Why Is Saltburn Rated R?

Expectations are high for "Saltburn," Emerald Fennell's follow-up to 2020's "Promising Young Woman," which netted her an Academy Award for best original screenplay. "Saltburn" is another provocative thriller that's rated R, and parents would do well to keep their young children away from this one.

Per Film Ratings, the Motion Picture Association gave the movie an R rating for "strong sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout, some disturbing violent content, and drug use." "Saltburn" goes above and beyond showcasing all those subjects. There's full frontal nudity and graphic depictions of characters engaging in sexual intercourse. Drug use is on display, with many characters smoking and drinking. Plus, there are several scenes showing characters taking cocaine.

Strong language is to be expected, with many profanities used throughout, including f*** and c***. And without getting into spoilers, there is violence. While most of it is implied and occurs off-screen, there are several shocking scenes of characters who are deceased or nearly dead, especially toward the ending of "Saltburn." Looper's own Audrey Fox wrote in a review how "Saltburn" lacks subtlety, so every base human desire is out in the open on-screen, which should give parents pause when deciding whether to let their kids watch. The youngest to view the film would likely be 16 or 17 years old, but even then, parents should exercise caution and know what their kids can handle. 

A little swearing and drinking may not seem like a big deal to some. However, "Saltburn" truly goes to the next level with scenes involving characters going to some truly depraved places, including one pretty directly involving bodily fluids. It may be difficult for even some adults to watch, but writer and director Emerald Fennell wanted to explore the darker parts of humanity with the film.

In an interview with Metro.co.uk, Fennel discussed how everyone was on board with her ideas, even though she would never want to put anyone into an uncomfortable position to do something they didn't want to on camera. She explained, "When you're talking about desire, when you're talking about obsession, when you're talking about power and love, then you do have to go to places that are quite extreme." Many of the more adult scenes in "Saltburn" have Barry Keoghan, who plays lower-class Oliver Quick, at the center of them. Fennel praised the actor and his commitment: "He also has boundaries like everyone else, and the thing with Barry, and all of the actors, is that if something feels real to them, if it feels honest, then they're absolutely all in."

One thing is certain — "Saltburn" is bound to get people talking this awards season. However, if you're visiting family for the holidays, you may want to find something else to watch because you probably don't want to see it with your parents either.