Joker: Folie à Deux is the sequel to the 2019 film starring Joaquin Phoenix as one of Gotham’s most infamous villains. It picks up after Arthur Fleck murders five people and must stand trial for his crimes. While waiting in the Arkham State Hospital, he meets the love of his life Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga). Can this sequel meet its high ambitions as a musical drama?
From the beginning, the film challenges the audience to figure out the blurred lines between Fleck’s real world and his fantasy world of him as the Joker. The jump between his delusions back to reality is not only perplexing but also distracting.
Although Fleck’s inner turmoil is shown, it’s hard to create a connection with his character as the abruptness creates disorientation from the narrative. This is further illustrated by the coinciding music to push the story along. At times it feels jarring to hear the Fleck sing songs like Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life” inside the state hospital. Instead of offering a new perspective inside Fleck’s troubled mind, the musical aspect feels like a gimmick rather than a useful tool to match the psychological turmoil of “love” between the Joker and Harley Quinn.
The fatigue from the constant jumps from reality to hallucinations is felt by the time the end comes as the movie seems to last 30 minutes too long. Joker: Folie à Deux is a complex look into the mental deterioration of Arthur Fleck/the Joker.
Its lack of seamless transitions between the real world and his fantasies is unsettling and distracting as the worlds chaotically overlap. Rather than enhancing the plot, they distance his character from the audience to the point that getting through this movie one time is a struggle.
JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX is in theaters October 4th, 2024.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Ashley Bell (Contributing Editor) is an Orlando native who loves watching movies. Her favorite genres include comedies, thrillers and sci-fi.Click Here to check out Ashley's Articles.