It’s the film everyone is talking about. Join us for a journey of decadence and deception as we explore the wicked world of “Saltburn”.
On this episode of The Final Girl on 6th Ave, host Carolyn Smith-Hilmmer tackles one of the most buzzed-about films of 2023 — a movie that kept audiences talking when it first landed on streaming and is still giving us all plenty to discuss. This subversive black comedy/psychological thriller film from Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman) stars rising talents Barry Keoghan (The Killing of a Sacred Deer) and Jacob Elordi (Euphoria, Priscilla). With its provocative blend of wry humor, considerable style, and intentionally jaw-dropping and controversial scenes, Fennell delivers a witty and undeniably entertaining exploration of class, desire, and duality. – Stephanie (Editor-in-Chief)
SHOW NOTES FROM HOST CAROLYN SMITH-HILLMER:
Ever have one of those films that you don’t really know if you can recommend to friends and family? Well, here I am, recommending one to you. Join me as I kick off 2024 with a discussion about SALTBURN, the story of how Oliver Quick becomes the last man standing in a battle no one else knows they are fighting.
Saltburn weaves a wicked tale of an Oxford University student (Keoghan) who becomes fixated with a popular, aristocratic fellow student at his university (Elordi), who later invites him to spend the summer at his eccentric family’s palatial estate.
It premiered at Telluride in August 2023 and received a theatrical release in the United States in November, followed by a streaming release on Amazon Prime Video on December 22nd. It quickly became one of Prime’s most-streamed films, anchored by critic accolades and positive word-of-mouth.
In writing the film, Fennell wanted to sympathize with unlikeable people, saying:
“The sorts of people that we can’t stand, the sorts of people who are abhorrent — if we can love them, if we can fall in love with these people, if we can understand why this is so alluring, in spite of its palpable cruelty and unfairness and sort of strangeness, if we all want to be there too, I think that’s just such an interesting dynamic.”
SOURCES/INFORMATION
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17351924/
The Symbolic Ending in Saltburn, Explained by Via Laurene: https://www.cbr.com/saltburn-symbolic-ending-meaning/
ABOUT THE SHOW:
The Final Girl on 6th Ave is a weekly show where host, Carolyn Smith-Hillmer, dissects an arthouse/elevated horror film. Each episode includes a detailed play-by-play of the film itself and a subsequent deep dive into the thematic elements and symbolism. Because elevated horror is sometimes viewed within the horror community as pretentious, Carolyn makes sure to use her down-to-earth tone and unique perspective to make these films less intimidating for the casual horror viewer and less ostentatious for the genre lover.
Listen to more episodes on the show’s website here.
The Final Girl on 6th Ave is a bi-weekly podcast where host Carolyn Smith-Hillmer reviews arthouse horror films in a non-pretentious way.
Climax (2018)
Experimental horror is not for everyone. I give many thanks to the universe it is my favorite cup of tea. Gaspar Noe’s Climax is a descent into the minds of a drug-addled dance troupe inside of an abandoned school in France. What could possibly go wrong?
SOURCES/INFORMATION
IMDB: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt8359848/
Climax: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climax_(2018_film)
Psychonaut Wiki LSD: https://psychonautwiki.org/wiki/LSD#Subjective_effects
Extreme Behavior and LSD: https://skywoodrecovery.com/lsd-abuse/extreme-behavior-related-to-lsd/
Cinemaholic: https://thecinemaholic.com/climax-review/
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Experimental horror is not for everyone. I give many thanks to the universe it is my favorite cup of tea. Gaspar Noe’s Climax is a [...]
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