Podcasts
Slurping Up Emerald Fennell’s Class Critique with ‘Saltburn’ [Horror Queers Podcast]
Short Murder King.
Trace and I are nearing the end of Pride month, which has included the tepid adaptation of Anne Rice’s Queen of the Damned (listen), as well as Ben Stiller’s homo-tinged black comedy The Cable Guy (listen). Now it’s time for British writer/director Emerald Fennell‘s “Eat the rich” thriller/satire Saltburn (2023).
In the film, Oliver (Barry Keoghan) struggles to fit in at Oxford until he befriends ultra-rich Felix (Jacob Elordi), who takes him on as a kind of poverty project. This doesn’t sit well with Felix’s cousin Farleigh (Archie Madewke), who perhaps sees a little too much of himself in the bootlicker/social ladder climber.
Tensions explode when Oliver is invited to spend the summer at Felix’s palatial family home, Saltburn. Overseen by flighty but cruel mother Elspeth (Rosamund Pike) and slightly loony father James (Richard E. Grant), with promiscuous sister Venetia (Alison Oliver) lurking on the periphery and outside windows, it’s a world of rich opulence where Oliver doesn’t understand the rules.
Or does he? The further the film progresses, the clearer it becomes that not everything about Oliver adds up. As Catton members fall by the wayside, it’s clear that Oliver will stop at nothing (and sleep with everyone!) to fit in among the elite.
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Episode 391: Saltburn (2023)
Slurp up that cummy bath water because we are talking about writer/director Emerald Fennell’s divisive satirical thriller Saltburn (2023).
From its sublime cast to its gorgeous visual aesthetic, there’s a lot to love here. But does Fennell push her class critique hard enough and are these characters too despicable?
Plus: “pug faced” (hung) king Barry Keoghan; Trace’s hatred of Farleigh; wanting more Rosamund Pike; and debating why the film is so polarizing.
Cross out Saltburn!
Coming Up Next: We’re covering the pod’s first William Castle with the 1961 Psycho rip-off, Homicidal.
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It’s always a cruel summer, but 2026 is about to get crueler.
To blow off steam, the Losers hit the road to visit all the towns in Stephen King’s Dominion. Derry, Castle Rock, Ludlow, Boulder, the list goes on. They’ve got miles to drive and so many (scary) sights to see. At the end of the day, though, they have to ask themselves: Which one’s the best? And, more importantly, what does “best” mean in this context?
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