What Barry Keoghan was actually slurping in 'Saltburn' bathtub scene

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By stefan armitage

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Saltburn was probably the ending to 2023 that nobody saw coming.

Set in England in the mid-2000s, the movie tells the story of an Oxford student named Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan), who becomes fixated and obsessed with an aristocratic fellow student at his university Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi).

And while this Amazon Prime movie may feature some visually beautiful scenes, it also contains some extremely provocative ones - and some scenes where the character Oliver crosses a line when it comes to passion and desire.

The rest of this article contains spoilers for Saltburn - so turn away now if you haven't seen it...

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Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan star in MGM's Saltburn. Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty

One scene in particular set social media ablaze with wild reactions. Yes, of course, we're talking about the now infamous "bathtub scene".

The scene in question shows Oliver hopping into a bathtub after secretly watching Felix pleasure himself in there. Oliver then proceeds to drink the remaining bath water directly from the tub. And I'm not just talking about scooping up the water and taking some little sips -- I'm talking full-on bending down and slurping up the remaining bathwater as it disappeared down the drain.

Reactions to the scene were mixed, with one viewer tweeting: "That bathtub scene made me so uncomfortable and I loved it. #Saltburn."

And then another added: "I genuinely almost threw up on the bath scene in Saltburn. I thought I wasn't gonna be able to finish it."

Others also referred to it as "horrifying" and "disgusting" and you're about to find out why.

And there's no doubt that Prime knew the fuss they had caused online, as they later took to X and shared a still from the scene, along with the caption: "Boy dinner."

Honestly, though, it's a decent movie and well worth a watch (30-60 minutes after a meal).

Now, those involved in the scene have revealed exactly what Keoghan was drinking in that scene.

Speaking to Business Insider, the movie's production designer, Suzie Davies, opened up about creating the viral scene.

In terms of what Keoghan actually drank, Davies revealed is was a mix of "yogurt and a bit of milk and some water."

"He did it four times and really went for it. Every one he did was a different kind of slurp," Davies said.

And despite being filmed in a medieval-structured mansion boasting a whopping 127 rooms - the production team couldn't find a bathroom that was perfect for the director's vision.

"The most beautiful bathrooms, but could I find the one I could film in? No," Davies said, revealing that she was then forced to totally redecorate one of the spare bedrooms.

Davies' team also had a mission of finding a tub that would comfortably fit Elordi's 6ft 5" frame - as well as realizing that they would have to use a fiberglass tub, as a real cast-iron tub would have just collapsed through the floor.

So, although many of you are probably trying to scrub that scene from your memory, just remember all the hard work that went into it.

Featured image credit: Variety/Getty