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Saltburn star Barry Keoghan says he can't look at graves after filming the wild grave scene

12 December 2023, 15:40

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By Sam Prance

Like the bathtub scene, Saltburn's grave scene has left viewers in total shock.

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Saltburn actor Barry Keoghan says he can't look at graves the same way after filming the movie's controversial grave scene.

If one film is sparking discourse this winter it's Emerald Fennell's Saltburn and it's all because of how many shocking scenes there are in the movie. In the thriller, Barry Keoghan plays an Oxford university student called Oliver who becomes obsessed with his very rich fellow student Felix (Jacob Elordi). Things gradually get darker and darker as the film progresses.

The bathtub scene is so wild that it's caused viewers to walk out of the cinema but it's the grave scene that's truly made audiences squirm. Now, Barry has opened up about improvising the grave scene and revealed how it's affected him.

WARNING: SALTBURN SPOILERS BELOW

Saltburn star Barry Keoghan says he can't look at graves after filming the wild grave scene. Picture: Billy Bennight/ZUMA Press Wire/Alamy Stock Photos, MGM

In the film, Felix mysteriously dies and, after his funeral, Oliver goes to Felix's grave and humps the fresh soil while sobbing. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Emerald Fennell explained that Oliver was only supposed to kiss it at first: "I spoke to Barry in the morning, and I just said, ‘I don’t know, Barry. I think that he would...unzip. And Barry just said, ‘Yup.’"

Adding context, Barry said: "She plants seeds, Emerald, you know what I mean?. 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."

Barry then continued: "For me, it wasn't about fecking the grave, it was more about I don't know what to do with this obsession; it’s making me confused and making me unhuman in a way."

He said: "It was a total discovery for him, I think. And it was sad. It was very, very sad."

Saltburn's grave scene was improvised by Barry Keoghan. Picture: Prime Video

However, Barry isn't visiting any cemeteries anytime soon. He said: "I can't look at graves anymore the same way. Do you know what I mean? They won't allow me into graveyards actually. They'll see me coming. They'll be like, ‘Nah, nah.’ Especially if I arrive with no clothes on."