million. In the United States, Saltburn was initially released in a limited number of theaters on 17 November 2023, followed by a wide release on 22 November after a one-week postponement designed to leverage the positive buzz generated at Telluride. Distribution in the UK and Ireland was handled by Warner Bros. Pictures, with the film opening there on 17 November, while Australian audiences received it slightly earlier on 16 November.

The movie became globally accessible via Amazon Prime Video starting 22 December 2023. It rapidly ascended into Amazon Prime’s top 10 worldwide film launches, with viewership increasing fourfold within two weeks of its digital release. According to Deadline Hollywood, this achievement was driven by viral marketing campaigns and strong word-of-mouth endorsements. Content related to Saltburn accumulated nearly 4 billion views on TikTok, engaging around three million creators and influencers, while official social media platforms amassed 153 million views.

Box office

Saltburn earned $11.4 million domestically across the United States and Canada, alongside $9.7 million from international markets, bringing its global total to $21.1 million.

During its limited release opening weekend, the film generated $322,651 from seven theaters. Upon expanding to 1,566 venues the following Wednesday—coinciding with releases of Napoleon and Wish—it took in $684,000 on its first day of wide release and $301,000 on Thanksgiving Day. The movie closed its opening weekend with $1.8 million and amassed $2.9 million over five days, ranking ninth at the box office. In its second weekend, it experienced a modest drop of only 16%, earning $1.6 million.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Saltburn holds a 71% approval rating with an average score of 6.6/10, while Metacritic reports a score of 61, reflecting generally favorable reviews. Audience polling by CinemaScore yielded a "B−" grade, and PostTrak found that 75% of viewers responded positively, with 42% indicating they would definitely recommend the film.

Performances received widespread acclaim, particularly those of Rosamund Pike and Carey Mulligan. The Guardian highlighted their captivating portrayals but described the conclusion as ambiguous, awarding three out of five stars. Conversely, The Observer critiqued some casting decisions but praised Pike’s work, giving it two out of five stars.

The BBC commended the "superb ensemble cast," singling out Barry Keoghan, Pike, and Jacob Elordi for special mention, describing the film as "deliriously enjoyable" when approached as pulp fantasy and rating it four out of five stars. Empire praised the cinematography and visual presentation but pointed out awkward dialogue moments, assigning it three out of five stars.

Some reviewers noted that character development felt superficial and visuals overly ostentatious, as discussed in Sight and Sound. In contrast, Entertainment Weekly awarded an "A" grade, calling it a "Gothic thriller dusted with poisonous candy-pop glitter" and celebrating it as a bold excess in filmmaking.

Filmmakers Drew Goddard and Robert Eggers included Saltburn among their top films of 2023, applauding Emerald Fennell’s fearless approach and mastery of her craft.

Accolades

Award	Ceremony Date	Category	Honoree(s)	Outcome	Ref.
Mill Valley Film Festival	16 October 2023	Filmmaker of the Year	Emerald Fennell	Template:Won
Savannah Film Festival	2 November 2023	Audience Award	Saltburn	Template:Won
Hollywood Music in Media Awards	15 November 2023	Original Score – Feature Film	Anthony Willis	Template:Nom
Las Vegas Film Critics Society	13 December 2023	Best Supporting Actress	Rosamund Pike	Template:Nom
		Best Cinematography	Linus Sandgren	Template:Nom
		Best Ensemble	Saltburn	Template:Nom
Indiana Film Journalists Association	17 December 2023	Best Cinematography	Linus Sandgren	Template:Nom
Dublin Film Critics' Circle	18 December 2023	Best Actor	Barry Keoghan	Template:Draw
North Texas Film Critics Association	18 December 2023	Best Picture	Saltburn	Template:Nom
		Best Director	Emerald Fennell	Template:Nom
		Best Actor	Barry Keoghan	Template:Nom
		Best Supporting Actress	Rosamund Pike	Template:Nom
		Best Cinematography	Linus Sandgren	Template:Nom
		Best Newcomer	Allison Oliver	Template:Nom
		Garry Murray Award for Best Ensemble	Saltburn	Template:Nom
Phoenix Film Critics Society	18 December 2023	Top Ten Films of 2023	Template:Won
Women Film Critics Circle Awards	18 December 2023	Best Movie by a Woman	Template:Runner-up
		Best Woman Storyteller	Emerald Fennell		Template:Nom
Alliance of Women Film Journalists	3 January 2024	Best Actress in a Supporting Role	Rosamund Pike	Template:Nom
		Best Woman Director	Emerald Fennell	Template:Nom
		Best Woman Screenwriter	Template:Nom
Astra Film and Creative Awards	6 January 2024	Best Actor	Barry Keoghan	Template:Nom
		Best Director	Emerald Fennell	Template:Nom
		Best Original Screenplay	Template:Nom
	2nd Astra Film Creative Arts Awards	26 February 2024	Best Cinematography	Linus Sandgren		Template:Nom
			Best Production Design	Suzie Davies and Charlotte Dirickx		Template:Nom
			Best Score	Anthony Willis		Template:Nom
Golden Globe Awards	7 January 2024	Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama	Barry Keoghan	Template:Nom	align= "center" rowspan= "2" >
		Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture	Rosamund Pike	Template:Nom
rowspan= "4" scope= "row" > fr:Denver Film Critics Society	rowspan= "4" > 12 January 2024	Best Director	Emerald Fennell	Template:Nom	rowspan= "4" align= "center" >
Best Lead Performance by an Actor, Male	Barry Keoghan	Template:Nom
Best Supporting Performance by an Actor, Female	Rosamund Pike	Template:Nom
Best Original Screenplay   |  Emerald Fennell   |  Template:Nom   | -	scope= "row" rowspan= "3" > Critics' Choice Movie Awards   |  14 January 2024   |  Best Picture   |  Saltburn   |  Template:Nom   |  align= "center" rowspan= "3" >   | -  Best Cinematography  Linus Sandgren  Template:Nom -  Best Production Design  Suzie Davies and Charlotte Dirickx  Template:Nom -	rowspan= "2" scope= "row" > Houston Film Critics Society   |  22 January 2024   |  Best Supporting Actress  Rosamund Pike  Template:Nom  align= "center" rowspan= "2" > -  Best Cinematography  Linus Sandgren  Template:Nom -	scope= "row" > British Society of Cinematographers   |  3 February 2024   |  Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film Linus Sandgren Template:Nom align="center"> -	scope= "row" rowspan= "3"> London Film Critics' Circle	4 February 2024	Supporting Actress of the Year Rosamund Pike Template:Nom align="center" rowspan= "3"> - British/Irish Performer of the Year Carey Mulligan (also for Maestro) Template:Nom - Technical Achievement Award Kharmel Cochrane Template:Nom -	scope= "row" rowspan= "2"> AACTA International Awards	10 February 2024	Best Supporting Actor Jacob Elordi Template:Nom align="center" rowspan= "2"> - Best Supporting Actress Rosamund Pike Template:Nom -	scope= "row"> ADG Excellence in Production Design Awards	10 February 2024	Excellence in Production Design for a Contemporary Film Suzie Davies Template:Won align="center"> -	scope= "row"> Set Decorators Society of America Awards	13 February 2024	Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Contemporary Feature Film Suzie Davies and Charlotte Dirickx Template:Won align="center"> -	scope= "row"> Society of Composers & Lyricists	13 February 2024	Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film Anthony Willis Template:Nom align="center"> -	rowspan= "5" scope= "row"> BAFTA Awards	18 February 2024	Leading Role, Best Actor Barry Keoghan Template:Nom rowspan=5> - Supporting Role, Best Actor Jacob Elordi Template:Nom - Supporting Role, Best Actress Rosamund Pike Template:Nom - Original Score, Best Anthony Willis Template:Nom - Outstanding British Film Saltburn Template:Nom -	scope= "row"> People's Choice Awards	18 February 2024	Movie Performance of the Year Jacob Elordi Template:Nom align="center"> -	scope= "row" rowspan="2"> Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild	rowspan="2"> 18 February 2024	Contemporary Make-Up, Best Siân Miller, Laura Allen Template:Won align="center" rowspan=2> - Contemporary Hair Styling, Best Template:Won -	scope= "row"> Costume Designers Guild Awards	21 February 2024	Excellence in Contemporary Film Costume Design Sophie Canale Template:Won align="center"> -	scope= "row" rowspan="3"> Satellite Awards	3 March 2024	Motion Picture Comedy or Musical – Best Actor Barry Keoghan Template:Nom align="center" rowspan=3> - Motion Picture – Supporting Actress Rosamund Pike Template:Nom - Cinematography, Best Linus Sandgren Template:Nom