One even made an appearance in Barbieland.
Saltburn is a contender for one of the most unhinged movies of 2023. With shocking plot twists, weird sex scenes, and an all-star cast, the film is definitely one to remember — even if audiences spent most of the two hours and seven minutes watching through their fingers.
ICYWW, that was definitely on purpose. In November, Saltburn’s director Emerald Fennell told IndieWire, “The thing that I am thrilled about is this film has really physically shaken people. It’s made them feel aroused in a way that disturbs them. It’s made them feel some kind of latent violence is being drawn out [of them].”
For the film’s director and cast, it’s possible that Saltburn is the strangest movie of their resumes — but it’s definitely not anyone’s first rodeo. From Jacob Elordi’s run as Nate in Euphoria to Barry Keoghan’s performance as Dominic in The Banshees Of Insherin, Saltburn’s biggest stars have had their fair share of iconic roles.
But not every project is that well-known — and not every star is that recognizable. If you want to do a deep dive into their past projects, here are 10 shows and movies featuring Saltburn’s biggest names to get you started.
One of the most disconcerting Barbie characters was Midge, a pregnant doll that was discontinued in 1967. In the film, Helen Mirren, Barbie’s narrator, explained why: “Because a pregnant doll is just too weird.” Fennell played the role — and reminder: She’s also the mind behind Saltburn. Fennell wrote, directed, and produced the comedic thriller.
Alison Oliver played Venetia, Felix’s troubled sister, in Saltburn. The actor also starred in Hulu’s Conversations With Friends alongside Joe Alwyn, Jemima Kirke, and Sasha Lane. But Oliver had a very different look in the Hulu miniseries — fresh-faced and brunette, her Conversations With Friends character Frances hardly resembled Venetia’s bleach blonde saves and perennially smudged black eyeliner.
For fans of Saltburn, Gone Girl absolutely needs to be on your watch list. Not only do both films feature murderous twists and turns and extremely bloody sex scenes, they also have Rosamund Pike in the cast.
The 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice is iconic for many reasons: the hand flex, the rainy proposal, and the cast. In the movie, Rosamund Pike and Carey Mulligan play two of the Bennet sisters. Nearly two decades later, they reunited in Saltburn as frenemies Elspeth Catton and Pamela.
Weird plots were nothing new for the Saltburn cast. Richard E. Grant, who played Sir James, was also in the film Penelope. This movie — which also cast Catherine O’Hara, Christina Ricci, James McAvoy, and Reese Witherspoon — follows a woman cursed with the face of a pig as she searches for love.
Saltburn was not Fennell’s first stint as director. Her debut was actually Promising Young Woman in 2020, a film that starred Mulligan as Cassie, a young woman on a quest for revenge.
Mulligan also appeared in The Great Gatsby, playing the role of Daisy Buchanan. In the movie, Daisy enjoys all the excesses of wealth — much like the Catton family in Saltburn. The similarities don’t end there. She’s fueled by selfish desire and doesn’t show much respect for human life.
Before Oliver won over Felix, he had only one (pretty annoying) friend at school: Michael Gavey, played by Ewan Mitchell. Mitchell has also appeared in the House Of The Dragon series as Aemond Targaryen though he was hardly recognizable.
Keoghan made one very small appearance in The Batman, but it was a crucial one: the Joker. At the end of the movie, viewers only met the Joker for a brief moment — one that was so shadowed, no one was sure who played the infamous villain until the credits played.
In a deleted scene from the movie, Robert Pattinson’s Batman met Keoghan’s Joker in Arkham Asylum, leading some fans to believe there could be more to the role than the brief moment that made the final cut.
Keoghan might be reprising his role in the movie’s sequel. In December 2023, he teased to Etalk, “I can't really say anything about it, but it would be exciting, wouldn't it? Seeing the Joker come to life again. My smile says it all, you know what that means.” (Reminder: The Joker is known for his smile.)
Saltburn’s Archie Madekwe, who played Farleigh, also appeared in Midsommar as Simon. If you’re in the mood for a gory watch, Midsommar’s up there as one of the most unsettling, right next to Saltburn.
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