Common Sense Media Review
By Danny Brogan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Wild drama about a privileged world; sex, nudity, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Saltburn
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 12 parent reviews
Based on 41 kid reviews
Kids say the movie is a visually stunning yet deeply disturbing experience, combining dark themes and explicit content that may not suit younger viewers. While some reviews praise the performances and unique style, many express their discomfort with the graphic sexual scenes and suggest it's more appropriate for mature audiences, often highlighting a mismatch between expectations and reality.
- visuals impressive
- graphic content unsettling
- mature audience recommended
- performances strong
- plots confusing
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
While at Oxford University, Oliver (Barry Keoghan) befriends the popular -- and super wealthy -- Felix (Jacob Elordi), who invites him to spend the summer at his family's huge country estate, SALTBURN. Taking his new friend up on his offer, Oliver soon gets swept up into a world of wealth, excess, and extreme privilege.
Is It Any Good?
In her much anticipated follow-up to her breakout film, Promising Young Woman, writer-director Emerald Fennell turns her attentions to the upper class of British society. Saltburn is set in a world of the ultra rich, where the privileged few spend their summers on family estates so big they can't remember the names of the staff that wait on them. Oliver is our gateway into this world after he's invited to spend the summer with his new friend, and fellow Oxford University student, Felix and his eccentric and extraordinarily wealthy family. Keoghan is superb in the lead role, showing off his range as an actor, and proving that he's game for pretty much anything. Elsewhere, Rosamund Pike as Elspeth, the matriarch of the family, gets much of the film's best lines. Saltburn joins a myriad of recent movies about the super-rich (The Menu and Triangle of Sadness to name a few) and, like those films, don't expect to find yourself rooting for anyone. Something of a Talented Mr. Ripley for Generation Z, prepare to enter a world that will shock and disgust, but also one that won't let you turn away.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the world that Saltburn was set. What do you think drew Oliver in? How did Felix and his family treat Oliver? What do you understand the term "privileged" to mean?
How did the film portray the sex and nudity? Was it affectionate and respectful? Was it tastefully handled? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Talk about the violence in the film. Much of it happened off-screen. Did this lessen the impact? Why, or why not? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
How was drinking, smoking, and drug use depicted in the film? Were they glamorized? Why does that matter?
Discuss the strong language used in the movie. What did it contribute to the movie? Is a certain kind of language expected in a movie like this?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 17, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : December 22, 2023
- Cast : Barry Keoghan , Jacob Elordi , Archie Madekwe
- Director : Emerald Fennell
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Writer(s)
- Studios : MGM , Prime Video
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 127 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout, some disturbing violent content, and drug use
- Last updated : April 6, 2024
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