what year does joker take place

Joker, the 2019 American psychological thriller film directed by Todd Phillips, is set in 1981. The movie follows Arthur Fleck, a failed clown and aspiring stand-up comic, whose descent into mental illness and nihilism inspires a violent countercultural revolution against the wealthy in a decaying Gotham City. The decision to set the movie in 1981 was a strategic choice by the director, who wanted to create a gritty, dingy Gotham City that pays homage to some of the more iconic films of that era. The period isnt particularly tied to the narrative, and the story could have been told in the modern day. However, Phillips wanted to separate the film from the DC universe and make it clear that it wasn't interfering with anything that was already going on.