The first secret screening of 2023 Fantastic Fest turned out to be SALTBURN. Emerald Fennell’s follow-up to Promising Young Woman works as a shocking comedy. I and many others in the theater laughed loudly throughout. If it ultimately amounts to less than its many entertaining parts, it is still a must-see thanks in large part to Barry Keoghan’s spectacular performance.
Keoghan is fearless here and uses every opportunity to make the character of Oliver stand out among similar ones like Alain Delon and Matt Damon’s Tom Ripley and Terence Stamp’s The Visitor in Teorema. Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Alison Oliver, and Richard E. Grant all complement him.
La La Land cinematographer Linus Sandgren creates an exquisite look and the music choices kept me tapping my toes throughout. One scene that makes great use of the synth sounds in MGMT’s Time To Pretend was a highlight.
The writing and the editing of the campy third act require you to suspend disbelief and left me wanting more. The unforgettable final sequence almost made up for it however.
