SALTBURN

As is my way, I watched this without any foreknowledge, other than it was the second film by writer-director Emerald Fennell, following 'Promising Young Woman'.  I'm not sure what I was expecting, certainly not this entertaining mashup of 'Brideshead Revisited' and 'The Talented Mr Ripley'.

Barry Keoghan plays Oliver, a dull working-class student at Oxford, in thrall to the absurdly handsome Felix.  Come the summer and Felix invites Oliver to stay at Saltburn, a magnificent stately pile, where we meet Felix's parents, wonderfully played by Richard E Grant and Rosamund Pike, as well as Felix's sister Venetia. 

Also along for the ride is Felix's American cousin Farleigh who is also at Oxford and who really doesn't like Oliver.

This is understandable: Barry Keoghan's Oliver is even creepier than Matt Damon's Tom Ripley, and I did struggle to see what Felix was getting out of their friendship.

There is a lot of comedy to be made out of the absurdities of the English upper-class, and I laughed a lot during the early parts of the film.

But along with the comedy there is an air of foreboding that hangs over proceedings, created by the way the story is narrated by present-day Oliver.  As the film progresses, Oliver cuts an increasingly sinister figure, especially in two sexual encounters. 

This prepares us for the very dark turns the film takes at the end.

A friend described the film as showoffy, which is exactly right, especially in the final moments (which I didn't care for - I'll never listen to 'Murder on the Dancefloor' in the same way again). There are some other OTT moments which I also could have done without, notably Oliver's behaviour at Felix's grave. 

Comparisons with 'The Talented Mr Ripley' are inevitable, and do not do this film any favours. It's a very accomplished second feature, held together by Keoghan's performance, but ultimately it is a triumph of style over substance, which is a little disappointing given that the equally stylish 'Promising Young Woman' definitely had something to say. 

RATING: ✓ If You've Nothing Better To Do