Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) | Film Review
Release Date: October 4th, 2024
Distributed By: Warner Bros.
Director(s): Todd Phillips
Writer(s): Scott Silver, Todd Phillips
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Zazie Beetz, Steve Coogan
Joker: Folie à Deux... Oh how you're a misunderstood child that has your heart in the right place, but unfortunately, actions speak louder than words...
I had a feeling leading up to the release of Folie à Deux that it wasn't going to live up to the masterpiece of its predecessor, but it certainly isn't anywhere NEAR as disastrous as what the internet wants to coerce you into believing. Its biggest issue is that this was the complete opposite of JOKER (2019). Folie à Deux is a film about Arthur Fleck, NOT Joker, so going in with the mindset of "I'm seeing JOKER" and then taking it all in after the credits roll, an immediate reaction would tell you that it feels like it was a waste of time, however that doesn't necessarily mean that it was.
Maybe I'm a little more forgiving than most as I try to look at all aspects of a film’s production once the credits roll instead of taking everything at face value, but after letting it sink in for a few hours after the film had concluded and the lights in the theater turned back on bringing me back to reality, is it the movie I wanted? No, definitely not. However, I'm glad we still got it, though I maintain that this would have been better off (and I think better received) as a limited series. A big reason for that being that Folie à Deux feels like more of a filler story – a massive exposition meant to lead into something more – than a full-on sequel, and it unfortunately suffers for it.
The musical segments most were "worried" about and indifferent towards aren't as frequent as I think one would expect given the advertised "it's a musical" marketing of it as it was being written and shot (despite the lack of it in the trailers following). As someone who doesn't particularly like musicals, I was relatively surprised that I actually didn't have a problem with them, but they felt forced, and even without the songs in place you'd still have the same film, so it all ultimately felt unnecessary.
As for the ongoing discourse, I'm not sure what’s been going around with quotes like "worst comic book movie" as well as it receiving a D CinemaScore (the lowest for a comic book movie ever) when Green Lantern (2011) and Madame Web (2024) exist and have infected the retinas of the masses. It's far from the "worst comic book movie" and is just pure exaggeration that even those verbalizing it as such even know (but won't admit because it's easier to say "I hate it" rather than elaborating on why they disliked it), but its act of self-sabotage is unfortunately going to make people feel betrayed considering the universal love of JOKER. It’s easy to feel upset after watching Folie à Deux as it does a lot different from its predecessor, especially when people mostly wanted more of the same, or something that would work in tandem with The Batman (2022) despite its separate universes.
Though it's not entirely boring and has its moments, there's a big lack of "events" that happen in Folie à Deux, and once it finally starts getting amped up during the last bit of the film, it quickly comes to a halt and... ends. The ending, mind you, feels like a copout, too. And it's not just because I didn't like it as I've tried to keep my mind open about it, but I have trouble believing that there weren't any superior avenues to take on how to conclude the story of Arthur Fleck and Joker than going about it the way they did. It feels like an uninspired take that may or may not have been an executive corporate decision rather than creative (i wasn't there, so I don't know), but that's only because there's absolutely nothing redeeming about it, and nothing that would signify it as "creative" or "art" when comparing it to its predecessor considering the production team here is largely the same. It just irks me that all that was created and concocted only to come up with an ending like that.
Joker: Folie à Deux is a fine film, but a slow burn that viewers need to be prepared for—one that delves into the psyche and self-reflection of Arthur Fleck the man & how he mends with Joker the criminal. Are they two peas in a pod? A metaphorical ying-yang? A shadow or manifested illusion? Is he possessed or in control? Maybe they’re Identical and there is no difference?
You never really figure it out, but that's okay here because Arthur Fleck is a complicated individual. Quite frankly, even if we wanted to figure it out, the narrative and screenplay here doesn't quite give a damn about those who loved the first or if you've even watched it, so it wouldn't matter, because it's a movie that also doesn't care about the investment from its audience. Folie à Deux simply is, and it’s proud of what it is and has nothing to prove (nor the motivation to do so), and it certainly isn’t looking for our approval. It’s a film that will be polarizing for years to come, but I think in due time once people have given it second or third viewings, there may be more to pick from and a deeper understanding as to why things turned out the way they did. It’s an acquired taste, to say the least. Folie à Deux isn’t even trying to make an excuse for the way that it is.
Even for all its faults, though, the cinematography, production, performances, score, and just about everything else we're all top-notch, so visually speaking it was very much a spectacle like JOKER before it. It's just a shame it all felt undercooked, mismanaged, and betraying.
