Saltburn
Summary
Warning : this article contains spoilers forSaltburn
cite of murder and suicide
At the sum of Emerald Fennell’sSaltburnis Felix Catton ( Jacob Elordi ) and the flush Catton family , whose munificent life-style is presented through the perspective of a lower - class foreigner . Written and directed by Emerald Fennell , Saltburnis a 2023 psychological thriller about an Oxford student describe Oliver Quick ( Barry Keoghan ) who develops an compulsion with Felix Catton , a democratic blighter scholar at Oxford . After telling Felix that his dad had died , Oliver is invited to drop the summer of 2007 at the Catton family ’s Saltburn acres .
The Cattons are an aristocratic British family who live in the absurdly monumental Saltburn estate in Northamptonshire , England . Despite their exuberant wealthiness , they mollycoddle in certain informalities while valuing others vastly , produce it difficult for a newbie like Oliver to aline to their upper - socio-economic class room ( or so it seemed ) . The Cattons are striking socialites who have far-flung connections to British in high spirits society , and have many historical artifact and valuable art in their possession at Saltburn . Though there are certainly more family extremity in the Catton lineage , Saltburnonly features five distinguish Catton characters onscreen ( and one offscreen ) .
Since Saltburn ’s compelling dramatic event is primarily driven by its well - written reference beats , one can not facilitate but wonder who act as whom in the film .
Felix Catton
Played by Jacob Elordi
Felix Catton is the only son of Sir James and Lady Elspeth Catton , and Venetia Catton ’s only sibling . He attends Oxford along with Oliver , and quickly becomes the objective of Oliver ’s perverted fixation . Felix is very good - looking and naturally charming , which attracts a lot of intimate attention . In Oliver ’s own words , " Everyone have it off [ Felix ] . Everyone wanted to be around him . " While he is blinded by perquisite in many ways , Felix is depict as relatively tolerant - hearted and seems to be a bit more conscious of the absurdity of his wealthiness than the residuum of his family , though he still reap the welfare .
After bump out the truth about Oliver ’s family situation and officially finish their friendship , Felix turns up dead at the center of the Saltburn hedge snarl , still wearing his angel wings from Oliver ’s Midsummer Night ’s Dream - themed birthday political party the night before . His effort of death is not explicitly state at first , but it ’s implied to be a drug overdose after Oliver exposes Farleigh for " racking up lines " of cocain the nighttime Felix died . It is later break thatFelix was murdered by Oliver , who poison his bottle of champagne , presumptively with a deadly Cupid’s disease of cocain .
The ending of Emerald Fennell ’s Saltburn is ramp up on a web of lies spun by Oliver Quick and reveals the twisted layers of his obsession with Felix .
Sir James Catton
Played by Richard E. Grant
Sir James Catton is the paterfamilias of the Catton family unit . He is the much elder hubby of Lady Elspeth Catton , father of Felix and Venetia Catton , and maternal uncle of Farleigh Start . James is rather flakey and overenthusiastic about niche interests . While he seemed to enjoy Oliver ’s company during his extended halt at Saltburn , after Venetia ’s last , James inquire Oliver to get out for fear of him growing too confining to his wife . He ends up paying off Oliver and plump on to live several more twelvemonth untilhe dies of raw reason at an obscure age , leaving the Saltburn land in Elspeth ’s name .
Lady Elspeth Catton
Played by Rosamund Pike
Lady Elspeth Catton is the materfamilias of the Catton family . She is the much younger wife of Sir James Catton , mother of Felix and Venetia Catton , and maternal aunt by marriage to Farleigh Start . Though she incorrectly claims that she ’s " never wanted to know anything,“Elspeth is incredibly nosy and often insert herself into other people ’s business , insisting that " absolutely nothing shocks [ her ] . " Though she purports to be compassionate , Elspeth is quite manipulative and judgemental behind people ’s backs .
After losing her two fry and her married man , Elspeth is the last Catton stick out at Saltburn . yr after Felix and Venetia ’s deaths and presently after James ' , Elspeth runs into Oliver , seemingly at random . She invites him to come back to Saltburn with her where they pass the last few calendar month of her living together . She becomes very ill under unknown circumstances and falls into a comatoseness , but not before leaving Oliver the Saltburn acres in her will . After tell a comatose Elspeth about the evil architectural plan he ’s been expect out all this time , Oliver disconnect Elspeth ’s life musical accompaniment , efficaciously stamp out her and inheriting the Saltburn attribute .
Within the darkly comedic narration of Saltburn , a series of expiry occur , each strategically contributing to a theatrical role ’s masterful plan .
Venetia Catton
Played by Alison Oliver
Venetia Catton is the only daughter of Sir James and Lady Elspeth Catton , and Felix Catton ’s only sibling , though it is unclear if Venetia or Felix is the older sibling . Venetia is a backbreaking smoker and drinker who struggles with bulimia and various genial health takings . Despite her household ’s wealth , she has a disheveled political party girlfriend tone , with smudged makeup , seeable roots , and chipped nail refinement . Based on her sometimes planetary behaviour and her mother ’s cruel characterization of her , Venetia seems to have rather low-spirited ego - esteem .
When Oliver approach Venetia while she ’s drunk in the bathing tub succeed Felix ’s death , the two have a supercharged and tense confrontation . Shortly after , Venetia is found dead , appearing to have taken her life by slitting her wrists and run out in the tub . Oliver by and by reveals that he put the blades on the tub and presumptively slice her wrists himself , though it ’s possible he merely drove her to her breaking point until she did it herself .
Farleigh Start
Played by Archie Madekwe
Farleigh Start is the nephew of Sir James and Lady Elspeth Catton , and the cousin of Felix and Venetia Catton . Farleigh attends Oxford with Felix and Oliver and lives with the Cattons at Saltburn . According to Felix , Farleigh " much grew up with " the Cattons . Unlike the Cattons , though , Farleigh is American and mixed race , which create some unexpressed tenseness between them at times . James started pay for Farleigh ’s instruction because he mat guilty for cutting Farleigh ’s mother off financially , though Felix exact Farleigh ’s already been expelled from"almost every shoal in England . "
Farleigh is not fond of Oliver and does not okay of him staying at Saltburn . After he gets catch allegedly trying to sell some valuable home plate to Sotheby ’s , Farleigh gets kicked out of Saltburn , though it is later revealed that Oliver framed him . Upon Farleigh ’s tax return , Oliver frames him again , this time for Felix ’s overdose . Oliver suggests that Farleigh had been providing Felix with the cocaine that finally drink down him , andFarleigh is kicked out of the Saltburn acres and the Cotton fellowship for good . He may have returned to his mother in America , but this is unconfirmed .
Saltburn ’s hazardous ending will several questions and mysteries surrounding Ollie , the Saltburn demesne , and the Catton kin on the whole .
Frederica Start (née Catton)
Never appears onscreen
Frederica Start is James Catton ’s baby , Lady Elspeth Catton ’s sis - in - practice of law , Farleigh Start ’s mother , and Felix and Venetia Catton ’s paternal aunt . Frederica is mentioned several times throughoutSaltburnbut never appear onscreen . Like the residuum of the Cattons , Frederica was somewhat of a local celebrity due to her family ’s wealth , as demonstrated by Farleigh and Oliver ’s professor ’s admiration of her despite never having meet her .
When she was 19 year erstwhile , Frederica be given forth to America to " escape the cold - eye English " and ended up " marr[ying ] a lunatic , " accord to Felix . Frederica ’s hubby apparently drop all of her money and " a fair chunk " of James ' money too , at which point James snub her off financially . Frederica still occupy somewhere in America andFarleigh claims she ca n’t pay her bills and will before long end up " hold up in squalor"at the pace she ’s go , while the Cattons go in luxury . It is unsung whether she or Farleigh inherited any of the Cattons ' riches after their collective deaths at the remnant ofSaltburn .
Cast
