Will Oscars voters slurp up “Saltburn” director Emerald Fennell's polarizing masterpiece?

EW breaks down the Oscar chances for "Saltburn," Oscars chances as well as ace performances from Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi.

One can only hope that, like Barry Keoghan's tongue to the base of Jacob Elordi's bathtub, Oscars voters lap up all the juicy goodness of director Emerald Fennell's polarizing masterpiece Saltburn. Reality, however, suggests that Academy members might, like some audiences, be too repulsed to push beyond the more outwardly shocking sequences to see the complex social commentary the Promising Young Woman visionary layered into her sophomore filmmaking effort.

The latest episode of EW's Awardist podcast (below) breaks down the film's chances for potential Oscar nominations on the trail ahead — and why we think it's one of the best movies of 2023, with or without a stamp of approval from the Academy.

Many have criticized the film — about a sinister Oxford student, Oliver (Keoghan), who infiltrates the secluded bubble of a much wealthier family (Elordi, Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver) — as a sort of fire alarm intended to warn the upper class about a working man's revolution. But, that's the assumption when the analysis only goes skin deep, as Fennell's intent is largely to have the audience consider why they're watching the film's more salacious scenes about obsession and control (including the aforementioned bathtub scene, or a particularly bloody oral sex scene toward the middle of the movie) instead of recoiling at their mere presence.

Under the surface, viewers — mostly all of whom will watch the film amid a society driven by, well, money — will find not a paranoia-stricken battle cry rallying up the rich, but rather a critical spear aimed directly at the cracks in the one percent's armor, all set against the backdrop of the early aughts, at the height of capitalist celebrity culture (which isn't insignificant to the grand scheme of the film's intentions).

Specifics about where the story goes are too good to spoil here, but the film has merits beyond its vital message. Aesthetically, Saltburn is a visual masterwork, with production design and cinematography to die for. The thread tying it all together, though, is a fearless and electric performance from Keoghan, who has every right to a slot among this year's Best Actor crowd.

The film's marketing (and a generally crowded field filled with regulars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper, and more), however, throws Keoghan's trajectory into a bit of chaos. Typically, if an Oscar campaign builds around a leading man's portrayal of a queer character, the emphasis is, traditionally, on transformation. Keoghan and Elordi, however, have been essentially fawning over each other on social media for weeks — a wise, enticing move for the TikTok generation, but as a ploy to rope in older Oscar voters, that kind of plan might not do the trick. It certainly didn't work to get butts into seats as the film expanded to wide release, as the movie has made just over $4 million at the domestic box office to date.

Fennell's shot at a Best Director nomination are also slim, as 2023 was essentially the year of the auteur, with big-name helmers (Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, Greta Gerwig, Alexander Payne) steering the conversation around their respective films, and that streak will likely continue through awards season.

And then there's Pike. The Gone Girl nominee's camp-chaos energy as the matriarch of the delusional, central clan is actressing bliss (but perhaps too small of a part to capture voters' attention), though the real standout among the supporting cast is Oliver, the 26-year-old Irish breakout who delivers the film's most searing (and moving) monologue near the story's climax.

In the end, even if Saltburn doesn't pepper the Oscar nominations with its presence, Fennell has proven, once again, she's a filmmaker who can get people talking — whether it's about her craft, the themes she explores, or what it all means for the society built around it all.

Saltburn is now playing in theaters nationwide. Listen to EW's Awardist podcast interview with Fennell above, and check out more Oscars season coverage in the library of episodes below.

Check out more from EW's The Awardist, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's best in TV.

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Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.