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X (2022)
A slasher with a soul
If you're familiar with horror tropes, this film should come as a pleasant surprise.
While very aware of the stereotypes it frequently references, 'X' makes a habit of disrupting them in a way that feels neither misplaced nor contrived. Rather than clinging to the standardised archetypes that have been hackneyed by the slasher genre, 'X' breathes new life into its characters by imbuing them with more agency and occasional displays of unpredictability.
The plot is worthy of positive note as well. The writing feels credible and deliberate, and there's a satisfying level of nuance to the script one can't always expect to find in a horror film. The duality of life and death is thematically quite strong, and the elements used to portray this juxtaposition-youth, beauty, and sex, as opposed to the fear of decrepitude-are seamlessly woven into the storyline.
(Also worthy of note is the parallel between Pearl and Maxine, which was artfully constructed throughout the film, already setting the stage for the imminent prequel).
The film's visuals are very immersive and feature some references classic horror fans might find entertaining-'The Shining', 'Psycho', and 'Friday the 13th' are the main ones that come to mind.
Overall, 'X' is aesthetically satisfying and positively refreshing. It's a skilfully-crafted slasher with a soul.
Saltburn (2023)
An anthropophagic study on desire and obsession
While I reflected on 'Saltburn', an unexpected song came to my mind: Hole's 'Doll Parts' (...yes, I know, but bear with me here); specifically these verses:
"They really want you, they really do/Yeah, they really want you/They really want you, and I do too
I want to be the girl with the most cake/I love him so much it just turns to hate/I fake it so real I am beyond fake/And someday, you will ache like I ache."
These words, oddly enough, epitomize the protagonist: this is very much Oliver's mindset throughout the film. The idiom "to have one's cake and eat it too" (which is somewhat referenced in Hole's lyrics) feels particularly relevant here, because Oliver's all-consuming fixation on Felix's family transcends greed and combines it with a strange, unbridled gluttony; a desire to possess, yes, but also to consume Felix, his relatives and his wealth, to make them part of him somehow. He won't be sated until he's had it all.
At one point in the film, a character-Venetia-accuses Oliver of having eaten Felix up and licked the plate, and that couldn't be closer to the truth. He is a self-proclaimed vampire, and he is set on a path to devour Felix for all he's worth.
This film was a fascinating and visually stunning take on love-albeit a kind of love that veers straight into heavily obsessive territory. The lush imagery, combined with a screenplay rife with clever quips and absurd one-liners, sets a backdrop of eccentricity and decadent wealth. And then Oliver's character, masterfully played by Barry Keoghan, comes to disrupt the titular estate's murky, contrived peacefulness.
The soundtrack is also worth a mention, as it does a fine job of evoking an authentic 00s ambience and complementing the atmospheric, immersive cinematography.
All in all, I would absolutely recommend 'Saltburn'; the plot may not be terribly unique, and the ending is hardly surprising if you follow the context clues, but that does not detract from the experience provided by the film. Sometimes, making artful use of well-worn tropes is worth far more than relying on unpredictability-'Saltburn' is one of those cases.