Just Got out of a Packed Saltburn Screening.

WARNING ?? - This Film Has Multiple Nasty Moments . There were Multiple Gasps and Audible "oh god" moments from the Audience ??

Quick Side Note - I have no Problems with this Script and Twist, but looking back, it's just not executed very well due to the lack of development, actions and dialogue prior to the Closing of the Film.

So, Positives First -

1. ? The Gothic Production Design was Outstanding, Coupled with the Cinematography, Some Great Camera Work and there were Several Gorgeous Shots. That Scene with Barry Keoghans' Character(Oliver) Walking Towards Venetia and it had almost a Blue Tint to it was Outstanding. That Particular Scene had this Strong Gothic Vibe to it.

2. ? The Performances were Good Across the Board, Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe, Richard E Grant, all Good. Rosamund Pike was Exceptionally Good.

3. ? Many of the Comedic Moments worked and had parts of the audience laughing and 1 particular Joke Got a Belly Laugh out of the Audience "It was all too Wet" - by Rosamund Pike ??

4. I loved the Funeral Scene with the "Butler Knows who did it, Stare from afar" Scene. (The Writer did a little spin on the Butler did it?)

On to the Negatives

Negatives -

1. ?One of the Main Problems I have with this Film, is I didn't really buy Barry Keoghans' Character(Oliver) being Infatuated(in a normal way, not the Gross out Stuff) with Jacob Elordis' Character(Felix). It just didn't come across on screen that way.

2. ?But you're probably saying, "But, he never really loved him anyway, so who cares?" Ok, so he hated him right? So why is he Drinking His Juice out of the Bathtub?? and Laying (and that's Putting it nicely) on top of his Grave? So is Oliver Mentally ill? But he seemed to have come from a somewhat stable household. ??

3. ?Another big Problem with the film is that, what is Olivers Motivation? Did he want the Money & Lifestyle? Did he want to Punish this Family? What Exactly did he want? The Plotline does need subtlety yes, but for this particular point, it needs to have a motivation. By the End, The Film doesn't really Convey this. It's all Confusion. ?

4. ?The Supposed Danger of Oliver Having an Affair with Rosamund Pikes' character(Elsbeth) was not there at all. A compliment here and there is not enough. On top of that, they could of done more with this angle.

5. Moreover, the way in which Oliver Embedded himself into the Family, wasn't done that well.

6. For me, when a Certain Character Dies and the Subsequent Scenes after His Death. The Film Just sort of fell apart (for me). It went from Build, Build, Build, "Ok this is Ok, were building towards something", then the Death Happens and then some scenes happen and then I thought to myself "Sigh, the films Level just went down 1 or 2 Levels"?

7. ?? Near The Very Ending with the Montage "of Events" was just not the way to Do That. Don't Give us everything in the Span of 5 Minutes. The Writer of this Film needed to keep those points more Subtle and ambiguous, so we can think about it after we've left the Cinema and say "oh yeah, that's why he did this & that....."

Overall, I Loved the Production Design and Cinematography but Some of the Character Development and Motivations were Lacking and the Plotline lacked Subtlety when it needed it, and also Lacked Emphasis when it needed it.

Sometimes you come across a filmmaker whose works you just don't like. And now, after two features in, I can honestly say that about writer-director Emerald Fennell. I didn't care much for her debut outing, "Promising Young Woman" (2020), and I can say the same (and more) about her follow-up effort, "Saltburn." This alleged thriller about a seemingly awkward but quietly sinister Oxford student (Barry Keoghan) who ingratiates himself into a family of wealthy English aristocrats features a story and characters about whom, quite frankly, I couldn't care less. (Think "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" (2017) with a cast of eccentric old money cronies and a wolf in sheep's clothing.) This assemblage of utterly reprehensible characters living utterly reprehensible lives and zealously adhering to utterly reprehensible values fails to endanger viewer empathy, interest or even connection. Much of the narrative is predictable and glacially paced, incorporates sequences that are included for little more than forced shock value, features monodimensional and blatantly obvious (almost trite) character development, and frequently stumbles in attempts at humor that are wedged in largely for the sake of convenience or calculatedly timed comic relief. It's the kind of picture that prompts regular looks at one's watch to see how much more one must endure and delivers welcome sighs of relief when the end finally comes. What's more, given the combined talent pool for this production, it's a genuine shame to see the likes of Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan and Richard E. Grant relegated to supporting roles in which their abilities are sorely underused. And then there's the excessively hammy performance of Keoghan, who's quite obviously (and knowingly) acting and not disappearing into the bona fide portrayal of a character. In all, this offering feels like a picture that tries awfully hard to see how much it can get away with, especially when seeking to invoke dropped jaws among audience members, much as this director's cinematic predecessor attempted to do. Save your money, and don't waste your time on this vastly overrated release from a vastly overrated filmmaker.