Run Time: 2h 18m
Directed By: Todd Phillips
IMDb: 5.3/10
Rotten Tomato: 33%
Budget: $200 million
Back in 2019, Todd Phillips had us all going crazy over his Joker origin film starring Joaquin Phoenix, where we got to see the Joker in a completely different way. The film was a hit with both audiences and critics, making over $1 billion at the box office. The ending was vague and ambiguous, leaving so much to think about. An open-ended conclusion like that made it seem clear Joker didn’t need a sequel. So, I was pretty pissed when they announced one. My gut told me it would be a terrible movie. And after five long years, we now have Joker: Folie à Deux. Let’s see how it turned out.
Joker: Folie à Deux takes place two years after the first film, which ends with Arthur killing Murray in a live talk show, inciting a riot across the city. Arthur is confined to a psychiatric ward in Arkham Asylum, far from his Joker persona and facing trial for the murders he committed previously. Later, in the music class of the asylum, he meets an inmate named Harleen (Lee) Quinzel (played by Lady Gaga), who’s obsessed with Arthur (or his alter ego, Joker). As the bond between the two of them grows stronger, Arthur slips back into his fantasy world again.
What I liked in the movie
- Outstanding performance: Joaquin Phoenix knocked the Arthur character out of the park one more time in Joker: Folie à Deux. Of course, that was quite expected from someone who won the Oscar for playing the same role. But this time, he nailed it in the musical numbers as well. The guy can sing and dance darn well.
I was worried about Lady Gaga’s Harley Quinn since acting isn’t her strong suit. But surprisingly, she delivered a decent performance in Folie à Deux. Although there wasn’t much for that character to do anyway.
- Musical Numbers: When I heard that the sequel to Joker (2019) was going to be a musical, I wasn’t really happy about it. Well, now that I’ve seen the movie, I gotta say, the musical numbers are pulled off brilliantly. They’re an incredible fusion of music, lighting, set design, and jaw-dropping performances from Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix. Every element blends perfectly, making each number not just entertaining, but mesmerizing.
I’m neither a Lady Gaga fan nor do I like the idea of casting her as Harley Quinn. But I have to admit, she nailed it in the musicals (which is the reason why she was cast in the first place) and did pretty well overall. There are things about those numbers that bothered me as well, which I’m going to discuss shortly. But I had faith in Todd Phillips; the guy must know what he’s doing.
- Technical Elements: Folie à Deux satisfied me with its spellbinding cinematography, mesmerizing sound design, and all the technical elements, just like the previous movie did. In Joker (2019), we saw an atmosphere of muted tones and shadows that defined the loneliness of Arthur. Joker: Folie à Deux, on the other hand, had relatively vibrant and dreamy cinematography. It seems like Lawrence Sher (the cinematographer of both films) pushed his boundaries on the visual style this time. The way he blended the gritty dark vibe of Gotham with the dreamlike musical numbers in Folie à Deux is unbelievable—probably the strongest aspect of the film.
What I didn’t like in the movie
- Flat Story: I think the weakest part of Joker: Folie à Deux is its weak story that lacks proper depth, complexity, or development. Joker (2019) resonated with the audience on multiple levels with its compelling and intriguing narrative. Not only the social commentary, intense atmosphere, and moral ambiguity, but we also saw the transition of Arthur becoming the Joker in the movie that moved us very well.
The story of Folie à Deux, on the other hand, is all about Arthur’s trial for the murders he committed in the previous movie. Sadly, I didn’t find anything new in the movie that I didn’t see in Joker (2019). So, the whole movie feels unnecessary.
- Character Development: I believe a good sequel should expand the storyline by introducing fresh conflicts or new elements, and most importantly, deepening the character development. So, I expected to see more exploration of the Joker persona and well-developed Harley Quinn’s character. But, sad to say, quite the opposite has happened in Folie à Deux. In the movie, I didn’t find anything about Arthur/Joker that I didn’t already know from the previous movie. On the other hand, none of the tasks that Harley does make any sense. There’s no clear motivation behind any of her actions throughout the entire movie.
- Problem with the Musical Numbers: Musical numbers in Folie à Deux are visually stunning and pretty enjoyable to watch. Having said that, those numbers don’t contribute much to the plot. Most of them are placed to describe the thoughts and imaginations of Arthur Fleck. More specifically, Arthur’s delusions (that we’ve seen in the previous movie as well) are showcased in an exaggerated way through the musical numbers. I don’t understand the reason behind making this movie a musical in the first place, but Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) would be just fine without being a musical. Also, if you cut all the songs out of the movie, it would barely make any change in the story.
Also, Folie à Deux clearly takes inspiration from the classic musical Chicago (2002). I wish the movie could be anywhere near the standard of Chicago (2002).
- Plot Holes: Joker: Folie à Deux has several plot gaps. Well, Joker (2019) also had some things that didn’t add up. But that wasn’t much of a problem because there was uncertainty about reality in the film. We didn’t know for sure if that was real or something from Arthur’s imagination. But in Folie à Deux, the entire imaginary world is confined to musical numbers. So, this time, Joker bothered me with some of its plot holes throughout the whole movie.
- Comic Accuracy: Although Joker (2019) is one of my most favorite DC films, it disappointed me for not having proper comic references or similarities. I was hoping that Todd Phillips would make the sequel more connected to the comics. And guess what, Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) doesn’t even have the minimum connection that the previous movie had. That was disappointing big time.
I know that it doesn’t always have to be aligned with every comic reference to be a good film. A director can bring creative changes based on the demands of the story. But I also believe that a comic book movie needs to take more than just the names of characters and places from the source material.
Overall Opinion
After Joker (2019) made a billion by creating a worldwide craze, Joker: Folie à Deux as a sequel turned out to be a huge disappointment without any doubt. And the box office numbers speak for that disappointment as well. None of us even wanted that sequel in the first place. Having said that, I think Folie à Deux is an overhated movie. The movie has some genuine charm as well. It’s just… the first movie is so well-crafted that compared to that, the sequel is indeed garbage.
Who Should Watch and who shouldn’t
Joker: Folie à Deux got an “R rating” for “strong violence and nudity.” Well, I don’t think that the movie contains much strong violence or nudity. But indeed, it has some darker themes that are not suitable for everyone. So, kids are out of the equation.
I don’t know who the targeted audience of the film is. But I’m pretty sure it’s not meant to be for DC fans. I really don’t know whom to suggest the film to.
Perhaps someone who loves musicals might like the movie.
