Tessa Byars

I'm amazed by the positive reviews this film has had: Saltburn is Brideshead Revisited meeting The Talented Mr Ripley and falling flat on its face. Yes, the cinematography is gorgeous and the actors do their best but the film is stuffed full of cliches, from the Oxford scholarship boy despised by wealthy toffs and his snobbish tutor, to the stately pile staffed by a sinister butler accompanied by flunkeys! Even Russian oligarchs would struggle to maintain that level of ostentation. The aristos are all neurotic and emotionally repressed and despite three murders the police are nowhere to be seen, apart from - symbolism alert - getting lost in the maze (yep, of course there's a maze) trying to reach the angelically bewinged Felix's body - more symbolism! The much commented upon, and very unpleasant, sex scenes are likewise clonkingly symbolic, a vampiric Oliver literally sucking the life and blood out of the family. As for the plot twists I could see them coming a long way off. Luckily I was watching on NetfIix so could fast forward when it got too unbelievable or the shock value too tedious - Oliver stripping off and masturbating on Felix's grave - yep, more symbolism! If there was any nuance in this film I must have missed it, but at least it's made me want to revisit Waugh's original Brideshead, which is a bonus of sorts.