To be honest, I can’t really recommend this movie. At the beginning I was tempted to bail on it a few times and later on, it made me so sick to my stomach I almost threw up.
“Saltburn” is the title of this 2023 movie, written, directed, and co-produced by Emerald Fennell. It’s been described as a black comedy thriller, but personally, I couldn’t detect a single trace of humor in it. A black psychological thriller? Absolutely.
So why write about it? Because it’s the perfect example of the Dark Triad of personality traits.
- M = Machiavellianism
- N = Narcisism
- P = Psychopathy
In short, machiavellianism is characterized by manipulative tendencies, narcissism by an inflated sense of self-importance, and psychopathy by a lack of empathy.
All characters in the movie embody one, two, or all three traits, with Oliver, the main character, embodying all three traits to such high levels that the rest of the characters start paling in comparison and physically disappearing, one after another.
Despite how sickening it was to watch this movie, I saw it as a powerful reminder of the Dark Triad and a great opportunity to explore the Dirty Dozen. The twelve questions measure the levels of these traits, helping us take an honest look at ourselves.
Here’s the good news: according to psychology research, only 30 to 50% of our traits are determined by genetics, leaving the remaining 50 to 70% influenced by our environment. This suggests that the power to observe, acknowledge, and change those dark traits lies in our hands.