Sophie Ellis-Bextor has shared her thoughts on the use of ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ in Saltburn.
(Spoilers incoming.)
Directed by Emerald Fennell, the psychological thriller concludes with Barry Keoghan’s character dancing completely in the nude to the British pop star’s signature anthem.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Ellis-Bextor admitted that she “wasn’t quite prepared for the visual”: “Seeing it written down as a premise is different. I mean, Barry really went for it. And it’s, like, the whole song!”
“Whenever your music’s used, you get a little synopsis,” she continued. “So I saw Emerald’s name connected to the project and I already was familiar with her and how talented she is. I’ve seen Promising Young Woman and really enjoyed it.
“This little synopsis described how the character would be dancing, but I didn’t have any context. I’ve got quite a quirky sense of humor anyway, so I was like, I think I have to see how this plays out.”
While the star didn’t “really know exactly how” it would be included in the film, she “absolutely loved” the scene and hailed Saltburn as a “clever, funny and smart”.
Ellis-Bextor later recreated the scene, mirroring Keoghan’s hilarious dance moves in a video to TikTok. She captioned the post, “Heading into 2024 like… Happy Saltburn New Year!”
Since the release of the film on Prime Video, ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ has resurged in popularity and, according to the Official Charts Company, is set to return to the UK top 40 this week for the first time in 22 years.
The iconic banger originally peaked at number two in the UK (sacrilege!). Can it reach the pole position, aka the spot it deserves?
@sophieebtiktok Heading into 2024 like… Happy Saltburn New Year! Xx #murderonthedancefloor #sophieellisbextor #saltburnmovie ♬ sophs awful edit thats gone viral – sophie
Keoghan recently confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that he was, in fact, fully nude with no prosthetic assistance.
“The initial thing was about me having no clothes on. I’m a bit, ehhh. But after take one, I was ready to go. I was like, ‘Let’s go again. Let’s go again,’” he said.
“You kind of forget because there’s such a comfortable environment created, and it gives you that license to go, ‘All right, this is about the story now.”
Keoghan praised the scene as the perfect end for the film and his character: “It totally felt right. It’s ownership. This is my place. It’s full confidence in, ‘I can do what I want in this manor. I can strip to my barest and waltz around because this is mine.’ Yeah, it was fun.”
Set in early-00s England, Saltburn stars Keoghan as Oliver Quick, an Oxford University student who becomes obsessed with the wealthy Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), who invites him to spend a summer with his family at their estate, Saltburn.
Released to acclaim, the film also stars Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe, Carey Mulligan, Paul Rhys and Ewan Mitchell.
You can watch the trailer for Saltburn here or below.
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