Joker: Folie à Deux
Directed by Todd PhillipsArthur Fleck, now incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital, who encounters Harleen Quinzel, a fellow patient who becomes dangerously obsessed with his Joker persona. Their shared psychosis fuels a destructive and increasingly chaotic relationship, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. The film delves deeper into Arthur's mental state, exploring the complexities of his condition and the enduring power of his iconic villainous persona.
Cast of Joker: Folie à Deux
Joker: Folie à Deux Ratings & Reviews
- Ross Guerin7d agoNot as impactful as the first, but not nearly as terrible as what everyone on the internet seems to think it is.
- Kevin WardJuly 1, 2025I love musicals and I think this was pretty solid. Low key kind of wished someone other than Joaquin had been the lead, someone with better singing chops and could actually hold their own next to Gaga. Loved the look, too. The film is gorgeously shot and lit. The umbrella shot is one of my favorites. It really does feel like the film is at odds with itself, though. I kind of love what Phillip’s is going for. It’s certainly an audacious filmmaking to put forward something that clearly wants to confront the response to the first Joker film. But you know how when you tell a joke, but the person doesn’t get it. So you go back and try to explain the joke to them. The explanation rarely makes it any better.
- Daniel GustavssonNovember 23, 2024Just as good as the first one, although very different from it. I have watched a lot of movies so this didn't really strike me as the weird movie that people seem to think it is. It's about the meaninglessness, and the stage we call life. Most people just doesn't understand that.
- Nathan MagretaJune 21, 2025Actually really good. Though not as good as the first film, (but lets be fair, the first one was peak cinema), it still has the great score, technical marvels, and amazing acting from the first one.
- adecariaJune 13, 2025The one star is for a makeup-free Lady Gaga, and for some pretty good acting... but holy hell, why do they even need to act like this? This film is a drawn-out, slothy super villain courtroom drama slash character study... and musical? I don't even know what it is. Whatever it is, though, is just wrong. The little action that exists (Harley Quinn's arson episode) doesn't make up for what the film is trying to tell us: that the Joker is crazy, and many people of Gotham relate to him. Heath Ledger made this perfectly clear in his Oscar-winning performance in The Dark Knight. He dropped the mic, and it should have been left there for all time after that all-time performance.
- jackmeatMay 15, 2025My quick rating - 4.7/10. After dancing around the idea of diving into this unlikely sequel, I finally sat down to watch Joker: Folie À Deux, bracing myself for the cinematic equivalent of stepping on a rake. After all, Joker (2019) was a near-flawless film—moody, haunting, and unrelentingly raw. It was lightning in a bottle. Could Todd Phillips really do that again? And if so… as a musical? Apparently, he thought he could—honestly, I can't tell if that's bold or just absolutely bonkers. Either way, here it is. The film picks up more or less in the chaotic wake of Arthur Fleck’s televised execution of Murray Franklin. Now incarcerated in Arkham and awaiting trial, Arthur’s fractured mind finds a new outlet: music. Cue the hallucinations, the surreal dance numbers, and the duets with his new partner-in-crime—and love—Lee Quinzel, played by Lady Gaga. And let me say, Gaga absolutely kills it. She leans hard into the mania, yet manages to give Harley Quinn something vulnerable, strange, and captivating. Joaquin Phoenix matches her note for note, both in madness and melody. That said, Folie À Deux feels less like a sequel and more like an experimental dream spliced from cut scenes of the original. It’s as if this were the back half of a four-hour epic that someone sliced into its own movie and thought, “Let’s throw in show tunes and call it art.” And weirdly… sometimes it works. The performances are magnetic. The visual tone is stunning. The musical numbers, while divisive, feel purposefully unhinged, which suits the characters, even if it doesn't always suit the plot. But that's the thing: there isn't really a plot. We’re dragged through Arthur’s trial, his descent (or rise?) into infamy, and his romantic obsession with Quinzel, but it all feels like a series of set pieces with no clear destination. He murdered someone on live TV and admitted it. The trial lacks tension. We know how it ends before it begins. And yet, the film asks us to feel something about it all, even as it refuses to justify why we should. Then there's the unfortunate inclusion of Harvey Dent, portrayed by Harry Lawtey. This version of Dent is hollow, forgettable, and clearly only here because the lore demands it. It’s a disservice to the character and, frankly, the actor. Dent deserves better than this awkward script-dump of lines. Still, what saves Folie À Deux from complete collapse are the lead performances. Phoenix and Gaga are perfectly cast, and their chemistry, while deranged, is absolutely electric. Without them, this would be a disastrous vanity project. With them, it becomes a fascinating misfire that you can’t quite look away from. So is it good? I’m not sure it cares. Is it worth watching? If you're curious—absolutely. Just don’t expect Joker 2. This is Joker: The Musical, and that is about all you need to know.
- Chris OrellanaJune 2, 2025I guess all i can say is watch it, and get it over with. You won't get those 2 and a half hours of your life back, but now you don't have to wonder if it really was "that bad"...because spoiler, it was.
- Desmond DaleJanuary 24, 2025Man, I came in with such low expectations that I actually ended up liking the film overall, though obviously it has some big glaring problems as well. I guess I just don't understand what people thought the movie would be when they pictured a Joker musical in their heads. The singing is definitely flat and tonally off but I think that's what makes it more everyman and human. It's certainly a bit long and the pacing feels a little sluggish at times but Phoenix and Gaga carry the film showcasing some chemistry and full investment into their characters. I wish there were more original songs but the covers are also in line with the everyman approach to the musical pieces. This isn't Moulin Rouge or Les Mis but rather it's something completely stripped down, bare bones and depressive. The musical pieces offer a glimpse into the fractured psyche of the protagonist and as such sometimes the transitions got a little messy and opaque but that seems largely by design I suspect the animated prologue and expectations from the first film are what sent people off on such a hate train for this film. It's also an incredibly easy film to turn into a meme or shit on with some clever puns for likes but I really don't think the hate is warranted. I think they managed to repudiate rather than embolden the incel fan base of the prior film. I enjoyed this film more than the first also because it didn't feel like a hackneyed reskin of King of Comedy. Sure, there's very little that's original, but Joker 2 doesn't feel so tethered to its influences.
- 匚卂尺ㄥFebruary 15, 2025It had the potential to be a good film. Sadly, it’s not. All the hype about Lady Ga Ga as Harley Quinn was reduced to nothing but a waste of time. Come back Margot Robbie-all is forgiven. Frankly it’s one of those rare occasions when I would be tempted to ask for my money back! I really don’t know what everyone involved in making the film were attempting to do but they really shouldn’t have bothered!
- The Gutter MonkeyMarch 22, 2025A sequel so bad that it almost ruins the original. It had potential up until about the halfway point—then came some questionable writing decisions.
- JonasMay 31, 2025I dont even know what to say. It could have been a masterpiece. Instead it was a really shitty musical.
- xmarklarApril 4, 2025Poignant. A low tale with grand drama. Despite the bad reviews, this film is spectacular. Joaquin's joker is a force to reckon with.
- Doc HolidaeApril 8, 2025I seriously couldn't finish it.
- Tetiana OdynetsMarch 17, 2025Amazing final
- Rowan KrzysiakJanuary 6, 2025I can see why people have had a strong negative reaction to this but I really enjoyed it, more so than the first. I thought it was incredible at times actually and believe it could easily withstand multiple watches. It has the potential to be seen as a masterpiece but it'll need a decade or so to bed in.
