Love it or hate it, there's no denying that Emerald Fennell's latest film , Saltburn , is packed with shocking moments. Perhaps the most hilarious scene comes at the end, when Barry Keoghan's Oliver dances naked around Saltburn House - yes, he's actually naked.
Beyond the obvious, there's a lot that makes this scene so captivating: the extensive tour of the century-old house, Oliver's unabashed (and disturbing) joy, Sophie Ellis playing in the background -Murder on the Dance Floor by Best, the list goes on. That's probably why TikTok users created their own challenges inspired by the iconic NSFW scene of the moment, because if there's anything creators can't resist, it's the dance trend with a good song.
murder in five year plan
If your FYP hasn't been Saltburned yet, the challenge encourages users to dance around their homes and luxury castles to a soundtrack of 2001 disco tunes. Oh, don't worry, with TikTok's strict community guidelines, everyone wears clothes and shows off their stuff. Stunning houses, impressive dance moves, catchy tunes, what's not to love?
In a since-deleted video, user @ellie__.e added his own twist to the craze, showing a man pretending to pass out on the floor — an apparent nod to the film. IYKYK.
Granted, many of the creators participating in this trend also live in Saltburn-esque mansions, but you don't have to live in a sprawling estate to join in the fun.
Take Alix Earle, for example, who filmed her version of the challenge on January 5, doing a cheeky dance in her modern Miami apartment. “Ever since watching ‘Saltburn ,’ I can’t stop,” the influencer wrote in the video.
It's unclear who started the dance craze, but the trend took off in December when many creators appeared to be at home for the holidays. The film was also added to Prime Video on December 22, so that may also have played a role in its viral popularity in late 2023.
Saltburn challenges controversy
While it was fun to visit the gorgeous TikTok villa, many users criticized those who took part in the Saltburn challenge for missing the point of the movie. As creator @joe_co_uk said in the Jan. 5 video, Oliver's dance at the end of the film is a celebration of his success in taking down the wealthy Cotton family and passing their wealth on to lower-class members of society. . So the trend of encouraging users to run around their homes like they just won the lottery seems a bit tone-deaf.
"Wouldn't it defeat the purpose of the movie for a rich man to show off his wealth?" @isra.gwgiufff commented on @eloiselilarobineau's contribution to the trend. Another user wrote: "It's like you haven't seen the movie."
That said, Oliver did inherit the family by slowly killing off the Cotton family, so in that sense, everyone feels a little guilty for participating in this trend.
