I'll start off by saying that I'm not a fan of "The Joker" films. I thought the original was too much a carbon copy of a Scorsese film without the "Scorsese Edge"! I was in the minority and after watching the first film five years ago, I didn't think Todd Phillips was going to direct a sequel, but whether it was a dream from Joaquin Phoenix that prompted this, the studio executives begging for it, a combination of many things, the point is, there was no point in having a sequel to "The Joker", but yet, here we are!
I was surprised by "Joker: Folie à Deux" though. I didn't really like the film, but I do appreciate everyone involved for tackling the difficult subject of mental illness. I must say, despite not being a fan of these films, the filmmakers did a fantastic job of addressing mental illness. Not only the struggle of dealing with mental illness personally, but how society looks at mental illness, serial killers, etc. The subject matter for both films is very difficult to say the least and both have divided audiences around the world.
The new Joker film looks gorgeous! The sets, cinematography are all amazing! Phoenix is incredible as always. The animated short at the beginning of the film was the highlight for me. It's a musical! Not all of the music used was effective and the film was underwhelming overall. The plot twist despite it not being executed the best had a powerful message! I will not reveal it here, but you can listen to our SPOILER filled discussion of the new Joker film by clicking here!