39 Fun Facts About Saltburn

In Saltburn, what does Oliver lend Felix at Oxford that sparks their friendship?

His bicycle gets Felix to class after a flat tyre, and the favour buys Oliver a place in his circle; years later he admits he punctured the tyre himself.

Which actor plays Oliver Quick, the Oxford student at the centre of Saltburn?

Barry Keoghan was Fennell's pick after she saw him in The Killing of a Sacred Deer and judged him a once-in-a-lifetime performer.

Which actor plays Felix Catton?

Jacob Elordi's audition, Fennell said, was a genius piece of observational comedy about a spoiled little boy.

How is Oliver funding his place at university when he arrives?

Oliver arrives at Oxford on a scholarship, presenting himself as a poor student from a broken home; his lack of money and polish is what sets him apart from Felix's set.

In Saltburn's 2007 summer, everyone is reading which series' final book?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out that July; Fennell set the story 15 years before filming because that is when fashions look dated but not yet cool.

Who plays Lady Elspeth Catton?

Rosamund Pike plays Lady Elspeth Catton, who wants to keep Oliver at Saltburn after her son's death even as her husband offers him money to go.

Which actor plays Sir James Catton?

Richard E. Grant plays Sir James Catton, the family patriarch who eventually pays Oliver to leave Saltburn; his death years later draws Oliver back.

Who plays Felix's sister, Venetia?

Alison Oliver plays Venetia, who turns on the family's house guest after her brother's death and tells him he is a moth.

Who plays Farleigh Start, Felix's American cousin?

Archie Madekwe plays Farleigh Start, whose education is paid for by his uncle Sir James until the money is cut off after Felix's death.

Which Promising Young Woman star plays Elspeth's friend 'Poor Dear' Pamela?

Carey Mulligan plays 'Poor Dear' Pamela, a house guest who has outstayed her welcome; when word comes that she has died, Elspeth says she would do anything for attention.

Who plays Duncan, the Saltburn butler?

Paul Rhys plays Duncan, the unsmiling butler whose condescension intimidates Oliver from the moment he is shown to his room.

What does Oliver tell Felix has just happened to his father, prompting the summer invitation?

He has died suddenly, Oliver claims, and the invitation follows; the lie unravels on his birthday, when Felix drives him home and finds both parents alive and well.

Why is Farleigh thrown out of Saltburn before Oliver's birthday party?

He apparently tried to sell family ceramics, so Sir James sends him away; Oliver later admits he used Farleigh's computer to make the offer look like his.

In Saltburn, where on the estate is Felix found dead the morning after Oliver's birthday party?

In the hedge maze, where Oliver had cornered him during the party to plead his case and Felix had refused to hear him out.

How does Oliver claim he killed Felix?

He poisoned his drink, Oliver confesses years later; at the time the death looked like an overdose after a night of champagne and cocaine.

How does Venetia die in Saltburn?

She slits her wrists in the bath soon after turning on Oliver; years later he admits he left the razor blades within her reach.

Where does Oliver 'accidentally' run into Elspeth years later?

At a cafe, in a meeting Oliver engineers after reading of Sir James's death; a delighted Elspeth insists he come back to Saltburn with her.

How does Oliver finally kill Elspeth?

He removes her life support after confessing everything at her bedside; by then she has already left him all her assets, including the house.

Which song plays as Oliver struts through the empty house in Saltburn's final scene?

Murder on the Dancefloor, Sophie Ellis-Bextor's 2001 single, went back into the UK top 10 in January 2024 on the strength of the scene and reached the US Hot 100 for the first time.

What is the theme of Oliver's birthday party at Saltburn?

A Midsummer Night's Dream gives the costume ball its theme; Fennell said midsummer is about upending the norms, with characters role-playing and changing identities.

Which piece of music opens Saltburn?

Zadok the Priest, written by Handel for George II's coronation, opens the film because Fennell wanted audiences to sense that the story is itself a coronation.

In Saltburn, which Britpop anthem does Elspeth suggest was written about her?

Common People, Pulp's song about a rich girl playing at being poor, went into the script after rehearsals, when Fennell and her Elspeth agreed the character secretly believed it.

Which frame shape did Fennell choose for Saltburn?

Near-square, the 1.33:1 shape of old television sets, was picked so that viewers would feel they were peeping into a doll's house.

Which Oscar-winning cinematographer shot Saltburn?

Linus Sandgren, who won his Oscar for La La Land, was shown paintings with Caravaggio-style dramatic lighting by Fennell when they first discussed the film's look.

Which real stately home stood in for Saltburn?

Drayton House had never been filmed in, and the contract kept its location secret; once fans traced it, the owner complained of trespassers and influencers in the grounds.

In which English county is the house that played Saltburn?

Northamptonshire was where the search ended: Fennell wanted a house no audience had seen, and said everything nearer London had been filmed a million times.

Saltburn opened which festival in October 2023?

The BFI London Film Festival opened with Saltburn at the Royal Festival Hall; its director said that as soon as the credits rolled it was clear they had found their opening-night film.

After its cinema run, Saltburn began streaming worldwide on which service on 22 December 2023?

Prime Video is where Saltburn took off: within weeks of its streaming debut, scenes from it were all over TikTok and a pop single from its soundtrack was back in the UK top 10.

Which historical epic opened in US cinemas the day Saltburn went nationwide?

Napoleon opened that Thanksgiving week alongside Disney's Wish; Saltburn finished its cinema run on about $21 million worldwide, then found a far bigger audience on streaming.

Who beat Saltburn's leading man to the 2024 Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama?

Cillian Murphy won for Oppenheimer and opened his speech by asking whether he had lipstick on his nose, after a kiss from his wife when the win was announced.

Acting and score aside, what was Saltburn BAFTA-nominated for?

Outstanding British Film went instead to The Zone of Interest, which the same night also won the BAFTA for best film not in English.

Which Barbie star was one of Saltburn's producers?

Margot Robbie produced Saltburn through her company LuckyChap, which had backed Fennell's debut too; the same year Fennell acted beside her in Barbie as the pregnant doll Midge.

Which Patricia Highsmith novel have critics most often compared Saltburn to?

The Talented Mr. Ripley, about a schemer who worms his way into a rich friend's life, was the reviewers' stock comparison; Fennell says her model was the country-house novel The Go-Between.

Which House of the Dragon actor plays Oliver's first Oxford friend, Michael Gavey?

Ewan Mitchell, Aemond Targaryen in House of the Dragon, plays Michael Gavey, the maths obsessive Oliver drops the moment Felix pays him attention.

Which member of The League of Gentlemen plays Professor Ware?

Reece Shearsmith plays Professor Ware, the bored tutor who warms to gossipy, well-connected Farleigh and treats the diligent Oliver as hard work.

What kind of film has Fennell herself called Saltburn?

A vampire movie is her own label: Oliver, in her telling, is an outsider sucking the marrow from the life he envies, and the bloodsucking runs both ways with the Cattons.

What does Oliver wear on his head to his birthday party at Saltburn?

A pair of antlers, which his costume designer wanted to look like something out of folklore; Fennell calls Oliver the deer of the story, the prey that becomes predator.

Which Pet Shop Boys song does Farleigh use to needle Oliver at Saltburn's karaoke night?

Rent, a song told from a kept lover's point of view, is the one Farleigh gets Oliver to sing, and Oliver realises too late that it is meant to mock him.

Which band recorded Destroy Everything You Touch, the 2005 track heard in Saltburn?

Ladytron took their name from a Roxy Music song, and Brian Eno, who played on it, later called them the best of English pop music.