Joker: Folie à Deux - The Misstep of a Musical Sequel

Despite the anticipation surrounding Joker: Folie à Deux, the film opens to an audience divided, struggling to reconcile the captivating portrayal of the Joker with an unconventional narrative that echoes more of a musical than a comic-book thriller.

Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck in the new film.

Opening Weekend Disarray

Joaquin Phoenix returns as Arthur Fleck, sharing the screen with Lady Gaga in a narrative set against the backdrop of Arkham State Hospital, where their characters—both disturbed and delusional—explore a relationship developed amidst chaos. Despite the original Joker film’s immense success, the sequel’s reception has been nothing short of disastrous. With a staggering production budget of around $200 million, Folie à Deux only managed to rake in approximately $40 million during its debut weekend, making it one of the least successful outings for a DC comic film.

Critically, the landscape appears bleak as CinemaScore rated the film a disheartening D, the worst score on record for a studio superhero film. PostTrak added to the disappointment, assigning the film a half-star from audiences—a sharp contrast to the Joker release of 2019, which amassed $96 million on its opening weekend and made history as the first R-rated film to surpass $1 billion globally.

Diverging from Expectations

Following the storyline of Arthur having committed a series of heinous crimes in the preceding film, viewers witness his entanglement with Harley Quinn as the plot unfolds through a peculiar court trial. Critics have lamented the disconnection from the intense psychological exploration of the original, with many stating that this sequel lacks depth, falling short in both storyline and character development. While the musical aspects surprised many, they failed to resonate, with complaints about the thinness of the plot emerging regularly in reviews.

Bob Mondello, writing for NPR, remarked that the film “did not deepen our understanding of the characters,” yet offered praise for its aesthetic qualities and ambition. He highlighted that Phillips took significant risks in blending genres, although they may not have landed with the intended audience.

“As thrilling as the visuals may be,” Mondello observed, “the emotional stakes don’t quite elevate.”

Lady Gaga’s character alongside Joaquin Phoenix’s.

The Controversial Ending Script

Warning: Spoilers Ahead! The film’s climax has ignited a heated discourse among fans and critics alike. In a surprising twist, Arthur Fleck confesses his crimes, renouncing the Joker identity only to be confronted by a horrific fate at the hands of a fellow inmate, raising questions about the intentions behind Phillips’ narrative decisions.

As the director states, the concluding twist—that the Joker persona was never truly real—intended to challenge the notion of heroism within comic narratives. This pirouette in storytelling shocked both devotees and detractors of the franchise. David Ehrlich at IndieWire noted the flat performance overall, but remarked, “No other genre makes it so easy to appreciate all the fun you’re not having.” The juxtaposition of the musical genre within a format not typically associated with joyous celebration has left many unsure—was this a genius stroke or an irritating detour?

In the aftermath, critics are split—some hail the film a daring reflection of a character defined by chaos, while others view it merely as an elaborate exercise in futility, distracting from the rich, narrative foundations laid by its predecessor.

Concluding Thoughts: The Future of the Franchise

As we witness the ripple effects of this cinematic gamble, it is noteworthy that Todd Phillips has expressed a disinterest in developing a third Joker film, leaving fans to ponder the twists and turns of a franchise steeped in unpredictable storytelling.

The final moments of Folie à Deux may serve as a metaphor for the unpredictability of cinema itself; whether one views it as a misfire or a triumphant act of artistic defiance, the film indeed demands scrutiny. In a time characterized by constant engagement with comic book lore, Joker: Folie à Deux may be the wild card that reminds us of the inherent risks in taking on such beloved mythos.

An artistic representation of the complexities within Joker: Folie à Deux.

As the dust settles, the enduring allure of the Joker remains, keeping fans caught in the twisted web of his narrative while pondering: was this an ending or an elaborate setup for further tales of mayhem in Gotham?