Theere’ve been a lot of superhero movies that’ve released in the past decade, but Joker was one of the biggest question marks of 2019. With nary a Batman or Harley Quinn in sight, Joaquin Phoenix took center stage as the future clown prince Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips’ 1980s rendition of Gotham City that courted some pre-release controversy. That didn’t stop it from becoming a big hit: not only did it gross over $1 billion and reaffirm that R-rated superheroes had a place in theaters, it also took home some Academy Awards.
Suffice to say, society (which we live in) sure was feeling Joker five years ago. It’s no surprise Phillips and Phoenix returned for a sequel, and brought in Lady Gaga to play his former gal pal in this weekend’s Joker: Folie à Deux. What might be a surprise is that it doesn’t appear to be hitting quite the same as the first movie. Reviews for the sequel—which, spoiler alert, is a musical no matter how much they tried skirting around it—don’t really put it in the best light. While there’s praise to go around for Phoenix and Gaga’s Joker/Harley double act, that might be the only consistent bright spot: everything else, from the musical sequences to the question it raises about Fleck and its ending, have gotten some tomatoes to the face.
Given how the first Joker was a bit of a game-changer for WB—which did (and might still) need more superhero-related wins under its belt—the less than stellar reviews for this one are a rough first step. But other movies have been in similar spots and managed to come out on to. Time will tell whether Folie à Deux is able to resonate with viewers regardless of its mixed reception, and if WB is willing to give it the legs needed to try and find that audience. But for now, we want to know what you thought of the joketastic sequel. Loved it, hated it, confused by what it was trying to do? Let us know down in the comments below.
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