In 2019, Joker became a cultural phenomenon, winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and earning 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Arthur Fleck, a mentally ill comic who becomes a murderous close, sparked intense debate about the film’s themes and its potential societal impact. When “Joker: Folie à Deux” was announced in 2022, and the news of Lady Gaga starring in the movie as Harley Quinn broke out on the internet, I was genuinely excited! Gaga has proved herself as an excellent actress in House of Gucci (2022) and A Star is Born (2019). I was rooting for this movie!
Fast forward two years later, and I got a chance to witness Todd Philips’s directorial “Joker: Folie à Deux” on-screen. And, man! What an interesting it was. This sequel takes an unexpected turn: Arthur Fleck transforms into the singing, dancing lead of a musical. Honestly, I liked the concept – I think it was really intriguing. However, the execution completely falls flat, largely due to a screenplay that feels both disjoined and self-indulgent.
Bold Choice, Missed Opportunities
I totally respect Phillps for casting pop superstar Lady Gaga alongside Phoenix and for attempting a DC movie in a jukebox musical format. The film features various classic jazz and Hollywood-style songs, including “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” and one of my favorite songs from the 70s, “Close to You.” Lady Gaga did a solid job by singing these iconic tunes. She sounded absolutely effortless! Yet, despite the ambitious premise, the film feels laborious and overly self-serious. I still don’t understand how Phillips gave such thinly written roles to actors like Phoenix and Gaga. The writing itself squanders their abilities.
Folie à Deux picks up with Arthur, still incarcerated in Arkham State Hospital, facing trial for his past crimes. Outside, he has become a symbol of chaos and nihilism, but inside, he is just another inmate, subject to mockery and cruelty. What a weird narrative it is! It does nothing to build any tension or excitement. And then, there are the placements of songs, which offer nothing to the story. It totally feels like a series of disconnected musical interludes with minimal plot progression.
Gaga Was Completely Underutilized!
However, fans were already divided when Lady Gaga was announced as a female lead in Joker: Folie à Deux back in 2022. But I was genuinely excited to see Mother Monster as Harley Quinn in the sequel. I mean, Gaga was always crazy from her initial days. This woman literally wore a dress made of meat for VMAs. Her extravagant images perfectly resonate with the classic Harley Quinn image. However, Phillips gave the idea in one interview (earlier this year) that Gaga’s character is completely different from comic books. Okay! It can bear this too.
Now, as I’ve watched this movie, I’m more pissed off! I’m Gaga’s character, Lee Quinzel, literally has no character development or substantive action.
I liked Gaga’s acting as a passionate admirer of the Joker—it was compelling! But the character development was completely missing. Even the romantic sequences between Lee and Arthur often feel forced rather than organic. The film’s insistence on constant musical expression creates a wall of sound that blurs together, detracting from its emotional depth.
Fanfic Vibes
What If I say, “Folie à Deux has a self-referential quality akin to fan fiction, with moments that feel improvised or cobbled together rather than thoughtfully scripted”?
If you’re a fan of the original 2019 Joker movie, you’ll find this Folie à Deux completely lackluster. Instead of action-packed sequences, viewers are left with existential musings that fail to engage. Let me clear this up, “I’m a big fan of musicals, but when this form of filmmaking is forced, I’m sorry, this isn’t for me, then.” Joker has always been recognized for its classic DC elements – crazy, weird, chaotic, thrill, action, and suspense. When such a genre of film gets turned into a musical, It becomes a meme instead of a revolutionary. Imagine a Barbie movie based on any crime thriller or psycho story. It would indeed, fall apart from its target audience. Right?
And the same thing has happened with Folie à Deux.
Despite its flaws, I would say Phoenix and Gaga completely justified their roles. They did an amazing job of what Phillips gave them. I loved how contrasting they both were—Gaga’s polished vocals against Phoenix’s raw, often half-spoken delivery. This contrast definitely added some depth to their characters, but it’s not enough to salvage the overall experience.
Conclusion
In the end, I just want to say that “Joker: Folie à Deux presents a bold yet misguided vision of its characters’ psyches. The film’s heavy-handedness and narrative incoherence result in a disappointing experience that neither entertains nor provokes thoughtful discussion. Things were already bad, but the climax was a final nail in the coffin. The climax was so forceful—so bad, boring, and completely illogical.”
For those who appreciated the original Joker, the sequel may feel like a frustrating detour—a missed opportunity to delve deeper into the complexities of its characters. Instead, it lands as a muddled, somber musical that struggles to find its footing, leaving viewers wondering what could have been.
