I wasn’t in love with him. I know everyone thought I was. But I wasn’t. I loved him, of course. It was impossible not to love Felix. And that was part of the problem. Everyone loved him [...] I loved him. I loved him. I loved him. But was I “in love” with him?”

In the opening scene of Saltburn, an older Oliver appears to speak directly to the audience as he reflects upon his complex and contradictory feelings regarding Felix. He insists that he was not “in love” with Felix, though he concedes that he did love Felix, marking a subtle distinction. Where one might say that they “love” a friend or family member, to be “in love” connotes romantic love. Oliver denies a romantic attraction to Felix and suggests, instead, that he was no different than Felix’s other peers, all of whom were drawn to the magnetic and wealthy young man. Insisting that his love for Felix was shared by everyone, he downplays the seriousness of his obsession with Felix. Shortly after, however, he repeats that he “loved” Felix three times in a rapturous manner that suggests that his feelings for Felix might be stronger than he is willing to admit. Last, in a rhetorical question, he asks if he was in fact “in love” with Felix. In these few lines, Oliver’s attitude appears contradictory, ending on a question that undermines his earlier insistence that he was never “in love” with Felix.  

James thought it would be better to peel her away this morning without too much of a scene. Only so many hints you can drop.

 

Yeah, she did seem a bit lost.

 

Ha, very tactful. She’s a complete limpet. The wettest of wet blankets. And very hard to know from looking at her because she’s so stylish.

The film establishes a parallel between Oliver and Pamela. Both are guests of the Cattons, staying at Saltburn temporarily because of hardships in their personal lives. While Oliver has, he claims, recently lost his father, Pamela has ended a relationship with a dangerous Russian oligarch whom she met in rehab. Oliver learns an important lesson about how things work at Saltburn when Lady Elspeth pushes Pamela away after becoming bored of her. When Oliver asks Lady Elspeth what Pamela, who often wears stylish and avant-garde outfits, will wear to dinner, Lady Elspeth casually and unsympathetically notes that Pamela was pressured to leave Saltburn early in the morning in order to avoid making “a scene.” There is little ceremony in Pamela’s exit, and she is not even given time to say goodbye to the others before leaving for London.  

There are hard limits, Felix learns, to the generosity of the Cattons. They take in people like Pamela, treat them to the luxuries of Saltburn, and eventually, grow bored of their new playthings. When Felix sees the ease with which Lady Elspeth abandons her former “friend,” he understands that he will have to work hard to maintain Felix’s interest and secure his own place at Saltburn.  

“Oh, Oliver. You'll never catch on. This place... you know, it’s not for you. It is a [...] dream. It is an anecdote you’ll bore your fat kids with at Christmas [...] But you don't get it back, because your summer's over. And so you, you catch a train to whatever creepy doll factory it is they make Olivers in. And I come back here.

During the A Midsummer Night's Dream themed birthday party that the Cattons throw for Oliver, Oliver is surprised to find that Farleigh is in attendance. Previously, Farleigh was kicked out of the house by Sir James for attempting to steal and sell valuables, though it is later revealed that Oliver framed Farleigh. In this quote, Farleigh mocks Oliver for underestimating the strength of the Catton family’s ties. Despite all his careful scheming, Farleigh claims, Oliver will still have to leave Saltburn at the end of the summer, as he is not a member of the family.  

For Oliver, this summer at Saltburn is nothing but a “dream” and an “anecdote” that he will tell his children about in the future. Even though Farleigh got in trouble, he is still a member of the family and, at the end of the day, the Cattons inevitably choose to forgive and forget in the name of family. Additionally, Farleigh insults Oliver, stating that he will have to return to “whatever creepy doll factory” makes people like Oliver. Here, Farleigh echoes an earlier comment he made at Oxford, where he jokes that Oliver was almost passing for a “real human boy.” Farleigh is better able than his wealthier cousins to sense Oliver’s deceptive nature.  

Look, I just gave you what you wanted. Like everyone else does! Everyone puts on a show for Felix. So I’m sorry if my performance wasn’t good enough.

 

I think.. I think you need to see someone. You need help, ok? Seriously.

 

No. No, I don’t [...] I mean, doesn't this just prove how much of a good friend I actually am?

At the climax of the film, Oliver confronts Felix at the birthday party held at Saltburn. Previously, Felix rejected Oliver after learning that he had lied extensively about his background, pretending that his youth was marred by terrible parents and tremendous hardship in order to gain Felix’s sympathy. In this scene, Oliver attempts to work through Felix’s distrust and rekindle their friendship.  

First, he insists that he was simply putting on a “show” for Felix, performing for him in order to keep him entertained. Darkly, he suggests that everyone in Felix’s life similarly performs for him, doing and saying whatever will keep him happy. Oliver presents himself as just another person serving Felix, who has come to expect such deference from others due to his wealth. Now aware of Oliver’s manipulative nature, Felix is not so easily convinced, insisting that Oliver needs “help” in order to address his psychological issues. Oliver, however, attempts to regain control of the narrative by arguing that his deception actually proves that he is a “good friend” who is willing to go to incredible lengths to maintain their friendship.  

I wasn’t in love with him. I know everyone thought I was. But I wasn’t. I loved him. By God, I loved him. But sometimes I... hated him. I hated him. Yeah, I hated him. I hated all of you. And you made it so easy. Spoiled dogs sleeping belly-up. No natural predators. Well... Almost none.

In the final scenes of the film, Oliver confesses to Lady Elspeth that he killed Felix many years earlier and reflects upon his feelings regarding Felix and the other members of the Catton family. Echoing the first lines in the film, Oliver again insists that he “wasn’t in love” with Felix but nevertheless concedes that he loved him. By this point in the movie, Felix’s actions call this insistence into question and suggest that he is something of an unreliable narrator.  

At Saltburn, he often behaves in an outrageous manner that suggests that he is deeply attracted to Felix, despite his denial. Still, just as Oliver acknowledges his love for Felix, he adds that he also hated him and the other members of his family. Though he was dazzled by the wealth and luxury of the Cattons, he also resents the smugness and ease with which they live their lives. Due to their “spoiled” nature, he claims, it was easy to outsmart the Cattons, committing a series of murders in order to inherit Saltburn and the family fortune. “Sleeping belly-up,” the Cattons felt secure in their position and could not imagine that anyone was working against them. In these dark final lines of the film, Oliver characterizes himself as a predator who made easy prey of the complacent, wealthy family.  

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