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At the beginning of the movie, Farleigh (played by Archie Madekwe) is a student studying at Oxford in the same year as his cousin, Felix, and Oliver. Where Felix is drawn to Oliver and listens eagerly when Oliver talks about his difficult upbringing, Farleigh is wary of Oliver from the start. When he and Oliver have a meeting with Professor Ware, who serves as their advisor, the stark differences in their attitudes become apparent. Where Oliver claims that he has read all the books on the voluntary summer reading list and put great effort into his essays, Farleigh instead utilizes his social connections to win over Professor Ware, mocking Oliver for the stuffy tone of his essay. 

Farleigh serves as foil for Oliver in some ways. Though he does not have money of his own, he was raised, like Felix, in expensive boarding schools and is better able to navigate the social dynamics of upper-class environments like Oxford and Saltburn. At Saltburn, he maintains his antagonistic relationship with Oliver and attempts to drive a wedge between Oliver and Felix by telling Felix about Oliver’s fling with Venetia. When Oliver presses him, he is clear about his motives: he views Oliver as an outsider who does not belong at Saltburn. When Farleigh is kicked out of the house on suspicion of stealing valuable pottery, his dismissal reveals that his position at Saltburn, and even within the family itself, isn’t as secure as he believed. Despite his antagonism towards Oliver, he understands his rival better than the other members of the Catton family; he has a clearer view of Oliver’s motives and manipulations, and he also knows what it’s like to occupy a precarious position in the Catton household.  

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