Barry Keoghan has shared new details about the erotic grave scene in Saltburn.
Spoilers ahead.
Since November, the Emerald Fennell-directed psychological thriller has been a hit with pop culture enthusiasts.
Set in 2006, the “beautifully wicked tale” follows Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), an Oxford University student who finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton (Elordi).
The synopsis reads: “Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick (Keoghan) finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton (Elordi), who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family’s sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.”
Since its release, the film has received universal acclaim from fans and critics – with many praising its dark humour, boundary-pushing plot and cast performances.
However, one of the many moments of Saltburn that has wholly shocked viewers is Keoghan’s sexually explicit graveyard scene.
After the tragic death of Felix, Oliver goes to the former’s grave to mourn him. However, things take a shocking turn when he takes off all his clothes and starts to hump the burial plot – which adds another layer to Oliver’s deadly obsession with Felix.
While it has been nearly two months since the film’s initial release, the scene has continued to surprise viewers, with many taking to social media to share their reactions.
One user on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote: “Watching Saltburn and what in the hell is this graveyard scene???????!!!!!”
Another fan echoed similar sentiments, writing: “Just when I thought Oliver couldn’t shock me any more. The graveyard?????????!”
A third fan added: “So I watched Saltburn and now I don’t wanna look at a bathtub drain or graveyard for the next month.”
With the Saltburn craze showing no signs of slowing down, Keoghan recently spilt some tea to Deadline about how that graveyard scene came to be – revealing that he improvised the unforgettable moment.
“I wanted to see what Oliver would do next. I wanted to see what the next level of obsession was. And by that [I mean], I just wanted the camera to roll,” he explained.
Barry Keoghan on improvising in ‘Saltburn,’ the epic dance scene, plus could musicals be in his future | #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/QM5QPzRAjr
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) January 8, 2024
“Not to kind of preempt it or rehearse it and what happened, happened. It was one take, and I think it was right. It moved the story forward.”
Fennell echoed similar sentiments in a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, explaining that the original scene only featured Keoghan fingering and kissing Felix’s grave.
“I spoke to Barry in the morning, and I just said, ‘I don’t know, Barry. I think that he would… unzip,'” she explained. “And Barry just said, ‘Yup.'”
In the same interview, Keoghan praised Fennell for “planting seeds” regarding the scene.
“She knows that they’re going to grow, these seeds, especially when she plants them with me. But it is a testament to Emerald and having that idea and me meeting it with, to be honest, no questions. I was totally on board for it,” he added.
You can watch Saltburn now on Prime Video.
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