Review: Joker Folie à Deux

4 January, 2025 William Eguizabal 0 Comments 1 category

Title: Joker: Folie à Deux
MPA Rating: R
Director: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brenden Gleeson
Runtime: 2 hr 18 mins

What It Is: In the aftermath of the events of Joker, Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) has been jailed for his crimes. Surprisingly, the dynamics of prison have worked out well for Arthur, who is seen as something of a cult hero both within its walls and beyond. Among his admirers is Lee Quinzel (Gaga), a young woman prone to volatile outbursts and habitual lying. When she finally meets the man she idolizes as a larger-than-life figure, she discovers he isn’t exactly what she expected.

What We Think: What a gigantic waste of time. Todd Phillips’ history as a director suggests that the heights he reached with Joker might not have been entirely his doing—and that’s coming from someone who wasn’t even particularly fond of the first film. With Joker: Folie à Deux, Phillips has completely lost the plot. Turning this into a musical was far beyond his capabilities, and attempting a sequel to a film as successful as the first seems to have been a bridge too far.

Joaquin Phoenix appears noticeably less engaged, and his Arthur Fleck feels far less compelling the second time around. Lady Gaga, while a phenomenal vocalist and a capable—often impressive—actress, is wasted here on bad dialogue and even worse songs.

This is an utter waste of time, a squandering of resources, and a film devoid of even the faintest charm the original managed to possess. While the first movie was a vitriolic hate letter to incel culture, this sequel feels, at best, like a thumb to the nose of the original and, at worst, a betrayal of the toxic culture it once critiqued.

Our Grade: D+, This is a hard pass for me. As a fan of Joaquin Phoenix, I’m always eager to see what he brings to the screen. Unfortunately, here he’s given nothing substantial to work with. Phillips, as a director, seems complacent, content to rest on the success of the first film rather than actively engaging with this one. It’s as if he’s napping, more like a pig in mud than a filmmaker in action.

The narrative takes some baffling turns, with decisions that lack coherence or justification for the risks they take. One of those big swings, turning this into a musical, is the only thing keeping it from being a complete failure—but just barely.

Don’t bother watching this. If you appreciated the first film, this one betrays it. If you were lukewarm on the first, as I was, there’s nothing here for you. And if you hated the first, well, as I said earlier, it’s a complete waste of time.