“If you think you’re getting away, I will prove you wrong…”
The lyric from British pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s 2001 dance smash “Murder on the Dancefloor” perfectly encapsulates Saltburn character Oliver’s story and finale in the 2023 black comedy thriller.
***Spoilers below!***
The U.K. disco track plays prominently in the final scene of Saltburn, which finds Oliver dancing triumphantly — and fully naked — through the titular sweeping English estate after conning and killing his way through the Catton family years after strategically befriending the popular and wealthy Felix Catton at Oxford.
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It’s an incredible and almost poetic villain reveal, and recalls similar scenes featuring movie sociopaths dancing, like Patrick Bateman gleefully dancing to Huey Lewis and the News in American Psycho (2000) or Eric Knox grooving sinisterly to Pharoahe Monch’s “Simon Says” in Charlie’s Angels (2000).
What’s the Song at the End of Saltburn?
“Murder on the Dancefloor” is off English singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s debut 2001 album, Read My Lips. The album peaked at No. 2 on the U.K. Albums Chart.
“Murder on the Dancefloor” hit No. 9 on the U.S. Dance Singles Sales Chart and No. 2 on the U.K. Singles Chart, marking one of Ellis-Bextor’s most successful tracks.
Following its appearance in the critically acclaimed 2023 film from Emerald Fennell, “Murder on the Dancefloor” saw a huge spike in popularity, re-entering the U.K. Dance Chart, going viral on TikTok and earning its most one-day streams ever on Spotify.
Watch Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s “Murder on the Dancefloor” Music Video:
Speaking to BBC, Ellis-Bextor said the song’s re-emergence in the musical zeitgeist over two decades later “feels really magical.”
“And if I’m honest, I don’t think I’ve completely processed it really … It’s extraordinary. It’s a song I’ve been singing for over 20 years, I still love singing it. I love the way people react when I do it live. But for new people to be discovering it, for it to be making new memories with people is kind of beautiful,” she added.
Is Saltburn Streaming Anywhere?
Saltburn was released in the U.S. on Nov. 17, 2023. The film stars Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant among others.
The film is currently available for subscribers to stream for free on Amazon Prime.
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Gallery Credit: Ryan Reichard