Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)

​"Joker: Folie à Deux" stars Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz, Steve Coogan, and Henry Lawtey.  Released on October 4, 2024, the film has Arthur Fleck forming a deadly romantic relationship with his asylum inmate.

The film is directed by Todd Phillips, who also directed films such as "Road Trip", "Old School", "The Hangover", and "War Dogs".  It is a sequel to Phillips's 2019 film, "Joker".  Regarding the villains in the DC universe, no one's as dangerous and mentally insane as the clown prince of crime himself, the Joker.  Known for his mind games and twisted psyche, Joker is an iconic enemy of Batman that we love to fear.  Of course, his toxic love for his partner-in-crime, Harley Quinn, also makes him twice as deadly before she goes solo and falls head-over-heels for Poison Ivy.  This aspect is revisited in Todd Phillips's continuation of his most divisive and darkest villain origin story ever told on screen.  Despite its mixed reception and controversy surrounding its topics, Todd Phillips's "Joker" performed like any other superhero film and became one of the most successful R-rated movies ever.  It even earned a surprising amount of Oscar nominations for this "achievement", including Best Picture.  This year, Phillips is looking to repeat history with a follow-up that continues the early days of the psychotic, makeup-wearing criminal, including his toxic relationship with his iconic clown princess.  Does it offer something worth laughing about, or is it an unnecessary sequel that should be locked up in the asylum?  Let's find out.

The story occurs two years after its predecessor.  Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) has transitioned from a former stand-up comedian to a mentally ill criminal following the crimes that placed him under arrest.  He is currently residing in the Arkham State Hospital as a patient during his trial, which will determine his future.  While attending a music therapy session, Arthur later encounters another inmate named Harleen "Lee" Quinzel (Gaga), who shares similar interests with him.  As the two get acquainted, they eventually form a romantic relationship while experiencing musical madness through their linked insanity.   
 
"Joker" was seen as a complete 180, not just for the Batman franchise but also for Todd Phillips, who's usually known for helming fun yet raunchy comedies.  Well, let me tell you, this movie is no laughing matter.  It brought many divisive reactions from moviegoers and fans of the iconic Batman villain.  Some adored it, some thought it was okay, and some just downright loathed it.  I'm one of the few people who's really impressed with the film's ambition.  Did it take cues from some of Martin Scorsese's works?  Yes, but they're effectively used to portray a mentally ill man's downward spiral to madness amid a city full of hatred and violence.  Additionally, it benefited from one of Joaquin Phoenix's best performances of his career, a chilling and discomforting atmosphere, and Hildur Guðnadóttir's award-winning score.  In short, I would call "Joker" the most daring and haunting cinematic project that DC has allowed to exist.  It is also an example of comics-influenced cinema being more than just superhero spectacle and chaotic CGI, which the young kids are into nowadays.

Even though I was okay with "Joker" being a standalone, I couldn't help but be curious about its sequel.  In addition to including the musical aspect, the film also has Lady Gaga filling in the clown shoes of Harley Quinn in a live-action adaptation following Margot Robbie's run as the Joker's love interest in the DC Extended Universe.  Regarding the live-action portrayals, Robbie takes the cake in playing Harley Quinn, which was enough to carry the "Suicide Squad" movies and "Birds of Prey".  Animation-wise, I would say it's a tie between Tara Strong and Kaley Cuoco from the adult animated series, "Harley Quinn".  So, I was intrigued to see where Lady Gaga would land on my list, especially since her previous roles have proven that she can carry a tune in her acting.  Of course, even with its two main leads and the returning crew from its predecessors, what matters is whether the sequel is worth joking about, hopefully in the best way.

Like its predecessor, "Folie à Deux" benefits from the Joker name in the Batman lore.  However, just because it involves the Joker doesn't mean it's suitable for young fans of the character, especially children.  This is more of an adult and hauntingly depressing take on the villain without Batman around to spoil his last laugh.  If parents fail to notice that like they did with the first film, then Arthur Fleck isn't the only person who's mentally unstable.  It's not for the faint of heart, but it's the type of unsettlement that's also very well-crafted through its technical aspects.  However, its ambition may have bitten off more than it can chew when it comes to storytelling.  It undoubtedly delivered a similar feel-bad vibe that made its predecessor daring and melancholy, but it sadly lacked the discomforting impact of its tension and themes to elevate its divisive and surprisingly tame narrative.

Instead of taking the psychological thriller route like the first film, "Folie à Deux" takes the approach of being more of a courtroom drama with musical elements.  It not only further explores Arthur's downfall through his mental illness and fame but also examines the dangers of toxic love between Arthur and Lee.  Since it is the "Joker" movie, the love between the psychotic lovebirds doesn't seem to last forever, especially when specific revelations threaten to separate them for good.  Similar to my thoughts on "Joker", I admired the sequel for providing something different to its daring take on the iconic DC villain, mainly when it showcases plenty of layers into his twisted personality.  However, its screenplay by Todd Phillips and Scott Silver kept it from reaching its full potential.  Its feeble approach to its somberly bleak themes involving mental illness and the toxicity of love and fandoms struggled to match its ambition as well as the discomfort that came with it.  This is commonly the case of a follow-up to an impactful cinematic tale that failed to make lightning strike in the same spot twice, especially ones based on a popular comic book brand.

What makes the screenplay even more divisive to bear than its predecessor is its ending.  I can only say that it's another better-or-worse scenario in which no side is the clear victor.  On the one hand, it emphasizes the film's creative freedom of its somber and grounded storytelling instead of following the typical guidelines of a superhero blockbuster.  On the other hand, it'll make plenty of Joker fans go mad for the wrong reasons.  Personally, I thought the ending was fine for what Todd Phillips was attempting to accomplish with his take on Joker's depressing journey.  It's that the story and Phillips's direction missed a much bigger oomph from its predecessor to warrant that kind of conclusion.  It's not great, but it's not the worst ending I've seen.  It was just okay.  The film was also more than ten minutes longer than its predecessor, and despite some engaging moments elevating the courtroom sequences, it felt like there wasn't enough room in its length to explore its topics more.

But, for what it's worth, "Folie à Deux" is still a well-designed sequel that showcases its strong technical prowess and remarkable cast.  Joaquin Phoenix reprised his role as Arthur Fleck, which earned him an Oscar win in the first movie.  To this day, I still think Phoenix deserved that Oscar for his performance in "Joker", as he brilliantly captured the unstable yet deeply layered failed comedian whose bad day led him down a darker path.  Unsurprisingly, Phoenix managed to recapture that unnerving essence with solid results.  While it might not be enough for him to earn another Oscar nomination, Phoenix's performance was a captivating showcase that's impossible to ignore, especially during one of his courtroom scenes.  Lady Gaga continues to prove her worth as an actress outside her music career with her appealing performance as Lee Quinzel.  Despite not being on the same level as Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn, Gaga did a great job making this character her own, and yes, her singing is still as impressive as her acting.  Brendan Gleeson and Catherine Keener were also great additions to the cast as abusive guard Jackie Sullivan and Maryanne Stewart, Arthur's lawyer, respectively.

Similar to "Joker", "Folie à Deux" got the last laugh in delivering a bleakly gorgeous drama through its technical achievements, mainly from those who returned for the sequel.  Lawrence Sher's cinematography was still immaculate for displaying its dreary aesthetics, decent production designs, and stage-like musical numbers.  Additionally, we had Hildur Guðnadóttir returning to provide the musical score for "Folie à Deux".  While not as memorable as its predecessor, the score was respectable in surrounding its gritty tone with ominous music.  Speaking of which, I mentioned earlier that the film has musical elements, with most of the numbers being covers of pre-existing songs.  Despite not having the ones that stood out the most, the musical numbers were entertaining and nicely directed enough to elevate most of the film's narrative shortcomings.

Overall, "Joker: Folie à Deux" offers another bold yet depressing trip into the title character's twisted imagination, but its tame narrative is no laughing matter.  While it contains the usual technical aspects that made its predecessor bleakly compelling, the film finds itself guilty of lacking the narrative impact it's going for, mainly due to its screenplay missing several marks in its themes.  Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga are a magnetic force as the deeply unsettling lovers, and the musical numbers are quite diverting.  As for Todd Phillips, he did all right in keeping the movie's narrative engaging through its cinematography and musical score.  Unfortunately, his middling execution of the film's unsettling tension faltered his potential to create another substantial addition to the comic book cinema catalog.  If you're more into films that stray far from the typical superhero blockbuster aspects, you'll likely enjoy "Folie à Deux", but it won't leave you with a smile on your face.

C+