Director Emerald Fennell shared why she chose a mid-2000s setting for her upcoming feature Saltburn, starring Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan.

The director, who also helmed the 2020 drama thriller Promising Young Woman, has yet again explored a rather darker tone for her upcoming movie. Saltburn, which exudes a “classic Gothic framing narrative,” requires a timeline that is set in the past, according to Fennel.

“The bulk of the film is set in 2006/7. The classic Gothic framing narrative required it to be set in the recent past,” she told Empire. “But it also had the crucial effect of undercutting the glamour and humanising everyone. 2006 was the time of sideburns, patchy fake tans, bad hair extensions, BlackBerrys and tiny glittery scarves — no matter how sexy or rich you were, it was hard to pull off.”

Fennel added that seeing someone smoke indoors makes everything seem more like a period drama. “Nothing makes something feel more like a period drama than seeing someone light up in a pub.”

What is Saltburn about?

Set in the mid-2000s, Saltburn follows Oliver Quick (Keoghan), a socially awkward college student trying to fit in at the respected Oxford University.

The official synopsis for Saltburn reads: “Fennell brings us a beautifully wicked tale of privilege and desire. 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.”

Saltburn also stars Rosamund Pike, Richard E. Grant, Alison Oliver, Archie Madekwe, and Carey Mulligan. Besides directing, Fennel also served as the film’s producer, alongside Barbie’s Margot Robbie and Josey McNamara.