The Wasteland Reviewer

Joker: Folie a Deux (2024) Written Review

Is there another sequel coming out that feels more cash-grabby than Joker: Folie a Deux? The first Joker film was an unexpected windfall for Warner Bros with over $1 billion at the box office. This even earned Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar for Best Actor. That is really a magical moment when you make a villain spin-off from Batman’s Rogues Gallery in a film with zero Batman. This was a crazy occurrence that no one could have predicted. This film was made by the director (Todd Phillips) of The Hangover of all things. Warner Bros and Phillips could not resist themselves, so we of course received a sequel. Instead of trying to muster that kind of magic, Phillips went into a crazy arthouse approach by making Folie a Deux a jukebox musical and added the endlessly talented Lady Gaga to the cast. 

How does Joker: Folie a Deux work as a sequel? The first film looks at what a series of unfortunate events can do to the fragile life of a mentally unstable loner whose life was hedged on a fantasy created by his own mother. A few times before audiences have been treated to a backstory for Batman’s great rival and this one goes to trial in the “trial of the century” with Arthur Fleck going on trial for his murders that took place in Joker. We see his life in Arkham Asylum as he becomes a favor of guards and inmates alike. His lawyer desperately tries to put an insanity defense together for the big trial. Arthur meets “Lee” and falls in love with Gaga’s version of the beloved character Harley Quinn. But most importantly, we witness the disconnect of Arthur from the rest of his world including delusions of on-stage performance and specifically musical performances. This unexpected musical is an interesting mix of known songs with an interesting twist on some well-known musical pieces. This film is trying to balance plenty of ideas, conflicts, and styles but Phillips struggles to wrangle that all together. The screenplay is too flimsy as well with the weight of everything crashing it all down.

What is the film really trying to say? That is a challenge to figure out. The era for which the film is set is certainly a complicated one for mental illness. There are so many places where society and specifically the system have failed Arthur. The film captures the horrors of asylums at the time (which is not necessarily unique) where inmates are treated horribly by the guards whether it is overt abuse or more subtle means. There are plenty of journalists and doctors who spend little time understanding what is really going on in Arthur’s head. He is spending half the time in complete delusion but for their own greedy reasons, they find him a charlatan. There was so much potential with Harley and how she is incorporated into this story. Her love and passion for “Joker” without any regard for Arthur himself is tragic to watch unfold. Unfortunately, her characterization is seriously lacking and the handling of their resolution leaves much to be desired. But the ending of the film is attempting a big swing of a commentary on humanity and just how much societal frenzy can affect those unwell in society. All of these themes and ideas could have been great ways to navigate the horrible handling of mental illness in society but instead the film only dabbles in each without digging deeper than the surface. The first film at least did that. 

The musical elements need to be discussed, right? This was an interesting and bold choice to make a comic book movie sequel into a musical. To the story, those elements make sense. These are all delusions and how Arthur is manifesting his feelings towards the world around him and especially his attraction to a woman who seems to legitimately love him (which is tragically more complicated than that). Joaquin Phoenix is certainly not a trained singer, but he does take an approach that is more “feeling” than technically sound. You can certainly feel what he is putting in, but it does not always necessarily sound…good. He did his own singing with Walk the Line, but it was a different type of singing and a lot simpler. His dancing is uniquely Arthur and works for what they are going for. Gaga does a great job (obviously) when it comes to those singing moments which are significant to her delusion for which she will not let go of. The cinematography, production design, and costumes are all inspired for sure and make those moments interesting to watch. The song choices are all popular songs leaving a feeling of karaoke sometimes. There have been plenty of complaints of excessive smoking in the film but the “smokey club” feel does resonate well on screen (especially when this film takes place in a fantasy version of the world and in an era where that was quite common). 

Does Phoenix and the rest of the cast deliver? Phoenix won an Oscar for this role last time (which he won’t this time due to the overall reception of the film), but he does still deliver. The choices he makes to show how Arthur comes in and out of his delusions and when he goes “Joker” mode are quite impressive. This is not a simple performance and there are tons of layers to how Arthur is rendered on the screen. There are so many complex emotions and strange little details in his behavior. You can tell (as always) that Phoenix brought his all. Gaga fits well into this role with the showy nature of it, the singing, and some good emotion. You just wish that Lee had some more depth for Gaga to explore. The supporting cast is filled to the brim with familiar faces. Brendan Gleeson brings so much to what could have been a throwaway character (the head guard at Arkham who connects with Arthur in some unexpected ways). Catherine Keener portrays Arthur’s lawyer who just might be the only person in this film offering real sympathy to Arthur (which Keener is able to capture so well). Steve Coogan and Zazie Beetz are used sparingly but effectively in their singular scenes. Leigh Gill is a surprise standout while on the stand in court. Harry Lawtey is one of the few lacking casting choices in the “main” cast as Harvey Dent (there feels like a lack of depth or layers to this performance which is thinly written to begin with). 

Is Joker: Folie a Deux worth your time? The film is clunky, overlong, and messy for sure. This is a tough sell for the audience to buy into. The musical elements will certainly be an acquired taste and will most likely ostracize a great deal of the audience. The illogical and clunky story that falters in many aspects with disappointment. But the performers and visual elements of the film all deliver. This is a wild and unexpected sequel that tries to do way too much with a week foundation underneath. The first Joker film was an unexpected mega hit that certainly spoke to a certain population especially well. This sequel tries too hard to course correct and will leave many people wanting so much more from this.