This Saltburn fan theory makes Oliver even more calculated than we first thought

We still can’t stop speaking about Saltburn. Between the Jacob Elordi slow-mo TikTok edits and newfound production secrets— there’s just so much to unpack from the Felix/Oliver timeline (aside from the bath tub and grave scene, of course).

Obviously (spoiler), the big twist of Saltburn is that Oliver has been scheming against the Catton family throughout his summer stay at Saltburn and picking them off one by one. But fans think Oliver had his eyes on Felix long before he lent him his bike at Oxford.

When Oliver first got to uni, it seemed like his only friend was a similarly awkward student Michael Gavey because they were both social outcasts. Oliver evidently hated being around Michael in their sad social circle of two and ditched him as quickly as he physically could. But the theory is that Oliver actually deliberately orchestrated their friendship to get closer to Felix – even if it seemed painful.

oliver when he had to sit with michael in saltburn https://t.co/q0b8zWhElY

— lei !!SILLY LITTLE MAN!! (@ratboyantics) January 3, 2024

Essentially, people think Michael had actually been invited to Saltburn by Felix for a previous summer and – after Oliver found this out – he got closer to him to find out everything he could about Felix, his family, and their humungous home before orchestrating a way for them to actually meet.

And there’s some evidence which supports this: Michael warns Oliver against getting close to Felix and suggests that although he might seem like a good guy, he has a habit of getting bored of people and casting them aside. Additionally, once Oliver arrives at Saltburn, Felix’s sister Venetia says “better than last year’s one”.

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But there are also some holes in this theory. Principally, Felix and Farleigh keep mentioning a boy called Eddie – not Michael – who was Felix’s former best friend and had a relationship with Venetia, which ruined their friendship and saw him cast out of Saltburn. However, that’s not to say Oliver wasn’t just the next in a long line of friends – Eddie, Michael – who Felix had scooped up and shut out without a second thought.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Right, was Barry Keoghan wearing a prosthetic in THAT Saltburn final scene

• Okay, this is why everyone’s accusing Jacob Elordi of ‘queerbaiting’ right now

• A-list stars and nepo babies: Inside Jacob Elordi’s long and winding relationship history

Featured image credit via Prime Video