Since its release on Prime Video, Emerald Fennell’s film, “Saltburn”, has continued to be talked about on the internet. But what do spectators really think? Is this a stroke of genius or a blunder? Verdict.
Whether for its striking scenes or its nudity, Saltburn is on everyone’s lips. The second film from Promising Young Woman director Emerald Fennell stars Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi in a bombastic thriller about desire, obsession and manipulation.
The story follows the meeting of two students at Oxford University. When Felix, son of an aristocratic family, invites Oliver to spend the summer at his parents’ home, the vacation will turn into a real nightmare.
Between an unusual bathtub scene – which is all the rage on social networks – and an enjoyable ending set to pop music, Saltburn is the subject of many conversations. But what about its quality? If the American press is rather cheerful, the French press is much more divided.
On AlloCiné, the press rating is 2.7 out of 5. The magazine CinemaTeaser talks about a film like “twisting nastiness and [au] sense of jubilant repartee“, Le Figaro of a “devastating and sumptuous gothic tale“, but First points to a project “as flashy and hollow as the world it depicts“, as The Parisian who doesn’t mince his words:
“Poor film, horrible film even, which imagines itself transgressive by mixing sex, drugs, class struggle and various perversions, when it only constitutes a miserable pseudo-criticism which bites its own tail.“
GOOD OR BAD MOVIE?
On the spectator side*, feedback is also divided. Lyah (5 out of 5) judges that the film is “extremely uncomfortable and extremely sulphurous, captivating from start to finish“. Proud R. (4 out of 5) believes that it is “with a masterstroke and a crush“.
Same story for Cinetim (4.5 out of 5) which writes: “Finely crafted, Saltburn is a deliciously unhealthy and enjoyable dance of death.” Nath0301 (4 out of 5) adds: “The scenario is not wildly original, but the treatment of the story, the beauty of the images and the charm of its performers make this film very successful..”
For the less convinced, like Naughty Dog (3 out of 5), “the whole holds up, but is unfortunately imperfect due to a bloated, superficial and sometimes even grotesque look in its way of representing the 1%.“Sandra S. (3 out of 5) regrets that”certain scenes are so heartbreaking that they are “unwatchable”“.
BMWC (1.5 out of 5) criticizes the film for “[laisser] evaporate the gothic promises of its first moments“.”Pride of the director reinforced by the success of her first film or vampirism of the platforms which dry up their talents, the fact remains that it is a failure“, he asserts.
To form your own opinion, Saltburn is available on Prime Video.
*Viewer reviews were selected from the AlloCiné database.