Saltburn

Wealth and power are every bit as addictive as hard drugs in Saltburn, a lurid psychological thriller in which the evocative atmosphere yields an empty payoff.

At least there’s a biting satirical edge in this twisted coming-of-age saga from director Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), in which sexual awakening and social climbing are taken to obsessive extremes in a muddled mess of decadence and debauchery.

“I loved him,” admits Oliver (Barry Keoghan) in the opening narration. “But was I in love with him?” The next two hours dissect that and other questions involving the timid Oxford freshman from a modest background who becomes drawn to charming and handsome classmate Felix (Jacob Elordi), although not necessarily through sexual attraction.

Felix befriends Oliver almost out of pity, as a sort of sidekick accompanying him to parties. His loyalty earns him an invite to Felix’s titular family estate for the summer, where Oliver gains a quirky surrogate family that includes Felix’s aristocratic father (Richard E. Grant), superficial mother (Rosamund Pike), and alluring older sister (Alison Oliver).

Then there’s fellow student houseguest Farleigh (Archie Madekwe), a calculating grifter who is likewise hooked on the lifestyle and sees Oliver as a threat as they both become immersed into the family fabric.

Their rivalry adds tension to the alternately callous and borderline hedonistic interactions charged with fluid sexual energy. Mixing surreal fantasy with over-the-top melodrama, the resulting power struggle involves residents and guests alike in a tangled web of manipulation and backstabbing destined for tragedy.

For the bulk of the film, Oliver provides the emotional anchor by default, considering the lack of compassion and self-awareness of the eccentrics around him. Perhaps the most sympathetic character is the mansion itself, with its elaborately decorated rooms and ornate fixtures. The sequence in which Felix gives Oliver the initial grand tour is a visual delight.

However, Fennell’s screenplay — taking cues from Brideshead Revisited — paints itself into a corner when trying to scrutinize socioeconomic class and explore Oliver’s motives in more detail. Too often the filmmaker sacrifices moral complexity for nihilistic shock value and steamy psychosexual transgressions.

A committed portrayal by Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin) adds some depth to a character whose deep-seeded vulnerabilities fuel a descent into madness. But despite a mischievous audacity, Saltburn rarely digs beneath its surface provocations.

Rated R, 127 minutes.