Samantha Hedrick

I don't understand how people think Oliver is supposed to be a sympathetic character, he's vile as depicted in that bathtub scene, he's a weirdo when he's standing outside the window & through so many other scenes. The only sympathetic characters are Oliver's parents & they're shown for less than 5 minutes of the movie. The theme is "eat the rich" & and those who aspire to be like them, that means eat Oliver too, because people with his sociopathic mindset get that wealth by stepping on everyone in their way- you aren't supposed to be rooting for him, that bathroom scene is meant to make you stop rooting for him if you ever were, though he gave me the ick the moment I saw him peeping in windows. I think the writer & director did an amazing job of making sure the viewer does NOT root for him in the same way so many misguided viewers rooted for characters like Tom Ripley in Talented Mr.Ripley or Tyler Durden in Fight club or Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, there is no mistaking that he is a villain, but so are the residents of Salt Burn, the only difference is those at Salt Burn thought their money & pomp would keep them safe from an outsider like Oliver.