What Time Period Poor Things Takes Place In (& Why It’s Confusing)

Poor Things’ time period is distorted by confusing and vibrant storytelling, giving it a unique tone. Based on the novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray, Poor Things tells the story of Bella (Emma Stone), a young woman who has been brought back to life by Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) in a similar way to Frankenstein’s monster in the classic horror film. Baxter gave her the mind of a child and the story chronicles Bella’s developing intellect and autonomy as she explores the world around her.

This autonomy is put to the test as Bella falls for Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) and discovers several physical and philosophical parts of humanity, with Wedderburn desiring to control her like her creator. Much like Frankenstein’s monster, Bella resists and attempts to figure out who she is, as well as make sense of the overall human condition. Bella’s battle for autonomy reflects some of the aspects of its original time period, but its distorted world still leaves audiences confused about when this story is meant to take place.

Poor Things Takes Place In The 1880s

According to Deadline, who uploaded the original script for the film, Poor Things is meant to take place in the early 1880s, mirroring Frankenstein. This can be seen in some aspects of the film, including people’s mannerisms, but largely the time period comes into play with Bella’s arc. Bella’s sexual liberation and discovery of feminist ideals in Poor Things clash with the patriarchal mindset Baxter and Wedderburn perpetuate. This fits into that specific period as the National Association for Women’s Suffrage was not founded until 1902. However, the visuals of the film include various anarchistic aspects, emphasizing Bella’s unconventional arc.

Why Poor Things’ Time Period Is Deliberately Confusing

Poor Things creates a sense of confusion through its use of color and design in order to strengthen Bella’s arc. The shift from black & white to color offsets this change to demonstrate Bella’s innocence as each city visited is saturated in color, almost like a painting, which strays from the melancholy tone of a traditional monster movie. However, other changes demonstrate this, including Bella’s puffy sleeves, which were uncommon in the 1880s, and the modern-eque design of the cruise ship. This not only gives the film a timeless feel but also emphasizes how Bella defies the classic monster arc.

As the story progresses, the colors become more muted but the world still retains its anarchistic feel. This mirrors Bella as she grows into herself, ultimately deciding to forsake the conventional roles society demanded of a woman at the time. Not only does this emphasize Bella’s arc and create its own internal logic, but this also allows Poor Things to further parody the classic monster movie through Bella’s happy ending. The film showcases how Bella finds strength in her defiance rather than being punished for it, demonstrating the horror genre’s evolution when it comes to monster stories.