What Is the Metacritic Rating for Saltburn

The Metacritic rating for Saltburn is a Metascore of 61 out of 100, based on reviews from 53 film critics. This score falls into the “generally favorable” category on Metacritic’s scale, indicating that critics found more to appreciate than to criticize in the film, though the response was notably mixed rather than enthusiastically positive.

The 2023 British drama-thriller directed by Emerald Fennell received this moderate critical reception alongside a 7.0 user score on IMDb, showing a notable gap between how professional critics and general audiences responded to the film.

This gap between the critical score and audience rating tells an interesting story. A Metascore of 61 represents a respectable critical consensus, yet the 7.0 IMDb rating (based on hundreds of thousands of user votes) suggests that viewers who actually watched the film found more to enjoy than the critic aggregate might indicate.

Understanding what this Metacritic rating means—and why it differs from audience reception—requires looking at both what the number represents and how Metacritic weights its scores.

Table of Contents

• How Does Saltburn’s Metascore of 61 Compare to Other Films?
• The Gap Between Critical and Audience Reception
• What Critics Found in Saltburn’s Mixed Reception
• Understanding Metacritic’s Methodology and What It Actually Measures
• Limitations of Metacritic Scores for Films Like Saltburn
• Saltburn in the Context of Contemporary Thriller Cinema
• The Broader Significance of Emerald Fennell’s Critical Position
• Conclusion
• Frequently Asked Questions

How Does Saltburn’s Metascore of 61 Compare to Other Films?

A Metascore of 61 places Saltburn in a specific critical territory.

Films in the 50-70 range are typically considered “mixed or average” by Metacritic’s definition, though the site categorizes 60+ as “generally favorable.” To put this in perspective, this score is higher than many commercial thrillers and lower-budget offerings (which often fall in the 40-50 range), but well below the 75+ range that indicates “universal acclaim.” Films in similar score brackets include various prestige dramas that audiences found compelling but critics deemed uneven in execution.

The distinction between critical consensus and popularity is important here.

A 61 Metascore doesn’t mean critics disliked Saltburn; rather, it reflects a divided response where some critics praised Fennell’s bold stylistic choices and provocative storytelling, while others felt the film relied too heavily on shock value over substance.

This is common for films that attempt something deliberately controversial or unconventional, as the critical community tends to be divided between those who appreciate the risk-taking and those who find it excessive.

The Gap Between Critical and Audience Reception

The most striking aspect of Saltburn’s ratings is the 6-point difference between the Metascore (61) and the imdb user score (7.0).

This gap is larger than the typical variance between critics and audiences, suggesting that general viewers—particularly those drawn enough to the film to rate it online—found it more satisfying than the critical consensus implied.

This disparity often occurs when a film has strong stylistic elements that appeal to its target audience but divide critics who judge films on different criteria.

This audience-versus-critic split has a practical limitation for potential viewers: you can’t simply assume Saltburn will work for you based on either metric alone. If you’re the type of viewer who appreciates bold, provocative storytelling and strong visual direction, the 7.0 user score might be more predictive of your experience.

If you prefer more subtlety and restraint in your thriller narratives, the mixed critical response might more accurately reflect your potential reaction. The warning here is that Metacritic’s aggregate doesn’t capture the full picture of a film’s quality—it captures one particular community’s assessment, weighted toward professional critics.

What Critics Found in Saltburn’s Mixed Reception

The 61 Metascore reflects critics’ complicated relationship with Emerald Fennell’s directorial style. Many critics acknowledged her ambitious visual composition and the film’s undeniable craft—cinematography, performance direction, and technical execution. The tension lies in whether these elements served a deeper narrative purpose or were deployed largely for shock and provocation.

Some reviewers felt Fennell demonstrated genuine artistic vision and psychological insight into her characters; others felt the film’s transgressive moments overshadowed character development. The specific composition of Saltburn’s critical response reveals something important about how contemporary critics evaluate films.

In an era of increased sensitivity to representation and narrative purpose, critics were divided on whether the film’s provocative sequences contributed meaningfully to its story or operated as sensationalism.

This kind of division—where the question isn’t whether something is technically competent but whether it’s ethically or narratively justified—produces exactly the kind of middling-to-favorable score Saltburn received.

Understanding Metacritic’s Methodology and What It Actually Measures

When interpreting Saltburn’s 61 Metascore, it’s important to understand that metacritic doesn’t simply average all scores. Instead, it converts various critical reviews into a 0-100 scale, potentially weighing some publications more heavily than others, then calculates a weighted average.

This means that five positive reviews from major outlets might influence the score differently than five positive reviews from smaller publications. For Saltburn specifically, the 61 represents a balance of opinions from critics at major publications alongside specialized film critics.

The practical value of knowing this is that a Metascore functions better as a directional indicator than an absolute measure. A 61 tells you the critical community was divided but leaning slightly positive—useful information if you’re deciding whether to invest your time.

However, the score masks important details about who dissented and who endorsed the film. For that deeper understanding, reading a few individual reviews from critics whose taste aligns with yours typically proves more useful than the aggregate score.

Limitations of Metacritic Scores for Films Like Saltburn

One significant limitation of Metacritic scores is that they struggle with polarizing films—exactly what Saltburn appears to be based on its gap from audience scores.

When critics are divided into “this is brilliant provocation” and “this is gratuitous sensationalism,” the Metascore lands in the moderate range, even though the actual critical consensus might be better described as “strongly mixed” rather than “moderately positive.” This can underrepresent both the strongest advocates and strongest detractors of a film.

A warning worth noting: don’t assume a 61 Metascore means a film isn’t worth watching.

Some of cinema’s most discussed and culturally significant films have landed in the 55-70 range, particularly when they attempted something genre-bending or socially provocative.

Saltburn’s position at 61 with a 7.0 user score suggests the film is almost certainly worth your time if you have interest in contemporary psychological thrillers, British cinema, or discussions about filmmaking ethics. The score alone doesn’t capture whether the film will be valuable or engaging for your specific interests.

Saltburn in the Context of Contemporary Thriller Cinema

Saltburn represents a particular moment in thriller filmmaking where craft and provocation have become intertwined. Released in 2023, the film competed in a landscape where audiences had seen increasingly sophisticated psychological thrillers and prestige television reaching new heights of complexity.

Against this backdrop, a 61 Metascore reflects critics’ judgment that while Saltburn displayed considerable skill, it didn’t fully distinguish itself as essential viewing in an already saturated genre.

The film benefits from comparison with similar recent titles. While some contemporary thrillers have achieved higher critical consensus, others have faced equally mixed responses despite strong audience engagement. Saltburn’s trajectory—decent critical reception paired with stronger audience embrace—mirrors several recent films that pushed genre conventions in ways some critics found refreshing and others found excessive.

The Broader Significance of Emerald Fennell’s Critical Position

Understanding Saltburn’s Metascore becomes easier when considering Emerald Fennell’s position in cinema. Her directorial debut, Promising Young Woman, achieved a 78 Metascore—significantly higher than Saltburn’s 61. This drop of 17 points suggests that critics felt her second film took greater risks that didn’t uniformly pay off, even as her technical skills remained evident.

This trajectory is common for ambitious directors: initial critical embrace followed by more fractured response as they push further into their own artistic vision. Looking forward, Saltburn’s 61 Metascore will likely become more interesting historically than it is prescriptive now.

Critics’ scores often age differently than audience reception; films that seemed divisive on release sometimes achieve greater appreciation as cultural conversations evolve around them. The gap between the Metascore and user score suggests this could be one of those films where popular re-evaluation happens gradually.

Conclusion

Saltburn’s Metacritic rating of 61 out of 100 represents a genuinely mixed critical reception for an ambitious, provocative thriller that clearly divided professional critics while earning stronger appreciation from general audiences.

The score accurately reflects the film’s position as a competent, well-executed piece of cinema that makes bold stylistic choices—some of which critics embraced and others rejected.

Rather than reading the 61 as a definitive quality judgment, it’s better understood as a directional indicator that the film is worth investigating if you’re interested in contemporary psychological thrillers, but with the caveat that you’ll form your own opinion about whether its provocative elements serve meaningful narrative purposes.

For potential viewers deciding whether to watch Saltburn, the most useful approach is recognizing that the 6-point gap between critical score and audience rating tells you something important: this is a film that works better for some viewers than others, and your personal response may diverge from the critical consensus.

If you appreciate bold directorial vision, contemporary British cinema, and psychological complexity, the 7.0 audience score might prove more predictive of your experience than the mixed critical response. The rating tells you what critics thought; your own viewing experience will tell you what you think.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a 61 Metascore good or bad for a film?

A 61 is considered “generally favorable” on Metacritic’s scale, indicating more positive than negative critical reception, but with significant reservations. It’s a respectable score that suggests the film has merit worth exploring, though it’s not in the “universal acclaim” range of 75+.

Why is there such a big gap between Saltburn’s critical score and audience rating?

The 6-point difference suggests that general audiences found the film more satisfying than critics did. This often happens with polarizing films where critics divide sharply on whether provocative elements serve the narrative, while viewers who watched it often embraced those same elements as part of the film’s appeal.

Should I watch Saltburn if I only care about highly-rated films?

Not necessarily based on the Metascore alone. If your metric is “did critics love this,” then 61 is middling. But if you’re interested in contemporary psychological thrillers, Emerald Fennell’s direction, or films that spark critical conversation, it’s worth watching regardless of the aggregate score.

How does Saltburn’s 61 compare to other thrillers?

It falls into the moderate range for thrillers, higher than many commercial offerings but well below prestige thrillers that achieved universal acclaim. The score reflects that Saltburn is a competent, ambitious film that didn’t achieve critical consensus on whether its risks paid off.

Is Saltburn worth watching despite the mixed reviews?

Absolutely. The mixed critical reception reflects divided opinion on artistic choices, not disagreement about technical quality or filmmaking skill. The 7.0 user score and the substantial gap from the critical score suggest many viewers found it genuinely engaging and worth their time.

Why do Metacritic scores sometimes differ from my personal reaction to films?

Metacritic aggregates professional critics’ opinions weighted by publication prominence, which may prioritize different criteria than your personal preferences. A film’s technical skill, thematic ambition, and entertainment value are three different things, and critics weigh them differently than individual viewers might.

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