Joker: Folie a Deux (2024) Review

I loved the first Joker film but I have always thought a sequel was unnecessary and there has been lots of negative responses to Joker: Folie a Deux and I have finally had a chance to see this film and here is my review. The premise of the film sees Arthur Fleck locked up after the events of the previous film and meets someone who gives him a new lease on life. 

Main Character

Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role as Arthur Fleck and he is really trying here. He still clearly has passion for this role and their are elements of this performance that are similar to the first film. But there just isn't that depth that he had in the first film and the character is completely butchered here. There is no development of his character and it feels like he actually goes backwards and it was really disappointing. 

Supporting Characters

Brendan Gleeson plays a Security Guard and he is good in the film. He is really unlikeable but the dynamic between him and Arthur is actually pretty interesting, it's just not a huge part of the film and doesn't really get any resolution. 

Lady Gaga joins the cast as Lee Quinzel and I thought she was pretty weak here. I didn't care for her dynamic with Arthur and the fact that she doesn't fit the role that she was hired to play and the character was weak. It feels like she was just brought in to sing and no care was taken to her character. 

The rest of the cast are given little to work with and some are only in like one scene. The guy playing Harvey Dent did nothing to convince me that he is this iconic comic book character and that was a shame. 

Story

The story doesn't really exist, it is incredibly messy and doesn't take advantage of the fantastic ending from the previous film. It focuses on the relationship between Arthur and Lee and that is really dull so that doesn't help. The first act of the film could have been removed and the film would be better for sure. The ending of the film is also terrible, it comes across as over indulgent and makes no sense and I hated it. 

Script

The script has a few chuckle worthy moments and a few darker moments and that managed to salvage a few moments in the film. But overall the writing for this film and the characters isn't good enough and makes all the characters seem worse and poorly written. 

Style

The film took the bold approach of being a musical and it really doesn't work here. First of all Joaquin Phoenix is a poor singer and it totally goes against the tone of the film. All the intense situations are just broken up by these over the top singing sections which means there was no reason to ever care about anything. The film is way too long as well and really drags making it a pretty dull time at the cinema. 

Overall

Overall, Joker: Folie a Deux is a bad film that is a huge step down from the previous film. The film is boring, dull and offers nothing new to the table. It feels like a cash grab that failed at that even, don't waste your time on this film. 

Rating - 3/10