Pamela’s Tragic Saltburn Fate May Not Have Been What It Seemed – Theory Explained

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Saltburn.Saltburn is a movie full of unanswered questions, but what actually happened to Pamela is one of the most prominent open-ended mysteries. No solid explanation is provided in Saltburn regarding Pamela’s fate, so various possibilities could ring equally true. Despite having less screen time than other characters, Pamela left her mark on the movie and contributed to the intrigue of what Saltburn was really about.

Released in November 2023, Saltburn features an ensemble cast led by Barry Keoghan. Pamela, played by Carey Mulligan, is one of the more minor Saltburn characters in the grand scheme of the overall plot. However, the questions surrounding what ultimately happened to her could reveal a lot about the actions and motivations of the movie’s main character, Oliver Quick.

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Saltburn Theory: Oliver Quick Could Have Killed Pamela In Saltburn

Oliver had the motive and possibly even the opportunity

Pamela had a close relationship with Elspeth and the rest of the Catton family in Saltburn, although it was also quite strained. Their dynamic had the potential to derail Oliver’s scheme. The news that Pamela was set to leave after a lengthy stay must have been a relief for Barry Keoghan’s character, but there was also the risk she could return to Saltburn again if ever she felt unsafe. As a result, Oliver Quick had just as much motive to kill Pamela as he did the rest of the estate’s residents.

Throughout Saltburn, it’s shown how manipulative Oliver has become, but none of his murderous tendencies are actually shown until the closing montage. Although the movie implies that Oliver is responsible for the deaths of Felix, Venetia, and the others, the audience only sees the murders in retrospect. The fact that the majority of Oliver’s killings happen off-screen allows for the possibility that he did the same thing to Pamela once she had left Saltburn.

The News Of Pamela’s Death Doesn’t Seem To Surprise Oliver In Saltburn

His reaction was closer to intrigue than shock

When Elspeth drops into conversation that she’s headed to London for Pamela’s funeral, it understandably causes Oliver to react. However, Oliver takes the news in an unusual way, looking more interested than anything else. Given that Pamela had since departed Saltburn, it’s possible that Oliver could have added to his plans to dispose of anyone who could threaten his ultimate goal of inheriting the estate. Although it’s not shown, Oliver may have briefly left Saltburn and laid a fatal trap for Pamela, or just killed her in a much less subtle way.

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Therefore, Oliver Quick’s unusual reaction to the knowledge of Pamela’s demise could be one of relief. The assurance of Pamela being out of the picture means one less obstacle for Oliver to overcome when it comes to entering his endgame. If Pamela had survived a murder attempt by Oliver, then she could have turned him in, which would explain his relief when he discovers she’s dead. His dark dream would have been impossible from the confines of a prison cell.

How Pamela Could Have Disrupted Oliver’s Scheme If She’d Returned

Pamela was a threat to Oliver’s potential fortune

Oliver is already taking a huge risk each time he kills. Pamela’s return to the house would have been another crime for him to commit at Saltburn without getting caught, and it would have meant a greater degree of planning. Both Felix and Venetia die in ways that don’t necessarily implicate Oliver, but a third kill at the estate would invariably start to raise questions. As such, Oliver’s best course of action would have been to remove the threat to his desires in a location away from prying Catton eyes. Additionally, Pamela’s initial reason for staying at Saltburn was to hide from her Russian mobster ex-boyfriend.

After time away from the estate, the said mobster could have located Pamela and followed her if she returned to stay with Elspeth. Oliver is a skilled and devious killer, but he’d be no match for a career criminal if he were to come face-to-face with one. Even if Oliver were able to flee Saltburn and escape the Russian man’s threat, Pamela’s ex could have posed a threat to Elspeth’s life. The final step in Oliver’s plan was to manipulate Elspeth into signing the estate over to him, so her untimely death at the hands of the mob wouldn’t have worked in Oliver’s favor.

The continued existence of Pamela was a constant threat to Oliver’s plan to take Saltburn, and he wouldn’t have wanted to take any chances of her coming back once she left the house. The possibility of Pamela’s return was not just inconvenient to Oliver Quick, but a potential reason for his overall failure to gain ownership of the Cattons’ property. Therefore, Keoghan’s character killing Pamela in Saltburn before she had the chance to resurface was one of the most preventative measures he could have taken.