How to Fix Saltburn

[@vicdaman]

I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who after the movie ended went “this movie makes absolutely no sense.” Especially how easy it was for him to kill the entire family and no one questioned why this random guy inherited the house.

[@jculver1674]

And, as the video points out, there were apparently no extended relatives who laid a claim to the property, and no inheritance taxes that needed to be paid on it. (And considering that Emerald Fennell comes from a wealthy family, you'd think these points would have occurred to her.) Honestly, the end feels more like his fantasy imagining of how he wanted things to go than how they actually would.

[@theshakter]

I think a Netflix series would have helped.

[@tedtawk2783]

Thank you! “He’s crazy so he does whatever” ugh I’m amazed some people make excuses for blatantly weak writing

[@Δ-Δ-Δ-Δ]

Basically this whole movie. I thought he was genuinely poor, which would've given so much context as to why he's the way he is. But nope, he was just lying and he wanted the castle all along. Nonsensical. Outlandish. Ridiculous.

[@bigoltits1880]

His craziness was heavily foreshadowed/hinted at in the initial scenes. It did not come out of nowhere

[@pedrorian528]

he's not crazy, Oliver is supposed to be an power obssessed character that goes over the edge to obtain it, the movie works well for this but fails on the others nuances

[@victoriamovchan8470]

It’s incredibly frustrating to watch a movie that looks so well directed and shot just to realise by the end of it that you’ve been given a TikTok bait

[@Δ-Δ-Δ-Δ]

Good one. Tiktok bait. That should be included in a dictionary, because it's such a fitting statement or denominator, yet so specific I would have 0 idea as to how it could be defined for those blessed by ignorance of not knowing how that feels like. Do you know what I'm saying?

[@PigeonFace4Life]

Uh you’ve hit the nail on the head with tik tok bait

[@kkickks]

the director even admitted this in several interviews. It’s really just several shock factor / audience service scenes that are haphazardly justified to create hype around the film… “look at this crazy scene, can’t believe how explicit and grotesque they were” becomes the only selling point…

[@miintyfresj]

I was betrayed by this movie for that exact reason!

[@wanderinglizzy]

You've hit the nail on the head with how Oliver has two conflicting motivations. When I was watching the film, I thought that his motivation is about power and manipulation - he gets off on controlling and manipulating those around him, and when the people he's manipulating have power (ie in the form of money) he gets more of a thrill out of it. But this falls apart in the last quarter of the film where he goes on a murder spree and it's revealed that it was about the house all along. I really like the solution that you suggested of Farley discovering Oliver's lies and being killed for it works really well, and having Oliver struggle to kill off the rest of the family members would make the audience root for him more.

[@veinprotection]

gonna be honest, i do not think it was about the house all along. why would he suddenly go after it again 15 yrs later when felix’s dad dies if that was his motivation all along? the movie is about oliver’s greed and never being able to be satiated 😭😭

[@lynnlamay7473]

If it were all about the house, why would he have kept every family member's stone??

[@bigoltits1880]

the movie is literally titled "saltburn" - which is the name of that estate. So the clues were there from the get go. Anyway, it's not about the physical house itself, it's about what the Saltburn house represents. It's the ultimate status symbol and it just fell into the lap of that rich family who "sleep with their bellies exposed". In the protagonist's eyes, they have done nothing to earn it. So he takes it from them. He only covets it because it fell into their laps through sheer luck . This movie was about balancing the scales of luck-based injustice between the Poor Vs Rich. How did all of this fly over your head lol?

[@red_calla_lily]

I would have prefered if he had let Felix' family live so he could actually BECOME Felix replacement. It ties the two motivations together, his weird admiration for Felix and his greed. I always took Oliver's love for Felix as a twisted obsession like cannibals have. The kind of homoerotic obsession where you don't really know if you want to be WITH them - or be them. Cannibals destroy their victims to consume, so they can make them a permanent part of themselves, and the bathtub scene gives off these vibes to me.

[@pooscifer]

I think it's a limerence thing - if you really envy what someone has you can simultaneously love/admire them (for having it) and also hate them (because you envy them) and the experience masquerades as that weird possessive kind of love where you can't tell if you want to date them or be them. That's what I got from it at least.

[@BH-2023]

That's not limerance. The closest real life phenomena is splitting, which makes psychological sense for Olly

[@pooscifer]

@@BH-2023 makes sense

[@avaklein9145]

@@BH-2023meh speaking for myself, when i split i have immense guilt and i feel bad, hes consistently cold and unempathetic. splitting is a bpd thing and high emotion is necessary for bpd. cant be consistently heartless and emotionless w bpd

[@Dauerglotzer123]

I assumed it was bc he was obsessed with felix (him saying he didnt love him I took as an unreliable narrator type thing). And when felix turned him down he decided if he couldnt have him, no one else could. Then he decided to become felix. I never thought the house was his day 1 campaign

[@Ok-qu2cf]

I thought so as well, but the whole throwing up scene just doesn’t make sense now that we know it was forced. And we also don’t see him taking down any of Felix’s lovers or being jealous of them. He was just a creep watching them do stuff

[@Ok-qu2cf]

Well maybe minus the scene when he tells him he loves him

[@Dauerglotzer123]

The lovers thing I can rationalise as none of them ever lasted more than an evening so may not have been threat level? Can't speak for all tho

[@veinprotection]

@@Ok-qu2cf the throwing up scene was forced so it gave felix a chance to drink from the bottle that oliver handed him?

[@Ok-qu2cf]

@@veinprotection it just seems built on chance or luck too much. Like how did Oliver know that Felix was going to drink the bottle when he threw up. There doesn’t rlly seem to be a plan there, just hope

[@paulinaispunk]

This is the BEST analysis ive seen! It's so frustrating that Emerald didn't pick one lane and stick in it.

[@gigglegirl07]

It's so easy to be distracted by the film because it's got a lot going for it and it's very entertaining. However, I remember watching it for the first time and being like, "That made no sense." I loved your takes sm 🙏🏾

[@FallingSport]

Damn, that typo example was killer. Keep up the great analysis and the creative bits!

[@zqxzqxzqx1]

Skip Saltburn and watch The Talented Mr. Ripley instead.

[@letmetellyalilstory9122]

Or Purple Noon 👍

[@Δ-Δ-Δ-Δ]

What's that about, mate? Many have mentioned it as a better alternative. What's it about?

[@Arthur-nr5ci]

​@@Δ-Δ-Δ-ΔIt's essentially Saltburn with emotional stakes, better acting, and more suspense.

[@Belloqs]

I watched it straight after as a reminder of how it's done well!

[@videodoranteater]

And Matchpoint

[@nonbinarymess]

i usually am sort of “eh” about rewrites but im in LOVE with your alternate story and SO MAD i cant watch it

[@mlwz1082]

This is the one I've been waiting for, I need your perspective on this.

[@romijane]

It's all style, no substance, no original ideas and it tried to use shock value to move the story forward, except it wasn't shocking cause there was no build-up and everything just felt random. I fully agree with your "Kill your Darlings" ! I found the lack of motivation and logic to the story a big bore. There's plenty of analysis on how it's a rip off but even the grave scene was done much better in Shameless (at least it made more sense and it was funny in that context). I agree with your analysis, but I don't think it could be easily fixed, it was a bunch of unoriginality packaged to appeal visually to audiences. I did like Rosamund Pike, she was so good in her role and the only funny character.

[@AnnabellaInMyMind]

I feel like as soon as they didnt show us the "phone call" where his mom tells him his "dad is dead" i knew it wasnt true

[@DavidN369]

As with your Cillian Murphy, Emma Stone, and "Past Lives" deep-dives, this is an exceptionally insightful analysis. Thank you.

[@HamletWithLions]

There’s a lot that this video points out that I agree with (the mother relationship being weak, the ending being rushed and unbelievable, and that Felix not telling the family about the backstory). But I disagree with the idea that this is an “eat the rich” story. There are elements of “rich people bad”, yes, but Oliver wants to be a part of this world. I believe that this is a movie about obsession. This is about a lonely, average person thinking he deserves more than his average life. I didn’t need a deep backstory beyond the visit home to click that into place. I got the impression that Oliver was severely unbalanced and his rage comes from his normal life, and instead wanting to be special. Being in the light that Felix naturally exudes. To me, Oliver is more like Jeffery Dahmer killing and eating his victims because he was lonely and thought that eating them would bring them closer.

[@stratford1]

THANK YOU for this video. Not because I hated the movie, I’m ambivalent towards it, but because these are some really useful writing tips for aspects of plot design I’ve struggled with.

[@BH-2023]

Being a therapist working with people with personality disorders (including ASPD), I think made it easier for me to accept Olly's inconsistent motivations. While "The Talented Mr. Ripley" is a better movie with better characters, I think Fenel did such a good job crafting a character with a real-enough personality disorder (probably some kind of ASPD with psychopathoc features comorbid with BPD features) that the inconsistencies didnt bothered me. From a personality disorder perspective, Olly makes perfect sense, while still being fictional

[@dravendarkmatter]

this

[@blindpilot_v1]

I don’t think that we need to be on Ollie’s side or understand his motivations. As with many people m for have personality disorders their motivations and logic do not related to most people. Similarly we do not need to wholesale dislike or hate all of the family so that we can have a clearly defined right and wrong. Having a grey area is what I like most about this film. I also disagree with the video essays need for Ollie to have a fixed immovable multination that is clear and defined the entirety of the film. Ollie plans and researches some things to be likeable and relatable but he is a chameleon and needs to be in proximity to learn and amalgamate with his “prey”. I don’t believe that Ollie wanted to kill Felix he wanted to be imbedded enough to be part of the family. However, once his deception is discovered he has know choice but to kill him or risk the forever losing his role in the family, which is pretty much confirmed by Farleigh.

[@schylerlanders7566]

The first watch I had all the same feelings as you. The second watch I’ve came to terms with this movie being a masterpiece. This movie is definitely made for a 2nd watch after you find out about the plot twist.

[@JamesVanDeWaal]

A fellow Irishman who understands me ! Film is still excellently produced, shot, acted, edited, scored etc.

[@ryanmcgurk4655]

Have to give all our support to the Irish creators 🎉🎉

[@Leonidas_Papadakis]

I just watched Saltburn, and it’s an incredible movie I really enjoyed it. However, Barry Keoghan's appearance didn’t quite work for me, and, honestly, it took away from the film. Imagine if they’d cast Cooper Koch instead, the actor from The Mendez Brothers. Not only is he easy on the eyes, but he’s also a talented, much younger actor who would have been perfect for the role of an Oxford student. He’d bring a natural charm and complement the rest of the cast beautifully. Barry, on the other hand, has an unusual look that almost seems cartoon-like. He’s definitely a good actor, but his appearance feels somewhat distracting, and I’m not sure why he was chosen for this role.

[@davidmylchreest3306]

The Talented Mr. Ripley did all of this, without the problems and so much better, 25 years ago.

[@jamesrella763]

The bones are missing in this movie. It’s an empty hole filled with pretty skin and some period blood.

[@habibakasrawy]

this is my favorite comment

[@comfortm1506]

the funniest thing about the saltburn script is that everyone has better ideas than what fennell ended up writing.

[@modest_meghan]

5:39 so far i think you are missing what i understood, which was, he loves him in a way that he wants to be him. but i am interested to see where your analyses goes as always!

[@modest_meghan]

okay, loved your analysis, except for one point. i don't think Oliver needs a backstory other than being average. he is not exceptional (not #1 at anything and no tragic backstory to make him interesting). i viewed that as the motive.

[@JustNoticedIt]

I still wonder what does Venicia mean by "you are better than the one last year". Is that an empty statement just trying to create a storyline of how Felix do have "pets" go with him in Saltburn?

[@lisanicholson597]

You're right! This would really have made the film make more sense

[@julius-stark]

I don't get why people were so crazy about this movie. It's well shot and looks very nice, but plot is all over the place. I had it explained to me that Oliver, who comes from a humble home, desperately wants to be part of the aristocracy and sees getting in with an elite family as a way of doing it. He was envious of Felix and want to essentially be him, but when Felix finds out his true past he becomes a threat so Oliver kills him, and then kills the sister so she can't turn the mother against him, and then after the dad dies convinces the mom to leave Saltburn to him and then kills her. The movie kind of conflates Oliver's apparent desire for Felix with his desire to be an elite. I don't think the movie successfully does this but it's the best interpretation of the movie I've heard that makes some sense.

[@krombopulos_michael]

I feel like there was something that I just didn't connect with on this film and this video really clarified it for me. Oliver just doesn't make much sense as a character. It feels like it's trying to do this big Kaiser Soze reveal at the end but what it's revealing is behind some dirty frosted glass that still makes you wonder what you're looking at. His character is just muddled and it's not really clear what he ever wanted or what drove his actions.

[@a-man2530]

The Talented Mr Ripley is a better version of the same movie

[@DavidRamos-sr8cx]

Thanks for the recap. I fell asleep during most of the movie, but I caught the end. Sit through that entire movie to see the lead actors junk bouncing around.

[@tangerinescreen]

I would watch every alternate movie idea this guy has proposed

[@katcuzzi]

I really love this movie but I also agree with everything you say here. What it lacked in writing, it made up for in artistic boldness. It could have been an Oscar winner with your recommended updates.

[@lisal6736]

you deserve an oscar

[@Uconnspartan]

Didn’t know you started posting again. This is amazing thought you had permanently stopped. Just want to let you know as a fellow cinephile, I really appreciate your videos.

[@JustanObservation]

Thank you, I really appreciate it!

[@DarkSweetZulie]

I totally agree and it would have been so much better with the changes you suggested.

[@AbiramiPhilosirid]

Fully agree with this analysis. I wish we could send this to the Director and writer of the movie… would be curious to know how they react

[@jw-ob1wv]

They're the same person. I think that's the problem, she didn't think to get a second opinion on her script.

[@culchiefilms1791]

I haven't seen the movie but from just watching this I am thinking what if the writer(s) or director were trying to show how psychopaths don't always make sense, since in a lot of media the psycopaths are always geniuses? The point could be that there was no logic behind the killings and that these types of killers don't even know the real reason themselves.

[@ezravldina3467]

Ok that is fine but it was the house all along was so stupid, I mean if you really think about it, why would he attain the house at the end. The whole plot was convenience and plot Armour

[@esig7695]

I really genuinely love your observation,i really. I wish you made an observation on the series you or the movie scenes of a marriage. Please post more

[@thehood-nv7xl]

saltburn feels like a more depraved and less emotionaly mature version of the talented Mr.Ripley

[@HauntFormer]

Great insights, JAO!

[@dalriadaskillen]

I agree, the writing & plotting is weak. However, the relationship between Oliver & the mother was ‘developed’ more than you indicate here. There were a few scenes indicating that she has become fond of Oliver & is growing to rely on his presence, but again, it’s done in a ‘tell not show’ way that is unconvincing.

[@dillonwalshpvd]

Exactly. It felt like a bunch of great elements they just couldn't bring together in the end.

[@BwInNewJersey]

Excellent. Its so disappointing when you see a movie with such potential slip down the drain. Your fixes, particularly going with his love for Felix, would have worked.

[@bigdumb1]

"slip down the drain" was such a funny choice of words considering a certain scene in this movie lmao

[@antsteradams]

Great to see a video from you again. Hope all is well. I liked Saltburn but not all the hype. I thought some of the ways the family were portrayed was too cliché and I also couldn't work out the game plan Oliver was following. It feels vague as a result . I really struggled that the family would put on such an expensive party for Oliver - it just all seemed so unlikely and if the family were really that wealthy, they wouldn't be living in Britain in the summer anyway.

[@paulaparker1380]

I enjoyed the movie but couldn't quite put my finger on what was off about it - you've articulated it perfectly! Thank you. I have closure lol

[@paulos012456]

Oliver is a vain psychopath. He cannot accept the fact that those "inferior" rich people are loved and idolized more than what he thinks he deserves. He sees himself as king and wants it all for himself. He wants to play and likes the game. He is vain, psychopathic and narcissistic. Those are the motivations of his shallow intentions. It's not needed that he comes from a poor family, was bullied or anything. He's evil and likes it.

[@hannahmiller8628]

Agh I see what you mean but I disagree. I think that the movie is about obsession. It can be a mix of both hate AND love. I think that Ollie is just grasping at straws at first, to get into Felix’s life and to be more like him. Once he has blown it, and Felix under covers that Ollie is a liar, I think he just panicked. If Ollie can’t have Felix, no one can. Then he gets the opportunity to live out his dream and BE Felix, except it doesn’t quite work. His family is under Ed by him, and the sister sees through him now. Ollie can’t control the other family members to live out his fantasy- to be Felix and have the world obey him because of his charm and charisma. This lack of control builds a hatred. To truly control the family is to control the memory of them. When they are better off dead. Idk whether or not the sister did kill herself or it was Ollie. But I believe she may have. I do think the dad died of natural causes. The mother was really his only actual thought out target. She was the weakest link, especially after the passing of her family. It established that Ollie is a psychopath with anti personally disorder qualities, much like a serial killer. And like a serial killer- when give. The chance they elaborate. They may want you to think it was a big grand plan, that they are a genius apart from us as to justify their crimes and otherness…. But it’s all just rubbish. They, like Ollie, are unreliable narrators. I don’t think that Ollie’s o section does with Felix, nor getting asked to leave Saltburn. He always craved to go and take it back, to inherit it just like how Felix would. At the end shot you see Ollie standing there with the puppets and four stones. Finally Ollie has control over all of them, all of it. Just like how he envisioned Felix did. He is what it looks like when you run away with obsession but never get caught. No grand plan, at least not till the end. Just letting passion run the train.

[@ezravldina3467]

That is fine and all but the rich would never give up their wealth easily ad that, where are the other relatives and other rich people to come and claims that house, the last act was so stupid

[@MarieLautner]

Even if it was mainly about obsession, the film doesn't consistently or properly explore that theme. And it's very clearly shown that inheriting the house was his plan all along so obsession with the family doesn't really make sense. Especially considering how he disposed of all of them in such an uncaring way. The only death that affected him was Felix's. I don't think he loved Felix, I think he wanted to be him/have his life. So him being obsessed with Felix or becoming Felix makes sense but once again, doesn't align with the ending or his interactions with the other characters. Not to mention, his plan makes little sense. Ollie's characterization is sloppy & inconsistent, and so are his motives. That's the biggest problem with the film, along with its failed "eat the rich" message.

[@Leomerya12]

Any time I'm confused by the behaviors of people in real life, I watch a film and realize that incoherent and incomplete thought is a REAL thing.

[@llamasarus1]

From the start, I thought they were setting the movie up like Midsommar or Get Out, where the protagonist is invited to this enchanting, exotic environment and gets taken advantage of, so when I saw Oliver doing these abrasively shocking things right away, it just sowed in me confusion and annoyance. It would've been smarter if they deceptively baited the idea of them possibly taking advantage of Oliver (like at the beginning of Barbarian) and slowly eased into revealing Oliver's dark side. Then, I would've been far less annoyed and more intriguing.

[@DerryMaine86]

Why couldn’t his motivation have changed overtime? Like in 2002 his motivation is just to ingratiate himself in the socialites, but later he just wants the house.

[@JustanObservation]

It can if you bridge the gap between both motivations, which the movie never does, and he also has no underlying emotional need to pursue the house either

[@nathlete87]

I think him going to the extremes he went makes sense out of obsession with Felix. I took it as, he snapped after Felix accidentally exposed him with the family visit, and he decided if I can’t have him I’ll take his life and everything in it.

[@the_potato_herald]

I’d dispute that ”never boring”; to me, one of the biggest issue was it doesn’t hold my interest precisely because he protagonist doesn’t make sense

[@neivilde.1242]

i like your story much more, my alternative take was that farleigh and oliver were in on it together, i was going with the logic of them having the same academic advisor, so they spent time together in oxford outside of felix, and i thought it would've been cool if they had formed a friendship or relationship, like maybe farleigh actually hates his family bc of how they treat him, and oliver saw an opportunity and was like what if we get rid of them, and the movie would've been them taking them out one by one together with no one knowing that they worked together. like the reveal that they knew each other would come at the very end for the audience

[@anthonydaniele7851]

Finally watched it… I agree with the analysis and the fixes, with one minor difference. The people most resentful of the super rich are not the working (or under) class, but the middle class. Having Ollie raised with more than 99% of the world but still feeling deprived and envious would’ve been harder to communicate than what you described, but ultimately I think it would’ve been more compelling.

[@filmreviewer117]

The ending annoyed me so much as they build up an entire film of obsession with Felix then flip it at the end without any step to all of it being about trying to take the house/land. If they stuck with Felix and exploring the relationship until the end where Oliver kills him because he was never going to feel the same way it would've felt like a complete story.

[@rehanpoonawalla7406]

I so so SOO wanted saltburn to be good. I've been following it since before it popped off on tiktok, during those first teasers and trailer. It looked ao intriguing and when i finally watched it. I wss so disappointed, the reasons why i was so disappointed with are exactly what you said in this video. I try explaining why i dislike the movie to my friends and am just unable to properly convey my thoughts so seriouslt rhank you for this😭 i thought i was going insane for being the few to dislike it amongst my friends😭 now i can just show them this video

[@dhanisthsarawagi5395]

This is apt, I spend last night contemplating in similar directions

[@Erasureeraser]

I actually liked the movie and didn't have problems watching it but i do agree there were just some missed opportunities that could've made the movie even better

[@marianperez1529]

I feel the same way with both of the films, Saltburn and Promising YW.

[@mesovogue]

How to fix Saltburn? Watch the talented Mr Ripley

[@lindyhop24]

Honestly, I think the best justification I can give to Oliver's actions in the movie, as is, is that he's SO in denial about his love for Felix that, after feeling "betrayed" and killing him, the instant remorse/guilt he felt caused him so much mental distress that he couldn't take it anymore. To save himself from the pain of what he'd done, his brain retroactively justified all his past actions as "oh, I was actually doing this to get the house the whole time, I never ACTUALLY loved him, I actually hated him" etc, and continued forward under that pretense, because it was the only way he could live with himself. I still don't think that the movie does a good job setting this motivation up properly, but it's the only reading that makes any sense to me, as I fully agree that otherwise scenes like the bathtub and grave scene make no sense in the context of the ending of the film and the "master plan from the beginning" move. In this theory, Oliver would have started out being manipulative, but only so far as that he would do anything to be with Felix. He wanted nothing more than to get to know him, and he fabricated a scenario to make it happen. Everything before killing Felix was done for the sake of infatuation, and everything after was his mind re-writing history as a form of self-preservation from overwhelming guilt. It also helps explain why such a "brilliantly masterminded plan" had such a reliance on flimsy, lucky elements, like the father's death. Now, does the movie do a good job of explaining this? Hell no, but it's the most charitable read I can think of to eliminate the most plot-holes. I think a re-write like you suggested could also have made THAT into a more obvious and interesting theme for the movie.

[@VICTORZITOSS]

Yeaaaah Let's get this video to a lot of views in the first hour so that it gets love from youtube Algorithm bless this video which i liked even before watching it because it's that good Seriously, sometimes i end up pissed off because i can't like it again after watching it, fix that youtube Lots of words lots of engagement, yadda yadda

[@SuperStella1111]

Stop being afraid to talk about class, people. Lean into that discomfort; this film should have.

[@yaizudamashii]

The biggest problem I have with Oliver’s house motivation is that a castle is purely a money sink it costs way too much to maintain while earning no revenue. There must be a way that the family is making money but that is not mentioned and the business is what Oliver really should be after rather than the caste which will leave him dry.

[@RockyGems]

See, I figured the movie was supposed to run on weird fairytale logic anyway. I like this version better though!

[@SpotCam]

holy shit man hahaa your proposal is legit so much better than the actual film

[@ras613pa]

Good analysis of what is wrong but could be right about this movie. I have an alternate ending for the movie 'as it is.' What happened to the butler? He at least should have shown up at the end, during the dance, showed all of the receipts he had gathered on all that occurred and showed our little boy who would really in charge for the rest of his life.

[@bonniemarshall3498]

I have reacessed my opinion of Saltburn this reviewer says what I had felt about the characters motivations for trying to get close to wealth. What could have been a secondary story is that the rich family are not whom they appear sort of like a Get Out plot..They are cannibals or some other evildoers..But Oliver has besides an fierce attraction to Felix. But the story doesn't make sense without some fleshing out of this script. But I love Barry Keoghan and he is a very interesting actor.. The Banshees of Isheran is a great movie all around. And he was also fantastic in Dunkirk even though I don't like war movies in general.

[@dietdrpepper15]

This couldn't be an 'eat the rich story', since Emerald comes from a wealthy family.

[@bigdumb1]

sure it could. there are tons of self-consciously rich people in the arts who think making "eat the rich" themed films/novels/whatever will make the rest of us consider them "one of the good ones".

[@snorystory5803]

I think the disconnect was partly on purpose and partly accidental because Emerald wanted to tell a story of class struggles. I.e. “The middle classes wanting to devour the upper classes.” It has plot holes because her point of view is flawed.

[@camdelsol365]

A bit of the Talented Mr Ripley premise?

[@SKCrilly]

Forgive me if this doesn't make sense. I am writing this in what feels like a fever dream of sleepiness. I don't think the twist is that it was all for the money. I think the film has an unreliable narrator, who's lies and obsession venture into the dangerous when they begin to slip through his fingers. The vampire scene could be either displaced desire, or a manipulation to integrate into the family, because he can't take the risk with Felix, to be close to his obsession. When Felix discovered his secret and rebukes him, Oliver spirals, his obsession turns sour and he only sees the option of killing his fixation. Hate, desire, and obsession all tangled together. The rest is consolation, if he can't have what he originally wanted, he will lie to himself and say it was all for the money. It's like when you have a whirlwind romance that sours and love turns to disgust, but say "I was only in it for (XYZ reason)". It hurts to be rejected, so we justify or minimize it. Or how stalkers think they are in love with their victims, and something makes them think they must kill their target to preserve their image (or something). Oliver likely always envied Felix and his money, layering the feelings he had for him, it was easy to convince himself, for his psyche, this was the deception all along. In reality, once his target was gone, he shifted his obsession to the house, having always coveted it. However he does tell some truth at the end about him never being "in love," not referring to platonic love, but to obsession which is not the same as being in love with someone.

[@sassycaterpillar6631]

Emerald said the movie was based on tumblresque obsessions with celebrities, so going off of that, im thinking his initial plan wasnt the house, it was Felix, but since he messed it up with Felix, he killed him, since if he cant have him, no one can. Then he decided to BECOME him to the limits of his capabilities due to the family forcing him out. It's reflective of the theme of the movie, which is "obsession."

[@leviathanfood]

I think the idea of him loving Felix, being obsessed with him, the bathtub scene, the vampire scene, the grave, are all supposed to be indicative of just how obsessive and parasitic this character is. My reading is that he wants to consume this family and take everything that they have to such a point that he both obsessively loves them and hates that at the same time, as it encompasses jealousy and highlights the lacking of what he is. I do agree that there isn't any information given on why he is just so driven to accomplish this goal however. Maybe he is singularly driven by the need to be successful and rich? Your points about the story being changed to highlight his motivations more are really interesting. However I don't think I like the idea of the audience being on his side in that way, I think we're supposed to be very uneasy about this character and the lengths he will go to and that may detract from that.

[@xenadonau8356]

Why does a villain needs to have some redemption arc? Human greed and envy isn't always justifed. An evil person can have an objectively good life and be still wanting more

[@NextLineIsMine]

Not since “Passengers” in 2016 have I seen a movie that could have been great with just some minor reordering of events and cutting of some scenes.

[@ia2625]

There was no reveal that he wanted the house all along. I don't know where this absolute misinterpretation comes from. The reveal was only that he was more manipulative than we thought, and capable from the start (not willing from the start) to do what he did, which is really only a soft reveal and not a full on plot twist since at that point there has already been at least a few revelations about him lying, manipulating and killing. His motivations change course after Felix disowns him as a friend. The Oliver we see at the end is an empty shell trying to get the most bitter and empty revenge from Farleigh in his mind. He wanted Felix to accept him, he didn't (as Farleigh said), so he became him, burning everything down in the process. The triumphant dance is in ironic contrast to what has happened. The framing narration is unreliable since he's repainting his past feelings to cope, but it's still revealing. His feelings were extreme on both ends, since he wanted Felix to love him and was murderously afraid of being cast out by him, which ironically led to exactly that. As for the implausibility of Oliver's schemes, it's consistent with not only the stylistically exaggerated black comedy world of the movie but also Oliver's already stylistically eccentric character within that world. This is a kid who spent his summer reading The Bible. Also this is not an "eat the rich" story and is attempting to say much less about an empty generality like class than people claim. It's not a completely original narrative (from Shakespeare to Mr. Ripley) but its infinitely more nuanced than these trite, clear-cut, babies first screenwriting fixes.

[@Stickmantoon]

I completely agree! It seems not many people can see these nuances.

[@valentinanapoli6920]

Totally agree

[@JordynHealing]

I think Saltburn was just meant to be a fluffy piece of porn tbh and it worked well as that. It was hot and artful but lacked real depth

[@janmarchand7294]

I felt like he wanted to devour them and take everything they had that he didn't. It was a beautifully shot film, and all the actors were great, but somehow I felt it needed more, something was lacking.

[@john_mega]

All of Us Strangers next please

[@Utoobeh4tesfreespeech]

I haven't seen the movie but I think its maybe discounting the fact that psychopaths often don't have linear or clear (to us anyway) motives. They lie for no reason even when they don't need to. They seduce and deceive to play with people's emotions bc it gratifies them in some way. No always a 'typical' way. Usually wanting something immediately and very shallow. They just mirror other people's feelings or desires back to them. The feeling they most experience is boredom. They are often just going with the flow. No real plan. Long term requires having patience to delay an outcome or gratification. So they often just change course when a different opportunity presents itself for "the hit" or novelty. All of that multiplied if they also have NPD. Is it possible he was just written to be that? A pure study in psychopathic hedonism where he strictly just did everything as it pleased him ? With no thought or connection to other actions? Maybe he just followed every random desire he had to its full conclusion and then picked up another and so forth. Without an actual "plan" but just to see what he could do? Just 'why not'. People like that arent going to 'make sense' to us. Just a thought

[@siddharthanilkumar8826]

i really liked your video and the points you bring up but I think broey deschanel's video on saltburn was a bit more in theme

[@francesbell9465]

I agree completely. Your points to improve it would have made it into the great movie it was supposed to be. (P.s. The gross-out scenes especially the vampire one stay with me now and I feel only cringe when I think of the movie 🤢)

[@t221000]

It was a very confusing and difficult movie 🎥. Promising Young Woman 👩 was a perfect movie from Emerald. I went to see this movie thinking 💭 it was a love ❤️ story because that’s how they promoted it only to be disturbed by what it is. It seemed like it was meant to be satire but there are so many things missing that should be in the story.

[@Δ-Δ-Δ-Δ]

Didn't like the movie. Because it felt like a Call Me By Your Name, quirky, 2000's nostalgia bait kind of film in the beginning. Then it shifted to a crazy thriller with actual murder somewhere along the way. Not only that, but Olliver as a character makes 0 sense for me. He was middle class. I don't get why he wanted Saltburn so much all along. It's a goal that doesn't seem fitting for me.

[@firstnamelastname816]

I don't understand why film KZbin is unwilling to take a deeper dive into this movie. It's way more meticulously written and layered than it has been given credit for. Lower-viewer film KZbin has done a lot of interesting analysis of Saltburn, while higher-viewer filmtube is weirdly proud doing the Buzz Lightyear shopping aisle meme.

[@stevestevensong3401]

shut up anime pfp

[@temimay-parker7073]

Did anyone else notice that at @6:37 he actually does have pounds in his wallet? He's just playing a game!

[@Jtex_123]

Honestly I want that house too lol

[@Lala-zj9sl]

I think he loved the idea of Felix. Like how he was loved and surrounded by everyone. Which made him love and hate felix as a person. 'Love' as an envy(which somehow lead to 🛁⚰️ 🤮)and 'hate' because he was admired by people unlike Oliver .i think at first he just wanted to be friends with felix because he might have thought that would make him 'higher' somehow. Then he saw the mansion and realised he wanted it. Venetia is the easiest way in, which explains the vampire🤢scene.Maybe not actually marrying her,but asserting dominance over her (mentally disturbed brain).But later realised Felix doesn't like it and that its most likely he get kicked out like 'felix's old toys'. Maybe he didn't actually plan to kill anyone at first. He killed Felix so that nobody else will know his lies. Killed venetia for the same reason. Still got kicked out. Which made him think he should have killed everyone. And later when he had a chance he used it. Even if he was not kicked out he would still have killed them.

[@reviewiaid6432]

I love the movie as it is the first time watching. It disturbs me, in a lot of ways. Only critique i got was how convenient it is that he waited like 15 years to bet that James would die first, or that he still was married to Espelth. Its a kind of movie you need to rewatch to analyze but at the same time too disturbing to analyze. I like the movie but also hate it… kinda like Oliver like Felix but hate him… It’s thought-provoking and leaves many open-ended questions and incites discussion. So its a solid movie for me

[@RasberryLemonade11]

I agree. At the end of The Talented Mr. Ripley, I was rooting for Tom. At the end of Saltburn, I wasn’t rooting for Ollie. If this had been on purpose, where the true villain wins in the end, then I could appreciate that. But since it’s clear it’s not on purpose then I don’t care for it. I also get irritated at plot points where the villain leaves too much up to chance.

[@red_calla_lily]

I agree that sometimes the movie goes off the rails with Oliver's randomness. Though, to be honest, I don't like the suggested "grudge against the family because his grandpa died". The whole point of Oliver's fabricated "sad backstory" is that there is no real, understandable reason for what he does. He knows fully well that people like stories and patterns and abuses this fact to create an artificial character that "makes sense" to the audience and Felix. Maybe he is just a weird loner who enjoys power and manipulation. If anything, I would have tied the motivations together by Oliver taking Felix' place in the family. A bit like in "Parasite". That would have made much more sense since gaining power of people, not things, seems to be what he's really getting off to.

[@ephsee8669]

No but there’s murder on the dance floor, so you’re wrong

[@MagicSphere16]

if he was actually poor and not middle class and the Catton family not being innocent, totally would fix the movie

[@incandenzahal]

You nailed it. A stupid person’s intelligent film.

[@THEADAMCLASSIC]

Could you please make a video on How Gojira perfected the role of Godzilla in Godzilla Minus One? I think that would be a hilarious April Fools episode! Thanks for what you do.

[@JustanObservation]

I considered doing a Tommy wiseau in the room acting analysis but my schedule didn’t line up

[@ghlibisk67]

I had extremely low expectations of this movie, to the point that at the end I recognized how little sense it made but I didn’t care. I actually forgave the movie for surprising me and exceeding expectations. I had the complete opposite experience in every way when I watched True Detective Night Country.

[@maximef5139]

I think the absurdism and symbolism are of great value in this movie, imo you're trying too hard to rationalize it, but still, as ever, great vid, great work!

[@Lilaspourmoi]

Nah disagree with most of what you said. I found the motivation easy: he desired Felix. In the way where he wants to be him, become him through possession. He wants to possess not only saltburn, but also, figuratively or physically, he wants to possess the family. Which he does by having sex, swallowing bath water, and converting family to agree with him. I thought that was super well done. Desire and jealousy is truly well depicted throughout the whole movie.