Saltburn: Why did Oliver lie about his family?

There’s a question at the heart of Saltburn, which is why does Oliver lie about his family. Here’s the answer…

Saltburn has been one of the most talked-about movies of the last few months, thanks to some shocking scenes. Most notably those involving a bathtub and a grave.

We loved Emerald Fennel’s sophomore effort, awarding the movie 5-stars, and writing: “On the surface, it seems to be about class. As we Brits will always be obsessed with class. But there’s also a thriller bubbling away beneath that surface, one that grips from when the film’s clever framing device kicks in, to the ultimately devastating denouement.”

But a big plot point involves protagonist (antagonist?) Oliver lying about his family. Here’s why, though be warned, there are SPOILERS AHEAD…

Saltburn: Why did Oliver lie about his family?

Oliver lied about the true status of his family in Saltburn for two reasons: to get close to Felix (Jacob Elordi), and to execute his master plan.

When we first meet Oliver, he is a quiet and unassuming social outcast. Studying at Oxford in 2006, he meets Felix, who he quickly becomes enamored with. After lending him his bike to get to a lecture, Oliver soon will do anything in order to get Felix’s attention, leading to his successful infiltration of Felix’s social circle. As the school year ends, Oliver is invited to Saltburn – Felix’s house – to spend the summer there.

By this point, Oliver hasn’t been completely truthful about his family during Saltburn. In order to get close to Felix, Oliver has insinuated that he comes from a fairly broken and run-down family, citing numerous issues facing his family dynamic. On top of this, Oliver fakes a phone call from his mother claiming that his father has died from a suspected overdose.

Becoming more and more intoxicated with Felix and his world, Oliver spends months at Saltburn, displaying increasingly erratic behaviors as more time passes. Felix and his family decide to throw Oliver a party to celebrate his birthday, with Felix surprising Oliver with a trip to his hometown of Preston before it starts. It’s here that Felix learns the truth about Oliver’s upbringing – instead of coming from a dysfunctional family riddled with issues and tragedy, Oliver comes from a run-of-the-mill suburban family with no real distinct characteristics to speak of.

Felix is even more surprised to learn that Oliver’s dad is in fact alive, and isn’t a drug addict at all. Oliver’s parents describe him as incredibly smart and high-achieving, with his Oxbridge status awarded because of his academic performance rather than a ‘lowly’ scholarship or financial status. This later leads to Felix and Oliver falling out, with no one else realizing that Oliver’s life is built on a lie.

As well as wanting to get close to Felix, Oliver has an ulterior motive for his lies – bringing down the rich. At heart, he despises Felix, his family, and everything they stand for, picking them off one by one. Sure enough, each family member loses their life, leaving Oliver in sole possession of Saltburn. In his ending monologue, Oliver reveals how much he hated Felix and his family, suggesting ongoing class struggles between the uber-rich and the middle and working classes.