Joker 2 Critics say that Todd Phillips’ follow-up features another phenomenal performance from the lead and a strong supporting turn from Lady Gaga, but it could end up being just as controversial as its predecessor.
Among comic book movies, Todd Phillips’ Joker, which came out five years ago, was unique. Apart from earning more than one billion dollars, the film received nominations for eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and took home two of them, including Best Actor for lead actor Joaquin Phoenix. Despite having a favorable Tomatometer rating, the movie’s overall reaction was divided. Joker: Folie à Deux, the musically inspired follow-up, is not expected to be as successful and, based on early reviews from the Venice Film Festival, may not be as good even though it features more amazing technical effects, a stellar performance from Phoenix, and Lady Gaga. Nevertheless, whether you like it or not, it’s worth seeing, just like with the original Joker.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
What reviewers are saying about Joker is as follows: Folie à Deux:
CAN IT ACCOMPLISH THE EXPECTATIONS?
The much awaited Joker sequel is just as crazy and thrilling as you could have imagined.
— Ben Rolph, Talking About Film
Joker: The inventiveness of Folie à Deux will astound a lot of people. It will stimulate conversation just as much as the first, if not more.
― Ema Sasic, The Next Big Thing
This is one of the most original film adaptations of comic book characters I’ve ever seen. Phillips should be commended for taking audacious creative chances that have unforeseen benefits.
— Dorian Parks, Color Geeks
It’s not at all what I had anticipated.
― Black Girl Nerds’ Catalina Combs
It’s a really clever and scary movie.
— Independent Geoffrey Macnab
Yes, Folie à Deux is a film that lives up to its expectations. However, the Joker’s trick is that it rejects them—a bold move by Phillips that will undoubtedly cause his fan base to crumble.
― Luke Hicks, The Stage of Film
Joker: Double Take Though seemingly extravagant and audacious on the surface, the core of the film is an unduly cautious sequel.
— Variety’s Owen Gleiberman
IN COMPARISON WITH THE FIRST JOKER, HOW IS IT?
This movie is a lot more enjoyable than the last one.
— AwardsWatch’s Yasmine Kandil
Equally as dark and formally audacious… equally as tense and unsettling as its predecessor. — Geoffrey Macnab, Independent
The last thing anyone anticipated from Phillips and Silver is a socially conscious Joker film that deftly examines the effects of the first movie, both on and off screen.
— NME’s Matthew Turner
In contrast to the original, which saw Arthur Fleck’s shortcomings as a source of perverse heroism, Folie à Deux emphasizes just how pitiful he is and always has been.
— The Wrap, William Bibbiani
There is an improvement even though it ends up being just as vehement, lengthy, and frequently plain boring as the first movie.
Guardian, Peter Bradshaw
As this plot attempts to correct some of the events and interpretations of the original film and its presentation, ardent fans of the first movie might have some misgivings.
— Ema Sasic, the upcoming top film
Joaquin Phoenix (picture courtesy of Warner Bros.) in Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
PRESENTLY, IS JOAQUIN PHOENIX THE BEST ACTOR MATERIAL?
Phoenix gives a performance deserving of an award once more. It’s amazing to see him embrace the Joker character wholeheartedly this time, battling the conflict between Arthur and the Joker like never before.
— Dorian Parks, Color Geeks
Phoenix once again gives a brilliant performance, but this time he is more subdued and focused as he delves deeper into Arthur’s mind and displays his amazing voice.
― Ema Sasic, The Next Big Thing
As Arthur, Phoenix excels once more. He gives a gripping and incredibly physical performance that hovers on the verge of madness the entire time; it’s unsettling and surprisingly touching.
— Turner Matthew, NME
Phoenix gives one of his best performances to date, giving Arthur a newfound tenderness as he quickly falls in love with Lee and spirals back into insanity.
— AwardsWatch’s Yasmine Kandil
He never ceases to astonish me with Joker: Folie à Deux. He’s still incredibly skilled at what he does.
― Black Girl Nerds’ Catalina Combs
If he doesn’t manage to surpass his Oscar-winning performance as Joker, he at least manages to steer him in an entirely unexpected and distinct route.
— Deadline Hollywood Daily’s Pete Hammond
Phoenix stretches out across the screen with a luxurious, at ease, and self-assured demeanor.But even when he puts on this front, he never loses the natural silliness that makes Arthur himself.
— IGN Movies, Siddhant Adlakha
Joker: Folie à Deux, starring Lady Gaga (2024)
(Image: Warner Bros.)
A LADY GAGA IN THE ROLE OF HARLEY QUINN?
As Harleen, Lady Gaga is just as wonderful, and her chemistry with Phoenix is clearly wild.
— NME’s Matthew Turner
She is amazing and lights up the screen with her crazy presence just as much as Phoenix did in the previous picture. This is by far the riskiest part the well-known artist has ever taken on.
― Ema Sasic, The Next Big Thing
Gaga blurs the line between obsession and affinity with her captivating live-wire persona.
Reporter David Rooney, Hollywood
In the musical sections of the sequel, Gaga excels.
— Ben Rolph, Talking About Film
Gaga gave an amazing musical performance.
― Black Girl Nerds’ Catalina Combs
Even while Gaga falls short of Harley Quinn’s level of madness, she still makes an impact when it matters most.
— Nerdist Kyle Anderson
Gaga never gets the chance to captivate the audience with her rapture like she did in A Star Is Born.
— Variety’s Owen Gleiberman
Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix in Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) (Image courtesy of Warner Bros.)
DO YOU FEEL LIKE A BATMAN FANBASE?
When it comes to some Bat-obsessed fans who simply want to see more of the same, this seems like obvious trolling at times, so it’s inevitable that they’ll take offense.
— NME’s Matthew Turner
It disregards the needs of other characters. It’s unfortunate that we don’t see more of Gotham’s beautiful, intricate universe or the character development that takes place there.
― Black Girl Nerds’ Catalina Combs
It is commendable that Phillips and Silver chose to approach a classic DC character in a different way. However, it’s hard to conceive that [this] movie will excite die-hard fans of the Batman universe.
Reporter David Rooney, Hollywood
The formula that audiences are accustomed to seeing in comic book movies is not followed in Folie à Deux. That could be unsettling to some people while being a breath of fresh air and a departure from the ordinary to others.
— Dorian Parks, Color Geeks
It’s a pleasant surprise to watch a major franchise movie that pays so little attention to genre tropes, especially one based on DC Comics.
— Ben Rolph, Talking About Film
IN WHAT WAY IS IT A MUSICAL?
The movie’s musical components were amazing. Gaga gave an amazing musical performance.
― Black Girl Nerds’ Catalina Combs
The musical pieces featured in Joker: Folie à Deux are exceptionally fun and expertly performed.
— Ben Rolph, Talking About Film
The go-for-broke style of most musicals from the era when Arthur most likely saw them or heard albums growing up is not allowed by Phillips to be reflected in the musical elements.
— Deadline Hollywood Daily’s Pete Hammond
I believe the film should have gone all out if it was going to have musical portions.
— Nerdist Kyle Anderson
Remarkably, considering how many musical performances there are in the movie, the choreography isn’t highlighted as much as the songs themselves.
— NME’s Matthew Turner
The musical pieces get ostentatious and are only occasionally required.
― Ema Sasic, The Next Big Thing
Despite being a jukebox musical with songs ranging from Stevie Wonder to MGM standards, it is strangely committed to taking away as much enjoyment as it can from its song and dance sequences.
— Alison Willmore, Vulture/New York Magazine
Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix in Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) (Image courtesy of Warner Bros.)
HOW MUCH ABOVE THE SCORE?
The first Joker’s soundtrack by Hildur Gudnadottir was so essential to the narrative that it was awarded an Oscar. Once again, she strikes the proper notes here.
— Deadline Hollywood Daily’s Pete Hammond
Joker: Folie à Deux’s score kept me interested, on the edge of my seat, and occasionally gnawing on my fingernails.
― Black Girl Nerds’ Catalina Combs
Once again, Hildur Guðnadóttir shines with a superb score that lifts the movie.
— Dorian Parks, Color Geeks
The Oscar-winning music by Hildur Guðnadóttir, which is still hauntingly vibrant, is the most important of the callbacks.
— AwardsWatch’s Yasmine Kandil
Luke Hicks of The Film Stage describes Hildur Guðnadóttir’s score as “grave-deep, cello-sawing,” menacing enough to make you want to throw in the towel. It lurks in the background of every romantic song and pleasant moment.
Joaquin Phoenix (picture courtesy of Warner Bros.) in Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
WHAT VISION DOES IT HAVE?
For the sequel, Lawrence Sher makes a comeback as the cinematographer, and he goes above and above. His allegories are frequently uncomfortably in your face, and he uses rich lighting and evocative frame.
— The Wrap, William Bibbiani
Similar to the first picture, this one also has stunning visuals throughout, thanks to the skillful use of color by cinematographer Lawrence Sher.
— NME’s Matthew Turner
The grim, depressing atmosphere of Gotham City is expertly captured by the film’s cinematography, which also brilliantly mirrors Arthur’s journey into lunacy.
— Dorian Parks, Color Geeks
All of the production qualities are superb, especially the return of Lawrence Sher’s cinematography, Mark Friedberg’s production design, and Arianna Phillips’ costumes.
— Deadline Hollywood Daily’s Pete Hammond
There are a few dreamy flourishes, but they largely reference well-known images from earlier musicals, such as Francis Ford Coppola’s heartfelt, expressionistic One from the Heart and Jaques Demy’s seminal French New Wave production The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
— IGN Movies, Siddhant Adlakha
Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix in Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) (Image courtesy of Warner Bros.)
EXCELLENT SCREENPLAY?
The screenplay fits the subjects at hand better because it is less sensationalistic and more controlled than its predecessor.
— Ben Rolph, Talking About Film
For this sequel, which is already overly familiar to fans of the comic book genre, Phillips and Scott Silver have devised a shockingly much more sophisticated plot.
― Ema Sasic, The Next Big Thing
More than anything, the narrative undervalues Harleen Quinzel’s intricacy. This has nothing to do with the development of a new character variety; rather, the problem lies in its lack of commitment.
— AwardsWatch’s Yasmine Kandil
I felt guilty about not liking any of the female characters in this movie as I left the theater.
― Black Girl Nerds’ Catalina Combs
Folie à Deux’s narrative seems a touch flimsy and at times boring for a film that lasts two and a quarter hours.
— Reporter David Rooney from Hollywood
Folie à Deux doesn’t happen often enough.
— Variety’s Owen Gleiberman
Joaquin Phoenix (picture courtesy of Warner Bros.) in Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)
Is there enough material to match the design?
Scott Silver, a co-writer with Phillips, has crafted a psychologically intricate and surprisingly poignant story.
— NME’s Matthew Turner
This sequel defies expectations by being significantly more thoughtful and reflective than one might anticipate from a movie with so many graphic deaths and convoluted narrative about its ultimate social aspirations.
― Ema Sasic, The Next Big Thing
It appears that Phillips wishes to discuss what has turned into entertainment in the TMZ universe, where social media and tabloid news garner more attention than more important topics. Joker: There are some twists and answers in Folie à Deux.
— Pete Hammond, Hollywood Daily Deadline
Phillips avoids giving the wrong impression. He is more concerned with calming society’s fury than making social commentary.
— Luke Hicks, The Stage of Film
The most remarkable aspect of Joker: Folie à Deux is how Phillips voluntarily undercuts his own blockbuster film, which made billions of dollars.
— The Wrap, William Bibbiani
Joker: Folie à Deux’s unrealized potential—without adding anything new—is its worst feature.
