Alistair Ryle

Alistair comes from a wealthy, upper class background

Alistair Ryle is one of the main characters of the film The Riot Club (2014) directed by Lone Scherfig. He is a first-year student at Oxford University and comes from a family that has a legacy there. Alistair has an older brother, Sebastian, who used to be one of the most famous presidents of the Riot Club.

Alistair’s family has aristocratic connections and is part of the upper class. He is politically right-leaning, which is the main source of conflict and rivalry between him and Miles. Alistair has attended Harrow School, a top public school in London which is, however, seen as barely tolerable by the other members of the Riot Club. 

Alistair is arrogant and despises the working class

In the first half of the film, Alistair is portrayed as arrogant and snobbish, mainly because of his right-leaning political orientation. He engages in a heated discussion with Lauren on their first day at Oxford and his opinions come across as uptight and out of place. He is moody and silent when Miles mocks him and his inability to connect with girls, and the audience feels that this is the moment when the seeds of their rivalry are planted. 

Alistair’s arrogance manifests itself in a somewhat hilarious episode when...