Here’s how Jacob Elordi’s Felix Catton died in Saltburn.
Warning - this article contains spoilers for Saltburn.
Felix Catton is the subject of Oliver Twist’s (played by Barry Keoghan) obsession, Oxford students who meet while at school. After weaving a sad take for Felix, Oliver is invited to the Saltburn Estate for the summer.
While everything starts out fairly innocently, it doesn't take long for depravity to set in—such as the infamous bathtub scene making its way around the internet.
Sadly for Felix, this story doesn't work out for him in the end.
The Death of Felix Catton
Earlier in the movie, Oliver painted a picture for Jacob Elordi's Felix about the troubled life he comes from at home outside of school, including a dead parent and drug problems. As it turns out, all of it was a straight-up lie, as Oliver comes from a perfectly good middle-class upbringing with parents who love him.
Felix doesn’t understand why Oliver would lie about it all, and the revelation creates a cataclysm between the two.
Felix made an ultimatum: after Oliver’s birthday party, he needed to leave Saltburn. Needless to say, Barry Keoghan’s character doesn't take it well.
He tries desperately to get Felix to talk to him and understand. The final stand comes when Oliver tracks down Felix in the house’s labyrinth.
Harsh words are exchanged, but Felix makes it clear that he doesn't want anything to do with Oliver, and he believes his former friend needs some serious help.
After Felix declared that Oliver “makes his fucking blood run cold,” Oliver thrusts a bottle of alcohol into Felix’s chest as he turns to vomit off to the side.
Feeling it is the perfect moment for a swig, Felix embraces his new gift. Little did he realize Oliver had actually poisoned his bottle, which is what caused Felix’s death.
Since Oliver couldn't have Felix, no one could. And thus started the downfall of the Cattons.
The Other Deaths of Felix's Family Members
Felix was the first to fall—but far from the last.
While they were all framed as terrible accidents, Felix really took his wrath out on the remaining members of the Catton family, with the aim of taking over their fortune.
Venetia Catton was found with her wrists slit in the bathtub (which could have been directly done by Oliver, or thanks to tools given to her), Sir James Cotton died sometime later, and Elspeth was the last to go—directly by Oliver’s hands.
While the movie wants audiences to think this was Oliver’s plan from the start, it does feel notably retaliatory in response to Felix’s rejection. The obsession that Oliver had for Felix felt genuine and uncontrollable, not the product of some huge evil plan.
Not everyone died, though. Felix’s cousin, Farleigh Start, was simply framed by Oliver and kicked out of the family’s estate. In the end, he got far luckier than he could have ever expected.
Saltburn is now streaming on Prime Video.
