In 2019, film audiences saw a different iteration of the Clown Prince of Crime in the highly acclaimed film ‘Joker.’ The film became a huge unexpected hit during its initial theatrical run and garnered quite a few accolades.
Initially, that 2019 film was planned as a stand-alone feature, with no intentions of a sequel. Now, a few years and a little over $1 billion worldwide later, a continuation of the ‘Joker’ story arrives and it’s not exactly your traditional follow up.
‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him.
The eagerly awaited follow up to the 2019 movie ‘Joker’ is quite different from the previous movie. The performances in the movie work really well (like the first movie) and the movie is amazingly shot. The sequel also delivers a musical element that does sort of work and sort of doesn’t.
Both Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga give great performances and work really well together. Even though Phoenix’s performance isn’t nearly as tense as the first movie, it’s still a good one. His character is still just as complex and can also be slightly emotional at times, especially towards the end of the movie.
‘Joker 2’ does continue the story of the first movie in a way. During the movie, we get to see that many people still support the Arthur Fleck/Joker character after the events of the 2019 movie. Some of the first movie’s events are rehashed primarily during the trial sequences.
The musical elements of the sequel can be entertaining at times and I do commend the filmmakers for wanting to do something different for a sequel. Quite a few of the songs are really well known, such as ‘To Love Somebody,’ ‘It’s Entertainment’ ‘I’ve Got the World on a String’ and many others.
The musical sequences work for the movie to an extent. Most of them work since some of the songs sort of represent what the characters are trying to say. But, despite how some of the musical scenes do work, it can also slow the movie down a bit.
The ‘Joker’ sequel can get a little emotional at times, especially some of the courtroom/trial moments. There’s a pivotal moment where we see someone from the previous movie and Arthur does get a little emotional, which shows that there’s still a little bit of Arthur in the ‘Joker’ persona.
Overall, ‘Joker: Folie a Deux’ is a bit of a mixed bag. Now, even though the 2019 movie is highly acclaimed and well-liked, this sequel might be one of those movies that people will either really enjoy or hate. Honestly, the filmmakers should’ve stuck with their plans and leave the 2019 movie as a stand-alone movie.
Some of the cast: Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck; Lady Gaga as Lee Quinzel; Catherine Keener as Maryanne Stewart, Steve Coogan as Paddy Meyers; Ken Leung as Dr. Victor Liu; Jacob Lofland as Ricky Meline; Harry Lawtey as Harvey Dent and Brendan Gleeson as Jackie Sullivan.
‘Joker 2’ is written by Scott Silver (Joker; The Fighter; 8 Mile) and co-written/directed by Todd Phillips (Joker; War Dogs; The Hangover trilogy).
Despite the first movie being planned as a stand-alone movie, it was confirmed in June 2022 that a sequel is in development and a script was completed. This movie also marks the first sequel in actor Joaquin Phoenix’s career.
For those who might not know what “Folie a Deux” means, it’s a French phrase that translates to “shared madness” or “madness for two,” which does fit perfectly for the sequel.
‘Joker 2’ is rated R for some strong violence, language throughout, some sexuality and brief full nudity and has a running time of 138 minutes.
The film's subtitle is "Folie a Deux," which means "Madness of Two" in French. This initially led to speculation about Harley Quinn's appearance in the film, which was shortly thereafter confirmed. The name Folie a Deux comes from the 19th century French psychiatrists Charles Lasègue and Jules Falret. The term was coined to refer to two or more people that share the same madness or delusion. It is also known as Lasègue-Falret syndrome.
This will be Joaquin Phoenix's first sequel in all his career.
The first trailer received 167 million online views within the first 24 hours, the second-most of any Warner Bros. film, after It (2017), with 197 million views.
Phillips announced in early October 2024 that he intends to move on from the Joker character and DC Studios, specifically ruling out a third film or a spin-off film revolving around Gaga's "Lee" Quinzel.
Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix first conceived this is as a Broadway show before deciding to make it a film.
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