'Saltburn': A Dark Comedy That Divides Critics

Emerald Fennell's film explores class and envy at Oxford University, with costume design and setting playing key roles in the narrative.

Emerald Fennell's new film, 'Saltburn', is a dark comedy set in the early 2000s at Oxford University, focusing on themes of class, envy, and repressed desire.
The film follows protagonist Oliver Quick, a scholarship student who becomes fixated on his wealthy and popular classmate, Felix Catton, leading to a summer at Felix's family estate and a series of shocking events.
Despite its intriguing premise, critics have found 'Saltburn' to be overly cynical and eager to shock, with some arguing that it fails to effectively satirize the British class system.
Costume design plays a significant role in the film, with characters' clothing serving as key indicators of their social status and belonging.
The film has been both praised and criticized for its depiction of the mid-2000s era, with some critics noting inaccuracies in its pop-culture references.