Asked what they want to do when they grow up, children often default to answers like “be a doctor!” or “be a firefighter!” In one home video, however, a six-year-old Emerald Fennell—posed this question by her mother—replies, “I want to live in America and write stories about murder.” Let’s just say that a few decades later, her dream has at least partly come true.
A few years ago, Promising Young Woman became a hot topic of discussion for Carey Mulligan’s portrayal of a woman exacting revenge on men who had wronged her late friend. Now, for her sophomore feature, Fennell presents another buzzy and highly stylized comedy-thriller, Saltburn. (The Run-Through team was gasping in the theater—in a good way!—when we watched it together, though we won’t tell you why; that’s for you to find out.)
Fennell (who, besides being a director, is also an actor, writer, and all-around lovely person) came into the studio to chat with Chloe and Chioma about the new film—a sexy, gothic, mid-aughts period piece filled with chipped black nail polish and eyebrow piercings—which she has been working on for nearly seven years. Dark academia meets Euphoria in this story, and not just because Saltburn co-stars Hollywood hotshot Jacob Elordi.
No need to fret if your Thanksgiving plans are uneventful—head to the theater, and you won’t be disappointed.
