Margot Robbie hails ‘Saltburn’ director Emerald Fennell as “the queen of plot twists”
Margot Robbie, who worked as a producer on Saltburn, has praised director Emerald Fennell as “the queen of plot twists.”
The film, which stars Jacob Elordi alongside Barry Keoghan, was produced by Robbie’s LuckyChap. She founded the company with her husband, Tom Ackerley along with friends Josey McNamara and Sophia Kerr. They were also responsible for producing Barbie, the highest-grossing movie of 2023.
As a producer, Robbie was involved heavily with Saltburn, especially in the marketing process. In a new interview with Variety, the Australian actor explained how she felt it was more appropriate to promote the film through short tasters rather than full 30-second trailers, which she believed would enhance intrigue around the project.
Elaborating on this decision, Robbie highlighted Fennell’s filmmaking style, which she thought would benefit from retaining a level of secrecy regarding the plot.
Robbie told Variety: “There’s got to be an element of mystery. I hate trailers that have the whole movie condensed to two minutes. Everyone’s like, ‘It tested really high.’ Of course it did; you gave someone the whole movie. Marketing an Emerald Fennell movie is tricky because she is the queen of plot twists, so all the greatest things, you can’t actually show. Because then it wouldn’t be so exciting when you see it in the movie.”
She also said of certain scenes in Saltburn which have shocked viewers: “It didn’t feel that shocking in the script, because Emerald immerses you into a world so quickly. She’s so masterful at tone and plot; she gets you into it so quickly — you’re just immediately like, ‘I’m in this world.’ So by the time you get to something like the bathtub scene, she’s primed you for it.”
In a four-star review of Saltburn, which is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Far Out wrote: “As cocaine-snorting, fashionable consumerists, they are the modern-day royalty that line painted on the walls of Saltburn. Keoghan’s Oliver is very much aware of this, too, and doggedly attempts to remain amongst the elite ala The Talented Mr. Ripley, playing a sneaky, unhinged maniac who has as much fun as possible whilst trying to dismantle the system.”
Watch the trailer for Saltburn below.
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.