The Clown Prince of Crime has returned to Gotham City in the eagerly-awaited sequel to Todd Phillips’ Joker . The 2019 comic book movie starred Joaquin Phoenix as troubled Gothamite and floundering stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck; his already fragile mental state exacerbated by a cruel and uncaring society. As the film ended, it saw Fleck fully inhabit the Joker persona – becoming a cult figure as he murdered a man live on television, and finding himself incarcerated in Arkham State Asylum.
Phillips’ sequel picks up where the first film left off, with Fleck standing trial for his crimes. While imprisoned at Arkham, he meets the luminous Harleen ‘Lee’ Quinzel ( Lady Gaga ), who helps him to come to terms with his fractured identity. Following mixed reception at this year’s Venice Film Festival and unfavourable reviews from critics , Joker: Folie á Deux is now on general release – and it hasn’t gotten off to a good start at all.
Shocked and appalled by a reportedly divisive ending, and unexpected rebranding as a musical (really) fans have branded the film a ‘disappointment’ and an ‘insult’ to the original film. The film has only been out since Friday (October 4), but it’s already wallowing in a paltry 33% score from critics and audiences alike. While critics described its story as ‘thunderously dull’ and ‘cobbled-together,’ fans of the first film took its failures far more personally – perceiving the sequel as an insult to them and the chara.
