During the holidays it’s normal for certain movies to have their time in the spotlight, but I think we can all agree when I say that none of us expected Saltburn to be that movie.
Between its opening on Nov. 17, 2023, and the end of the year, Saltburn took audiences and social media by storm. But why? Was it the style, the timing, the casting? The answer is yes.
Saltburn is a movie that is very distinctly made and has a unique style to it. No other film really looks like Saltburn. It has this nice gothic sense to it, and each shot is filled with a fantastic humanistic thriller-vibe.
It’s not your typical holiday film, but if you were sitting around with visiting grandparents and cousins and looking for something to do after the turkey was eaten or the presents were opened, seeing this new movie may have seemed like a good idea at the time. It certainly would have made for interesting discussions!
What works in the film’s favor as well are the two leads, Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan. Elordi brought in fans from his projects like “Euphoria,” The Kissing Booth, and most recently, Priscilla, where he played Elvis.
Keoghan has gained a huge following throughout his decade-long career, showing up in projects like Marvel’s Eternals and The Batman. And I know a bunch of movies that I have watched just for the actor, and these two actors are no different for millions of people.
Saltburn also was talked about a whole bunch on social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter. I am one of those people who found out about it on TikTok. That is how a lot of media – TV shows, books and films – are discovered these days, other than movie trailers on YouTube. And when so many people, including your friends, are talking about a certain movie, you really don’t want to miss out on the discussion, so you watch it.
Films like Saltburn are definitely the films of this generation, popular because of social media and people curious to see what all the hype is about.
Now, was Saltburn a good movie or not? Well… that’s a whole other story.