When Does the Film "Poor Things" (2023) Take Place?

"Poor Things" (sometimes released as "Pauvres Créatures"/"Poor Creatures") is a fantasy historical fiction film written by Tony McNamara [adapted from "Poor Things: Episodes from the Early Life of Archibald McCandless M.D., Scottish Public Health Officer" (1992) by Alasdair Gray] and released December 8th, 2023. 

It takes place in the year: 

1895 AD or 1888 AD 

We know this because when Bella Baxter meets Duncan Wedderburn's friends Kitty and Gerold, Duncan asks, "Kitty, did you see the new show in London by Wilde?" and Kitty replies, "I loved it." and quotes it: "A handbag!" This is in reference to a well-known line from Oscar Wilde's famous play "The Importance of Being Earnest, a Trivial Comedy for Serious People" (1895), which would have been new only soon after its first performance on February 14th, 1895 AD. 

HOWEVER, in scenes that take place later in Paris, France, a ‘foot’ of the Eiffel Tower can be seen, in a very early stage of construction, in the background. The foundations for the tower were completed on June 30th, 1887 AD so the ironwork feet could begin to appear on July 18th, 1887 AD. All these pieces were precisely constructed off-site in the suburbs and brought to Paris by horse-drawn cart and attached in clear sequential stages. The feet would have been visible from far away by December of 1887 AD but the slanted feet came together at the first platform at mid-March 1888 AD before straight ‘legs’ could begin to rise slowly over 1888 AD. This would make Bella and Duncan’s arrival in Paris sometime between December of 1887 AD and March of 1888 AD. 

Max McCandles reports that Bella's hair grows "". Her hair gets longer and longer over the story but, since it is not longer than her knees by the end, we can surmise it has been less than a year. 

All of this is probably intentionally confusing and contradictory as the world of the film is overwhelming and fantastical.