My quick rating – 4.7/10. After dancing around the idea of diving into this unlikely sequel, I finally sat down to watch Joker: Folie À Deux, bracing myself for the cinematic equivalent of stepping on a rake. After all, Joker (2019) was a near-flawless film—moody, haunting, and unrelentingly raw. It was lightning in a bottle. Could Todd Phillips really do that again? And if so… as a musical? Apparently, he thought he could—honestly, I can’t tell if that’s bold or just absolutely bonkers. Either way, here it is.
The film picks up more or less in the chaotic wake of Arthur Fleck’s televised execution of Murray Franklin. Now incarcerated in Arkham and awaiting trial, Arthur’s fractured mind finds a new outlet: music. Cue the hallucinations, the surreal dance numbers, and the duets with his new partner-in-crime—and love—Lee Quinzel, played by Lady Gaga. And let me say, Gaga absolutely kills it. She leans hard into the mania, yet manages to give Harley Quinn something vulnerable, strange, and captivating. Joaquin Phoenix matches her note for note, both in madness and melody.
That said, Folie À Deux feels less like a sequel and more like an experimental dream spliced from cut scenes of the original. It’s as if this were the back half of a four-hour epic that someone sliced into its own movie and thought, “Let’s throw in show tunes and call it art.” And weirdly… sometimes it works. The performances are magnetic. The visual tone is stunning. The musical numbers, while divisive, feel purposefully unhinged, which suits the characters, even if it doesn’t always suit the plot.
But that’s the thing: there isn’t really a plot. We’re dragged through Arthur’s trial, his descent (or rise?) into infamy, and his romantic obsession with Quinzel, but it all feels like a series of set pieces with no clear destination. He murdered someone on live TV and admitted it. The trial lacks tension. We know how it ends before it begins. And yet, the film asks us to feel something about it all, even as it refuses to justify why we should.
Then there’s the unfortunate inclusion of Harvey Dent, portrayed by Harry Lawtey. This version of Dent is hollow, forgettable, and clearly only here because the lore demands it. It’s a disservice to the character and, frankly, the actor. Dent deserves better than this awkward script-dump of lines.
Still, what saves Joker: Folie À Deux from complete collapse are the lead performances. Phoenix and Gaga are perfectly cast, and their chemistry, while deranged, is absolutely electric. Without them, this would be a disastrous vanity project. With them, it becomes a fascinating misfire that you can’t quite look away from.
So is it good? I’m not sure it cares. Is it worth watching? If you’re curious—absolutely. Just don’t expect Joker 2. This is Joker: The Musical, and that is about all you need to know.
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