I knew so little going into my viewing of Emerald Fennell’s (Promising Young Woman) Saltburn that I thought this movie starred Paul Mescal. Imagine my surprise when his name was not mentioned in the opening credits. Furthermore, I wasn’t able to identify the name or face of either the film’s lead character (Barry Keoghan – The Banshees of Inisherin, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) or primary supporting character (Jacob Elordi – HBO’s Euphoria). As I reflected on the movie afterward and thought about each actor’s performance, I was impressed by how they compared to their other roles. Likewise, though Fennell’s film (which she also wrote) was as outlandish in premise as Promising Young Woman (a movie that earned her an Oscar nomination as a debut director, nonetheless), Ambitious, the film excelled more visually than it did in substance. That’s not to say there wasn’t an intriguing, underlying story. Rather, the lack of cohesion, inconsistencies, and reasons for some of the characters’ actions left us with a less-than-satisfying conclusion.

This film is weird. And I use that word affectionately. I don’t love weird films that are weird for no other reason than to be weird. I need a movie to have a purpose. When a film has a purpose, I’m more often willing to extend it grace than I might otherwise. Saltburn is a perfect example of a film earning this grace. As a character study, Saltburn is brilliant. We have a lead character in Oliver,  who appears at the onset and through the entire first act and most of the second as someone completely different from what we thought. That character is Oliver (Keoghan), an intellectual first-year at Oxford University, searching for an identity beyond his studies. He’s awkward but sincere. He’s unassuming but thoughtful. In a voiceover, we are introduced to Oliver as someone who loves Felix (Elordi ) but isn’t in love with him. But there’s a tentativeness in his voice that leaves us unconvinced. Will Saltburn be an infatuation movie about the lonely outcast who craves the good-looking, alluring, well-to-do classmate who scores with all the women who would never give him a second look? Fennell leads us in that direction, and she does so effectively.

Through Fennell’s expert direction, Oliver earns our sympathies in the film’s first 30 minutes. We like Felix equally as much. Like Keoghan, Elordi shows an extreme range as an actor, especially for those who have seen the detestable character he portrays on the HBO series Euphoria. The two strike up an almost immediate friendship that grows profoundly as the two compensate for each other’s needs. Oliver offers Felix his bicycle to ride to his course final (which he is about to miss due to a lack of transportation) after his bike develops a flat tire. Felix pays for a round of drinks at a local pub when he notices Oliver is without any money, and Oliver tries to work a deal to pay the bartender back the next day. While it lacks an initial depth that could have been fleshed out further, the two begin an honest friendship, with Felix sensing an opportunity to mentor his new friend. It’s exactly what Oliver is looking for, as the appreciation for his new friend slowly begins to spiral into obsession.

An only child who is estranged from his parents due to their mental health and addiction issues, we learn that Oliver’s father dies of a drug overdose just as the first semester is ending. After telling Felix he fears returning home for the semester break, Felix invites him to stay with his family at their filthy-rich estate, aptly named Saltburn. He accepts the invite, and we get a walkthrough and a history of the mansion simultaneously, with Oliver and Felix serving as our tour guides. It’s a magnificent home.

Similarly, we are introduced to the Cattan family upon arrival. Felix’s former model, posh mother, Elspeth (Rosamund Pike – Gone Girl, Hostiles), is a former model with a flair for the dramatic. Sir James (Richard E. Grant – Jackie, Logan), the family patriarch, is as sweet as they come, with his naivety being his major tragic flaw. Venetia (Alison Oliver) is Felix’s somewhat listless, all-too-easily influenced sister. At the same time, Farleigh (Archie Madekwe – Gran Turismo, Midsommar) is his quirky, perceptive cousin who is suspicious of Oliver from the moment he arrives.