Saltburn (2023)★ 7.1/10

Rich people behaving horribly has never looked this beautiful.

the photograph a 10/10

The film's lighting is particularly intriguing, with red often signaling danger. When Oliver is abandoned by Felix, the blue light on his face turns red, and the next day he lies about his father's death to Felix . The red light reappears during other critical moments, such as when he drinks bathwater and during Felix's murder, showcasing the meticulous attention to the audiovisual.

The director masterfully subverts expectations, making the audience's guesses futile as the truth is as unpredictable as the countless reflections in Olive's mirrors. The cinematography is truly impressive, using shadows and wide angles to create a visually stunning experience.

This director definitely has a vision, a dark and great sense of humor. Already looking forward to more of her work.

AMC. 8.5 out of 10. It portrays pure, unapologetic homoeroticism, exploring the collision of raw desire and physicality at its core. This is far from the craving for wealth or power depicted in “Parasite”, but rather a deep dive into possessiveness - being unafraid to shatter ethical boundaries or cross the line between life and death in the pursuit of near-eternal dominance over the other. The numerous raw and violent displays of primal instincts in the film appear to be the most sensually captivating moments in recent years, all while maintaining the necessary restraints. Both Barry and Jacob unquestionably deliver flawless performances.

This has definitely been my favorite movie in theaters recently. It perfectly caters to my self-claimed dark yet artistic sensibilities. The cinematography and visuals alone are enough to showcase the movie's ambitious intentions. While acting can't change someone's looks, it does alter how we perceive them. As a murder mystery, it's riddled with plot holes, but that's not the movie's main focus. With many outdated elements blended in, this kind of story needs to be shown on the big screen for the intended impact.

The audio-visual aspects fall short, the criticism lacks rigor, and it is not bold enough for the cult appeal it aims for. The slow pace in the first hour revealed the screenwriter's shortcomings, with a significant portion of the plot being completely pointless. A skilled screenwriter should establish the main character's personality and relationships in just one or two scenes. However, in this film, the story doesn't really get going until an hour in, and I would have given up if Barry wasn't the lead. At least the dance scene at the end somewhat made up for the two and a half hours I wasted.

The first half of the film is significantly better because everyone seems to have his own axe to grind. Once the motives are revealed, the whole emotional build-up just collapses. The same story has already been told in much more sophisticated and refined manners countless times before. In contrast, the character relationships in this movie are all over the place, the character arcs seem half-baked, and the emotions all come across as superficial. All the director could do was rely on kinky play to grab the audience's attention. Rosamund Pike's character is too one-dimensional, and her sudden affection for the male lead feels inexplicable. The supporting characters just disappeared for no reason.

In my opinion, Emerald Fennell is pretty on par with Sofia Coppola. Barry Keoghan's performance has always been consistently impressive, surpassing my expectations every time. However, if he could collaborate with a more skilled director who could fully tap into his potential—whether in physical appearance or psychological allure — he would quickly ascend to the ranks of the best actors of this era.

This surpasses the director's previous works with its gloomy style, exquisite artistry, and cast ensemble. While it may bear a resemblance to films like "Parasite", "The Talented Mr. Ripley”, "Brideshead Revisited”, and "The Family Game”, Barry Keoghan's outstanding performance brings out the character's inner twisted nature, contributing to the film's distinctiveness and significance.

A completely no trustworthy story, explained with a bunch of quick flashbacks that are popular in low quality suspense films. But the beauty of the form is also done well. As for the degree of nausea, it is just the behavioral concept conveyed. Those scene made me "Wow" and then found it's OK.