Joker (2019) soared to critical and commercial success, captivating audiences with its mesmerizing performances, especially Joaquin Phoenix’s transformative portrayal, its haunting and thought-provoking narrative, and a score that resonated on an emotional level. Todd Phillips’ masterful direction, paired with breathtaking cinematography, elevated the film to an artistic triumph. As a result, it was only natural for fans to have sky-high expectations for Joker: Folie à Deux.
If you are somehow still living under a rock in today’s world, let us inform you how Joker 2 has turned out. It’s safe to say that things for the latest on-screen collaboration between Phoenix and Lady Gaga started to look ominous right after its Venice premiere, where the critical reception toward the sequel was highly polarizing. Now that the movie has already been released in some countries, including India, ahead of its U.S. release (scheduled for October 4), more critics are sharing their thoughts on social media and prominent review platforms, including Rotten Tomatoes.
Joker 2’s current Rotten Tomatoes score stands at 47%, based on 91 certified reviews, and this score is likely to drop further after its U.S. release. It seems that what was once hailed as an intimate psychological drama now finds itself burdened by expectations, potentially sinking into the very chaos its 2019 predecessor expertly portrayed.
What went wrong for Folie à Deux? Let’s start with its format—an odd mixture of psychological drama and musical. On paper, this blend looks intriguing. However, Todd Phillips’ vision needed better execution. In India, the movie’s rating on the BookMyShow platform has dropped to 4.8 out of 10, based on over 5.8K votes, supported by scathing reviews that have openly criticized the latest DC flick, mainly for being a bland and hollow musical.
We’ve also come across some “standout” reviews from critics for Joker 2 on Rotten Tomatoes! Check them out!
Sean Burns from North Shore Movies:
“Why hire Lady Gaga if you’re not going to let her belt the songs out? I guess for the same reason that they used IMAX cameras to shoot a movie that takes place in like three dingy rooms.”
Joey Magidson from Awards Radar:
“The joke is on the audience with the absolutely awful sequel Joker: Folie à Deux.”
Pat Mullen from That Shelf:
“Joker encourages Phillips to cosplay as a renegade auteur. However, the metteur-en-scène ensures that Folie à Deux also lacks the depth or, frankly, interest to say anything meaningful despite its cavalcade of “We LivE in A sOciEtY” musings.”
Kevin Maher from Times (UK):
“Phillips and co smashed back into the self-contained world, shook all the contents out on to the carpet and… had another go. The result? Messy, lifeless, derivative and exactly what you’d expect from a film that simply doesn’t want, or need, to exist.”
D-A-Y-U-M!!!! In addition to these scathing reviews, many critics heavily criticized Phillips for not utilizing Lady Gaga effectively in Joker 2. Given her singing talent and acting prowess, Gaga’s performance should have matched the mania associated with DC’s Harley Quinn. Phillips had all the right elements for this movie, yet he somehow fumbled everything. Now that we are talking about female representation in Phillips’ movies, it’s quite clear that the director doesn’t know how to use female characters properly in his projects.
It looks like things could become even darker for Joker: Folie à Deux in the days ahead. The movie is now playing in theaters. Stay tuned for more updates!
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