Emerald Fennell made her feature film directorial debut with the 2020 film Promising Young Woman. A tale about the wrongs women face, and what happens when those wrongdoings push them over the edge.
In 2018 Fennell directed and wrote Careful How You Go, a short film starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Charlotte Ritchie which “visits three women as they indulge their taste for recreational cruelty.”
Saltburn is Fennell’s next feature film, and it’s already making waves with folks who are fans of her previous works. The film stars Barry Keoghan as Oliver, a student finding it difficult to fit in at the illustrious Oxford University, and Jacob Elordi as the charming and rich Felix. The two meet and Felix invites Oliver to his family’s estate for the summer, which ends up being one that is “never to be forgotten.”
Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe, Lolly Adefope, and Carey Mulligan fill out the rest of the cast. While the cast alone should have you excited, the new teaser trailer for Saltburn really sets an addicting tone for the film as a whole.
Often in stories of jealousy, we can forget the emotional stakes of our characters. What is so appealing about this trailer is how they’re building up Oliver’s draw and connection to Felix. Themes of excess and privilege, and the lavish lifestyle of Felix and his family, add to the appeal of the film—but my first read of this trailer is that jealousy may also be a throughline. In the teaser, when Oliver sees Felix with a girl, the music begins to swell and the emotions ramp up.
When watching, it feels like Oliver’s emotions are rooted in his feelings for Felix, rather than the life he leads and all that comes with it. But also just the idea of a jealous schoolmate coming to spend the summer with a family he doesn’t know has me instantly invested.
Saltburn will have its premiere at the London Film Festival in October, but first, Elordi’s portrayal of Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla will have its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in early September. He’s continued to show audiences his skills as a performer, going from the love interest in The Kissing Booth to the number one villain of Euphoria. The range of his roles and how he constantly is evolving has made Elordi one of our more fascinating young actors.
I’m invested in Saltburn to see exactly what Felix and Oliver’s relationship will bring and can’t wait until it hits theatres on November 24th!
(featured image: MGM)
