In anticipation of the release of DC sequel Joker: Folie a Deux, reactions have now emerged on social media following the movie’s premiere in Los Angeles. And they are likely to wipe that smile from your face. Directed once again by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck a.k.a. Joker and Lady Gaga as Harleen “Lee” Quinzel a.k.a. Harley Quinn, the sequel builds on the 2019 Oscar-winner and follows Arthur as he is taken to Arkham Asylum.
Sadly, it sounds like Phillips and Phoenix should have left Joker as the standalone movie that it seemed to be, with critic and X/Twitter user @Lulamaybelle feeling that the joke is now on us as Joker 2 is “undercooked” and “boring as sin.”
“Guess the joke’s on us this time. #JokerFolieADeux is aesthetically pleasing but that’s juxtaposed against a nasty, mean-spirit, mistaking itself as rebellious. Appreciate a deconstructed musical, but it’s undercooked & boring as sin. Lady Gaga is great but underutilized.”
The accusations of being boring (which is surely the worst thing a movie can be) continue courtesy of @Cinemaniac94 who adds that Joker: Folie à Deux comes across as if “they clearly had no clue what to do with the sequel.”
“I thought #JokerFolieADeux was quite bad. A bland musical, an uninspired story, a wasted Harley…oh I’m sorry, LEE Quinn, and a very mediocre plot. As someone who loved the first one, they clearly had no clue what to do with the sequel. Disappointed.”
Thankfully, for some, the follow-up is at least worth watching thanks to the two lead performances and “a few wild sequences.” X user @colebrax says:
“I respect Todd Phillips’s decision to take such an unusual creative swing with ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’, making an R-rated musical about psychopaths, but I can’t claim that the movie is 100% a satisfying experience. But at a minimum, the movie is worth seeing for a few wild sequences where Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix make the stale superhero genre feel dangerous and alive again.”
Will Joker: Folie à Deux Find the Same Oscar Success as the First Movie?
Despite all the criticism, there were some who found themselves taken with the vision of Joker: Folie à Deux, and think that, much like its predecessor (which also received a mixed response), it could lead to some Oscar success. As @rickyvalero_ puts it:
“I walked out of #JokerFolieADeux completely floored. Todd Phillips created a poetic and romantic love story that is brilliantly intertwined with music. Joaquin Phoenix delivered again but Lady Gaga is a movie star. She belongs in the Oscar conversation. I loved it.”
Ultimately, Joker 2 has left many fans of the first movie wondering “what was the point of all of this?” according to @BryanSudfield:
“I’m happy to be on the “I love JOKER” train, but I’m sad to share that I really didn’t enjoy JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX. The filmmaking is outstanding and the acting from our two leads is strong, yet it failed to dazzle as a musical. By the end, what was the point of all of this?”
Written and directed by Todd Phillips, Joker: Folie À Deux stars Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck/Joker alongside fellow Oscar winner Lady Gaga (A Star Is Born) as Harleen “Lee” Quinzel / Harley Quinn. The rest of the cast includes Oscar nominees Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Catherine Keener (Get Out, Capote), as well as Zazie Beetz, who reprises her role as Sophie Dumond from the first Joker. You can check out the official synopsis for Joker: Folie À Deux below.
“Joker: Folie À Deux” finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him.”
Joker: Folie à Deux
is due to be released in theaters in the United States on October 4, 2024, by Warner Bros. Pictures.
