Rent Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)

Frustratingly Flat - Joker: Folie à Deux review by griggs

For one reason or another, I missed Joker: Folie à Deux whilst it was in the cinema. Now that it’s available on home media, my curiosity got the better despite the wave of negative reviews. I knew it was a musical—so no shock there—but what caught me off guard was how dull the whole thing felt.

Yes, the musical numbers are there, but they rarely elevate the material. Lady Gaga, is criminally underused, and whilst her performance has moments of brilliance, the script doesn’t give her enough to sink her teeth into. It’s not all bad—the production design is solid, and Joaquin Phoenix is as committed as ever—but it doesn’t land as a whole. A bold idea, sure, but one that falls frustratingly flat.

Utter garbage - Joker: Folie à Deux review by TC

Really a complete waste of time.

No idea what the point of this movie was.

So far removed from anything related to Batman and Joker.

No redeeming features at all.

Even worse than Joker 1 - Joker: Folie à Deux review by Alphaville

If you found Joker 1 a distasteful bore, Joker 2 is unwatchable. Most of it consists of clichéd prison/courtroom scenes interleaved with ridiculous musical interludes where he cavorts to show tunes with Lady Gaga. Drama-free, flat, one-paced… The fast-edited trailer may lure an unsuspecting audience in, but there’s no energy in the film itself. It’s hardly worth wasting time reviewing it never mind attempting to watch it.

Awful - Joker: Folie à Deux review by Sal

I wasn't expecting a musical. I think this was more the Lady Gaga show. Joaquin can't sing either. Just a terribly awful movie. The fear they were going to burst into song any minute which they did. I don't dislike musicals but it was inappropriate for this film as the Joker is a great character and Joaquin played him well in the first film. Just felt this was all about Lady Gaga.

Whilst it is a total vanity project & not very good, I simply cannot hate it - Joker: Folie à Deux review by Timmy B

Joker was a total bolt-out-of-the-blue. After the stratospheric, tectonic-plate moving performance of Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, followed by the massively criticised interpretation by Jared Leto (much of which I felt was unfair, considering just how many problems there were with Suicide Squad's production as well as the acknowledgement that a significant portion of his performance was cut,) the general consensus seemed to be that the Joker character was untouchable, no-one ever able to play him again.

Then Todd Phillips came along, conceiving a completely standalone story of how the Joker was created, with a moderate budget (which meant he was much freer in his creative decisions than if having to adhere to the numerous demands DC would have forced him to follow,) as well as one of the most gifted actors working today, Joaquin Phoenix. The result was the highest-grossing R-rated film ever (over a billion dollars,) and a highly-disturbing, deeply original film.

It was then announced, after a significant amount of time passed, that a sequel was to be made, looking at the aftermath of the first film's events, as well as introducing Harley Quinn into the mix. Further eyebrows were raised when it was announced the film would be a musical, taking an even deeper & idiosyncratic dive into the world that Phillips and Phoenix had created. I had no real interest in seeing this film when it was released in cinemas, which was compounded by the overwhelmingly negative backlash from fans of the 1st film, as well as absolutely tanking at the box office.

But when I finally did watch it, despite my 2 star rating, in a weird way I simply cannot hate it. Something which I had felt for a long time, after hearing the various complaints about it, was that Phoenix and Phillips did exactly what I'd expected them to do: not go down the road of making a traditional sequel. The 1st film was an absolute middle-finger to the standard, schlocky & clichéd-riddled rubbish relentlessly churned out by the major studios. Everyone involved with the film was staggered by it's success.

But the flip side of that was that it gave the creators not only the confidence but also the carte blanche to do WHATEVER they wanted for the sequel, alongside an enormous budget & the best production team available. And the result is exactly what you'd expect...

This is without doubt the biggest (big-budget) vanity project I have ever seen. Allegedly based on mainly Phoenix's ideas & musings, it is a beautifully shot, incredibly designed and completely scattershot misfire. Whilst for the first 40 minutes or so, I enjoyed it, it then loses its focus, going off in multiple weird & nonsensical directions. The much-publicised musical numbers start off as an interesting way of telling the story, before becoming an overused & eventually boring millstone around the film's neck.

The majority of the movie concerns the trial of Fleck, as well as his meeting with Quinn & their subsequent falling in love. But this never really works that well, the film frequently going off on tangents & side-stories which slam the brakes on, as well as inflicting another musical number on us. Phoenix & Gaga's chemistry is also not that great, despite some good moments (their 1st meeting is the best of these,) which also hamstrings the film.

But having said all of the above, I didn't hate it. In a strange way I actually respected the total obstinacy of the filmmakers NOT going down the route which would have been so easy for them to do, giving them a guaranteed payday as well as probably a half-decent box office return. Folie à Deux is emphatically the movie they wanted to make, and there are no compromises in that sense.

And in the world we live in today, to have a film which actually has the cojones to do that is so refreshing, it deserves a strange kind of respect.

Not as bad as was expecting but not great - Joker: Folie à Deux review by RE

Having heard bad reviews for the film was expecting one of the worst films ever, however it was rather enjoyable but still not a great film. The musical numbers just didn.t fit into the film and felt awkward and cringy, also Joaquin is an awful singer

Every bit as bad as they say it is - Joker: Folie à Deux review by JD

Obviously the performances were great, and Lady Gaga was in her element. While ive no time for her, she is clearly a talented entertainer.

But the film. What is it?

Taken as a batman film - it takes the most famous villain of them all and turns him into a sad, pathetic in-cel. HQ being his manipulator and emotional superior could of been an interesting twist on cannon, but its simply used to force the point the Joker is a complete nobody.

But what really destroys this as a Batman universe film is the recent Penguin series. This is just complete rubbish in comparison, both as entertainment and how it builds (or doesnt in this case) the villain.

If we take the film out of the Batman universe, then its just pure dull. Its a musical shawshank redemption (there are better examples but the film isnt worth thinking of it) but instead of being fantastic, it inverses that and becomes fantastically rubbish.

Its one of those films I honestly felt id wasted 2 hours of my life. I should of listened to the honest reviews.