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Joker: Folie à Deux

October 13, 2024

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX is a 2024 American jukebox musical psychological thriller film directed by Todd Phillips (THE HANGOVER) from a screenplay he co-wrote with Scott Silver. Loosely based on DC Comics characters, it is the sequel to JOKER (2019), which Phillips had also wrote and directed. Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as the Joker, with Lady Gaga as his love interest, Lee Quinzel. Zazie Beetz and Leigh Gill also reprise their roles, while Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Steve Coogan, and Harry Lawtey join the cast. It is produced by Warner Bros. Pictures in association with Joint Effort and was distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.

JOKER was conceived as a standalone film, although Warner Bros. intended the film to launch a DC Black film series. Phillips expressed interest in making a sequel, which entered development in June 2022, with Gaga and Beetz joining later that year. Principal photography took place in New York City, Los Angeles, and Belleville, New Jersey, from December 2022 to April 2023.

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX premiered at the 81st Venice International Film Festival on September 4, 2024, and was released in the United States on October 4.

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX is a perplexing follow-up to the 2019 hit that, despite some fascinating ideas, feels like a mixed bag of disjointed themes and an underwhelming narrative. The decision to shift toward a jukebox musical format offers some unique moments, particularly with Lady Gaga’s character, Lee Quinzel, adding a sense of unpredictability.

However, this bold choice ends up feeling more like a gimmick than a cohesive part of the story.

Joaquin Phoenix once again delivers an intense performance as Arthur Fleck, but the character feels like a shadow of his former self, lacking the visceral depth that made him so compelling in the first film.

The relationship between Fleck and Quinzel, while intriguing at first, is not given enough time to develop into anything more than a surface-level exploration of mutual madness. Gaga brings a magnetic presence to the screen, but her talents are frustratingly underutilized, as the film’s uneven pacing and awkward musical sequences often overshadow her potential to shine.

Thematically, FOLIE À DEUX attempts to subvert audience expectations, which could have been a refreshing take. Instead, it feels as though the filmmakers are more interested in antagonizing their own viewers, with little payoff. Scenes that are meant to shock or unsettle often come across as forced, leaving the audience detached rather than engrossed. The film’s attempt at metafiction, while ambitious, falls flat, creating more confusion than insight.

Visually, the film retains its moody, grim aesthetic, and the production design and cinematography are commendable.

Yet these technical strengths are not enough to compensate for a story that feels hollow and directionless. The psychological depth and societal critique of the first JOKER are notably absent, replaced with a thinner, more self-aware narrative that never quite finds its footing.

THE VERDICT

Ultimately, JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX is a film that had potential but squanders it with a lack of focus and an overreliance on style over substance. It tries to be daring and subversive, but in doing so, it alienates its audience without offering much in return. While Phoenix and Gaga’s performances have their moments, the film’s flaws overshadow its strengths, leaving it as a disappointment for those hoping for a worthy continuation of the Joker’s story.

TED TAKES RATING - 4.9/10

JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX is now playing only in theaters. Watch the official trailer below.

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