On Dec 22nd, while Howell High School was on holiday break, Saltburn was released for streaming on Amazon Prime. “Saltburn” stands as a thought-provoking movie, but not for the faint of heart. Director Emerald Fennell has crafted a psychological thriller that dives deep into an unhinged human mind. 

From the opening scenes, “Saltburn” seizes its audience with an intense start to grab attention. Anchored by amazing acting, the movie navigates a dark narrative where sanity and reality intertwine.

“A thrilling twist on the themes from ‘Parasite’ in a westernized setting,” senior Gavin Smalley says.

The film’s ability to disturb lies not in gratuitous violence or cheap scares, but in the human psyche. It raises uncomfortable questions about the fragility of the human mind. In an interview with Deadline, a premier publication for Hollywood, Barry Keoghan discusses his improvised acting in what fans refer to as “the grave scene.” In Keoghan’s words from a Digital Spy interview, this scene is best described as Keoghan’s character “shaggin’ a grave.”

“I think it was a little insane, I did figure it out. I definitely did read that, it was a little weird to hear that he just wanted everybody to leave just so that he could, you know,” junior Ellie Underhill says.

Many fans are at a crossroads regarding how they feel about Keoghan’s suggestion of this scene. Keoghan’s character Oliver is sick and twisted to the extreme, this scene is being interpreted as Keoghan trying to really get in the mind of this character and how Oliver would react to the death of Felix.

“I think it’s a little bit weird that he suggested that, I think he thought he was being quirky with it, and like getting into character and stuff, but it just didn’t settle right with me. Like, there’s other ways you could do that,” Horn says.

The cinematography, coupled with a haunting but catchy soundtrack, elevates the film’s disturbing atmosphere. Unsettling visuals create an experience that lingers long after the credits roll. 

“I feel like the improv scene added to the movie, kinda like threw in how actually messed up his character is and what kind of person he was in the movie,” Underhill says.

 Viewers have been entranced by Jacob Elordi’s looks, and the montage of Elordi in the opening scenes of “Saltburn’’ has been trending with fans naming him the latest “boy of the month” on multiple social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest. Fans have started a trend of creating edits of Elordi’s scenes at the start of the film.

“Personally, Jacob Elordi has been my boy of probably 3 years now, he’s never been just a boy of the month to me,” senior Aubrey Horn.

“Saltburn” is not an easy watch, and it’s not meant to be. It’s disturbing so it challenges viewers to confront things within their reality. For those seeking a cinematic experience that embraces the unsettling, “Saltburn” is a movie worth watching, especially for those who want to stay in the know of modern filmmaking and scriptwriting.