Saltburn
Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton, who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family's sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.
Working with a moderate budget of $20.0M, the film achieved a steady performer with $21.0M in global revenue (+5% profit margin).
Nominated for 5 BAFTA 18 wins & 110 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Saltburn (2023) exhibits carefully calibrated narrative architecture, characteristic of Emerald Fennell's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 11 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Oliver Quick
Felix Catton
Venetia Catton
Elspeth Catton
Sir James Catton
Farleigh Start
Pamela
Main Cast & Characters
Oliver Quick
Played by Barry Keoghan
A struggling scholarship student at Oxford who becomes obsessed with aristocratic classmate Felix Catton and infiltrates his wealthy family at their estate Saltburn.
Felix Catton
Played by Jacob Elordi
Charismatic, privileged Oxford student from an aristocratic family who befriends Oliver and invites him to spend summer at Saltburn estate.
Venetia Catton
Played by Alison Oliver
Felix's troubled sister who struggles with self-harm and eating disorders, becomes romantically involved with Oliver during his stay at Saltburn.
Elspeth Catton
Played by Rosamund Pike
The eccentric, self-absorbed matriarch of the Catton family who collects broken people as charity cases and fashion accessories.
Sir James Catton
Played by Richard E. Grant
Felix's distant, traditional father and lord of Saltburn estate who maintains aristocratic formality and detachment.
Farleigh Start
Played by Archie Madekwe
Felix's American cousin living at Saltburn on the family's charity, protective of his position and initially hostile toward Oliver.
Pamela
Played by Carey Mulligan
One of Elspeth's charity case friends who stays at Saltburn, later abandoned by the family when she becomes inconvenient.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Oliver Quick arrives at Oxford University as an awkward, isolated scholarship student from a modest background, struggling to fit in with the wealthy elite students around him.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Oliver "rescues" Felix by lending him his bike when Felix gets a flat tire, creating the opening for friendship that will change everything.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 32 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 25% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to Oliver accepts Felix's invitation to spend the summer at Saltburn, the Catton family estate, fully committing to infiltrating Felix's world., moving from reaction to action.
At 66 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Felix discovers Oliver's lies when they visit Oliver's supposedly troubled family, finding his parents alive and well in a normal middle-class home. Felix realizes Oliver has been manipulating him all along., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 98 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Felix is found dead in the hedge maze after his birthday party. Oliver appears devastated, but we later learn he murdered Felix to possess him forever., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 104 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Oliver is "reluctantly" invited to stay at Saltburn by the grieving Elspeth, securing his permanent place in the family as their adopted son and heir., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Saltburn's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Saltburn against these established plot points, we can identify how Emerald Fennell utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Saltburn within the drama genre.
Emerald Fennell's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Emerald Fennell films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Saltburn exemplifies the director's characteristic narrative technique. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Emerald Fennell filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include After Thomas, South Pacific and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. For more Emerald Fennell analyses, see Promising Young Woman.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Oliver Quick arrives at Oxford University as an awkward, isolated scholarship student from a modest background, struggling to fit in with the wealthy elite students around him.
Theme
Felix tells Oliver, "Everyone's just pretending," revealing the performative nature of class and identity that becomes the film's central theme.
Worldbuilding
Oliver navigates Oxford's class hierarchies, observing the glittering world of Felix Catton and his aristocratic friends while presenting himself as a struggling outsider with a troubled family background.
Disruption
Oliver "rescues" Felix by lending him his bike when Felix gets a flat tire, creating the opening for friendship that will change everything.
Resistance
Oliver and Felix develop their friendship as Oliver carefully crafts his image as vulnerable and needy. Oliver hesitates about getting too close, knowing the dangers of his growing obsession.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Oliver accepts Felix's invitation to spend the summer at Saltburn, the Catton family estate, fully committing to infiltrating Felix's world.
Mirror World
Oliver arrives at Saltburn and meets the entire Catton family—Sir James, Elspeth, Venetia, and the ever-present Farleigh—who represent everything he desires and the world he wants to possess.
Premise
Oliver explores Saltburn and ingratiates himself with the family, enjoying the decadent summer while secretly manipulating situations. He begins an affair with Venetia and methodically removes obstacles, including Farleigh.
Midpoint
Felix discovers Oliver's lies when they visit Oliver's supposedly troubled family, finding his parents alive and well in a normal middle-class home. Felix realizes Oliver has been manipulating him all along.
Opposition
Felix is furious and plans to exile Oliver after his birthday party. Oliver becomes desperate as his carefully constructed position at Saltburn begins to crumble and Felix withdraws from him.
Collapse
Felix is found dead in the hedge maze after his birthday party. Oliver appears devastated, but we later learn he murdered Felix to possess him forever.
Crisis
The family grieves Felix's death. Oliver performs mourning while consolidating his position, and Venetia spirals into despair and eventual suicide. The family's world collapses around them.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Oliver is "reluctantly" invited to stay at Saltburn by the grieving Elspeth, securing his permanent place in the family as their adopted son and heir.
Synthesis
Years later, Oliver encounters a dying Elspeth and reveals he orchestrated everything—including Sir James's death—to inherit Saltburn. He suffocates her to complete his takeover of the estate.
Transformation
Oliver dances naked through Saltburn to "Murder on the Dancefloor," reveling in his complete possession of the estate, transformed from desperate outsider to triumphant master of everything he desired.