This Saltburn Fan Theory Makes Felix More Devious Than Anyone Thought
This calls for a rewatch. Immediately.
Saltburn is a pretty in-your-face movie. There isn’t much subtlety when Oliver is sticking his tongue down a bath drain or stripping naked in a cemetery. But one of the more devious elements of the film may be hiding just beneath the surface. That’s what fans think at least. A new theory has started to form that Felix’s obsession before Oliver was actually in the movie... and right in front of viewers from the very start.
The big final reveal of Saltburn confirms that Oliver had been secretly manipulating Felix all along, coaxing his classmate into inviting him to stay at his opulent mansion. The shocking revelation goes all the way back to when Oliver first laid eyes on Felix, but a prominent theory among fans suggests Oliver’s scheming started even before he tampered with Felix’s bike to orchestrate their meet-cute.
When Oliver first arrived at Oxford, he formed an uncomfortable friendship with social outcast Michael Gavey. Upon first viewing, it felt like Oliver never wanted to be around Michael, but a deeper reading into Michael’s statements and actions suggest Oliver may have masterminded this friendship all along. The theory is that Michael was the person Felix had invited to Saltburn the year before, and upon learning that, Oliver decided to get close to him to learn all the intimate details about Felix and his manor.
Although the movie never explicitly confirms this speculation, there are a ton of details that support it. Michael vehemently warns Oliver to stay away from Felix multiple times, implying that he may appear kind, but has a way of tossing people aside. Once at Saltburn, Felix’s sister Venetia tells Oliver that he’s “better than las year’s one,” confirming Felix had brought another classmate back to the mansion the year before. Michael’s status as an outcast at Oxford also suggests that Felix turned him into a persona non grata after dumping him before the school year.
The theory also plays into the movie’s grand reveal that Oliver had been a mastermind the whole time. Of course he wouldn’t be chumming it up with someone unless he had something to gain from it!
It also adds a new layer to Felix’s deviousness — we already knew he had a habit for growing bored of his friends, but it seems he would also turn them into social pariahs when he was done with them. Well, he certainly met his match with Oliver.
