An Audience’s Dance into Madness in Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)

Staff Writer Angelica Ng reviews the recent premiere of Joker: Folie à Deux (2024), the much-awaited sequel of Joker (2019).

Director Todd Phillips mentioned in an interview that his goal for Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) was to make it feel like it had been produced by "crazy people", and he certainly succeeded in that regard. After all, a blockbuster superhero musical has clearly never been done before, and may never be done again, for better or for worse. 

Boasting a solid 33% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing, Folie à Deux has been mired in controversy for the sheer insanity of its concept, somehow managing to alienate almost an entire fanbase created by the DC universe. The highly-anticipated sequel to Joker (2019) is undeniably niche, requiring both an appetite for jazzy musical theatre and superhero films in order to truly enjoy. Sadly, in my experience, this is a Venn diagram with circles that virtually never connect. A wild 180° shift from the first film, reviews of Folie à Deux have called it “frustrating”, “anti-crowd-pleasing”, and a "complete audience rejection". But then again, does a film really need to have widespread viewership appeal in order to have value?

Set two years after the events of the first Joker, Folie à Deux follows Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) as he confronts his dual identities, incarcerated in the Arkham State Hospital. Awaiting trial for his earlier crimes and planning to plead insanity, he struggles to reconcile his reality with the trial’s overwhelming media attention, compounded by the expectations of his legions of “fans”. He even falls in love with fellow patient Harleen Quinzel (Lady Gaga), as they confront each other’s varying levels of madness. 

Despite its ambitious concept, the film remains somewhat static throughout its two-hour runtime, lacking in significant plot advancements to keep audiences engaged. It suffers from a lack of clarity in its direction, fluctuating between twisted love story, nostalgic jukebox musical, social commentary, and courtroom drama. While it arguably did serve a purpose as a humanising character study, giving further insight into Arthur’s mind, it falls flat when it comes to presenting a solid plot. There simply isn’t the excitement and tension present in other legendary films of the same genre to make it a consistently enjoyable watch. The first film's themes truly shone through in electric scenes of social unrest, painting a clear picture of the harsh environment of Gotham City. However, the sequel’s setting largely alternates between courtroom and asylum, merely hinting at the world outside the four walls of Arthur’s cell, and leaving us to fill in the gaps with our imagination. 

One of the biggest controversies surrounding an already chaotic film is its ending. An anticlimactic and hollow denouement to a massively popular character’s story, the final scene left me and other moviegoers frozen in our seats even after the credits rolled, absorbing a silence laden with almost tangible disappointment. This unsatisfying conclusion is only briefly foreshadowed, and its connection to the overall message and themes of the film is tenuous at best. It spawns far more questions than answers, unstitching the work of the first film and creating even more loose threads in the process. Perhaps this is an intentional choice, or perhaps I and other detractors of the film have completely missed Phillips’ point. Either way, I wasn’t surprised to learn that the earlier Joker was conceived as a standalone film - it very much shows.

Fortunately, Folie à Deux’s cast certainly does not disappoint. After his Academy Award-winning performance in the first Joker, Joaquin Phoenix delivers an enthralling portrayal of Arthur Fleck yet again. He excels at portraying both sides of his character - lonely and maltreated Arthur, as well as the arrogant and sadistic Joker, who’s a lot closer to classic portrayals of the iconic DC supervillain. Highlights of his performance include his expert control over his physicality as an emaciated asylum patient, and his meticulous use of facial expressions that reflect Arthur’s evolving inner turmoil. From throwing himself wholeheartedly into a tap dancing sequence, to delivering a surprisingly good vocal performance, Phoenix even makes for an unexpectedly enjoyable musical lead.

Indeed, Gaga’s portrayal of Lee Quinzel is one of the few clear highlights of the film, subverting past portrayals of Harley Quinn as the Joker’s classic love interest - blindly loyal and madly in love. Manipulative and confident, complete with her own healthy dose of insanity, Lee ends up being much closer to the idolised “Joker” villain that many fans were expecting the film to explore. It’s certainly a welcome change, compared to the atrocity of characters like Suicide Squad’s (2016) Harley Quinn, who was infamously branded with both a “Property of Joker” jacket and tattoo for the majority of the film.

It’s a shame that Gaga’s acting chops are significantly underutilised in terms of advancing the film’s plot. Despite the film’s title, which means “madness for two” in French, the romance between its leads doesn’t play as significant a role in the film as expected - a massive missed opportunity for plot development. The film delivers palpable chemistry between its leading characters, complemented by masterful tight shots and private moments that emphasise the intimacy between two tortured souls. Yet, the film never quite actualises this twisted relationship in a satisfactory manner. Gaga shines in her musical sequences, but never quite gets the chance to add emotional depth to her portrayal of Lee, leaving us to wonder what could have been, had the film further explored this riveting character.

Of course, no Folie à Deux review is complete without confronting the elephant in the room - the film is a jukebox musical, packed with songs from the 1950s and 1960s that are jointly performed by its two leads. As those familiar with musical theatre may know, it can be jarring when characters suddenly launch into song and dance in the middle of a sombre scene. However, I have to give credit to Phillips for this undeniably original choice of medium for a “superhero” movie. As a fan of musical theatre myself, I was particularly hooked by the dreamlike musical numbers interspersed during moments of Arthur’s mental anguish. I thoroughly enjoyed the sharp contrast between Arthur’s solemn reality and the vibrancy of his campy La La Land-esque visions, which inject life into the film while effectively symbolising breaking points in Arthur’s psyche.

Taking musical numbers from stage to film, however, is hardly an easy feat, especially when the tone of the film is already so different from usual musicals. Additionally, the film’s music distances itself from the bright and catchy show tunes of more modern musicals. Composed mainly of tunes from over half a century ago, the soundtrack is a dual-edged sword. While it places a powerful emphasis on the film’s atmosphere of nostalgia, it also serves to alienate a contemporary audience raised mainly on modern pop music. Inevitably, this disconnect leaves much to be desired, making the musical elements of the film shockingly unique and visually splendid, yet underwhelming and questionably executed overall.

After a five-year wait, it's not surprising that so many fans are disappointed with the film. If anything, Folie à Deux’s negative reception only serves to prove its point: The perils of idolatry are ever-present throughout the film and in real life - at some point, the line between reality and fantasy becomes so blurred that we forget about the real person under the celebrity facade (or in this case, clown makeup). Instead, we choose to focus solely on a perfect figure whom we can romanticise to our hearts’ content, only to abandon them when our idealised expectations aren’t met.

Personally, I went into this film with an extremely open mind, and I have to admit that it paid off. Having zero interest in superheroes, and armed with only a passionate love for musical theatre and Gaga, I initially feared that I wouldn’t be able to appreciate the film at all. Nevertheless, by some strange twist of fate, I might have ended up being far closer to the target audience than I expected. Despite the low ratings and frigid critical response, I have to concede that I was endlessly amused. So, if Folie à Deux is on your watch list, but you’re put off by the terrible reviews, here’s my advice: Even if you end up laughing more at the film than with it, you’ll still walk away entertained. 

After all, why not embrace films for their weirdness? If any filmmaker dares to try their hand at a similarly bold concept in the future, I may just have to purchase my ticket and buckle up for a thoroughly bizarre ride.