Saltburn is a 2023 black comedy thriller film written and directed by Emerald Fennell. The story centers on Oliver Quick, a middle-class Oxford student who becomes obsessed with Felix Catton, a wealthy, aristocratic fellow student. Felix invites Oliver to spend the summer at his eccentric family's grand estate called Saltburn. The film explores themes of desire, obsession, class divide, and the lengths someone will go to attain what they want
. Oliver's fixation on Felix spirals into dangerous obsession, encompassing not just Felix but also his family members and the luxurious lifestyle they represent. The narrative reveals Oliver's darker, manipulative side as he orchestrates events to entrench himself within the Catton family, ultimately leading to dramatic and violent outcomes, including poisoning Felix and inheriting the estate
. Emerald Fennell intended Saltburn to be a gothic story inspired by classics like Rebecca and Brideshead Revisited , using an unreliable first-person narrator to examine restraint and its limits. The film also comments on power, privilege, and the desire to fit into the upper class
. Saltburn premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival in August 2023 and was released in cinemas in November 2023. It received generally positive reviews and was noted for its dark humor, complex characters, and striking production design
