Summary
The psychological thrillerSaltburnhas taken over social media, especiallyTikTok, thanks to its stunning cinematography and provocative scenes. Lead actorsBarry Keoghanand Jacob Elordi also delivered memorable performances that fans of the movie can’t stop gushing over.
These days, when fans love any form of media, they either make memes out of them or recreate certain scenes. InSaltburn’s case, viewers began doing the “Saltburntrend” onTikTok, where they showcase their lavish homes while Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder On The Dancefloor” plays. But for those who haven’t seen the film, this display of wealth may be confusing — perhaps even distasteful.
What Is The Saltburn TikTok Trend?
The Story Behind The Trend
Directed by Emerald Fennell,Saltburnfollows the story of distraught Oxford student Oliver Quick (Keoghan) as he meets and befriends Felix Catton (Elordi), a rich student from an aristocratic family. During their summer break, Felix invites Oliver to theluxurious Saltburn mansion, where he can rest and recover from a tragic event. As the days progress, Felix and his family also start experiencing horrifying incidents in their home.
Spoilers ahead for Saltburn’s entire story and endingSaltburnis said to be a movie about young love, which can border on obsession. Throughout the film, Oliver’s timid facade progressively fades away as he plays mind games with the Cattons, and eventually, causes harm to them in an attempt to infiltrate their family. It’s also discovered that he lied to Felix and his family about certain aspects of his life. All of this stemmed from his desire to be with Felix, whom he ends up murdering in the film’s climax.
The final scene inSaltburnshows Oliver dancing naked around the Cattons' mansion while “Murder On The Dancefloor” plays. The song choice is also apt as Oliver had just killed Felix’s mother, Elspeth (Rosamund Pike) while she was in a coma. This was the scene that inspired theSaltburnTikTok trend, where rich people showcase their family’s mansion. The videos' captions are usually along the lines of the movie “hitting close to home.”
While it seems like theSaltburnTikTok videos are a fun trend to participate in, the context is obviously dark. Oliver is also a polarizing character, as some viewers support his scheme to kill the wealthy family and get Saltburn for himself. While others, naturally, thought he was an irredeemable murderer and liar.
The Saltburn TikTok Trend Controversy
Apart from young love, many fans interpretedSaltburnas another “eat the rich” film in the same vein asBong Joon-ho’sParasite. They believe that the Cattons' fate is a commentary on the consequences of being out of touch with reality and ostracizing those who are not as wealthy as them. Hence, the rich people inSaltburnare bad, and Oliver is a hero of some sort.
Many people accused rich TikTok users of missing the point ofSaltburnwhile participating in the trend. They claimed that the TikTok users shouldn’t be flexing their wealth, implying that it’s “distasteful” for less fortunate people. They often bring up the fact that Oliver had a middle-class upbringing, and was thrown into the deep end as he spent more time with the Catton family.
On the other hand, theSaltburnTikTok trend is meant to be a fun trend for people who happen to grow up rich. Social media platforms are often digital journals, where people share portions of their lives. It’s likely that theSaltburntrend is simply a way to share one part of their lives, and wasn’t meant to hurt anyone.
