Joker: Folie à Deux’s biggest crime isn’t that Lady Gaga is barely in the film but that the sequel is simply boring. Not only does Todd Phillips seem to have no original ideas yet again but the refusal to embrace being a musical holds the entire film back from ever being enjoyable. The prison sentence wasn’t Arthur Fleck awaiting trial but was actually the audience watching this dreadful film. 

Todd Phillips created a sensation with his first Joker film as the rated-R film grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide and was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, picking up two wins. When Joaquin Phoenix was announced to return for a sequel, the anticipation was high for some, but some were just thinking it was a cash grab. However, when Lady Gaga joined the cast as Harley ‘Lee’ Quinn and it became clear the film was at least partially a musical, the expectations were different. Phillips could have been doing something so interesting and different. Upon actually seeing Joker: Folie à Deux, it’s clear Phillips was not the man for the job. The insistence of the sequel not being a musical, despite definitely being a musical, hinders the film from ever being interesting. 

Joker: Folie à Deux picks up two years after the events of the first installment with Fleck (Phoenix) locked up at Arkham State Hospital awaiting trial for the five murders he committed. In Joker, Phillips explores how Fleck was set up by society to fail and therefore his horrific crimes were interpreted by most as a poetic justice. This is used as the defense for Fleck and his horrific crimes, but as it sounds to read that, it’s completely pointless and does not make for the smartest defense. While Arthur is given opportunities to bump into Lee (Lady Gaga), it feels suffocating to be in these two dreary locations the entire film. The film is almost entirely spent in either Arkham or a courthouse, leaving no time for any flair. The beautiful cinematography (Lawrence Sher) and brilliant costume designs (Arianne Phillips) do the most they can to bring life into the film outside the two brilliant lead performances, but the script is so incredibly lifeless it’s almost impossible. 

Despite the ensemble cast featuring Brendan Gleeson, Harry Lawtey, Catherine Keener, Steve Coogan, and Ken Leung, there is absolutely nothing for any of them to do. Even with Zazie Beetz returning, the brilliance she brings to the screen with simply just her presence is eclipsed by the film having no actual plot or any reason for any characters being in the story. Leigh Gill is back in the sequel and has a great scene that feels entirely out of place for actually providing a bit of emotional depth to the film. Gill is vulnerable, heartbreaking, and one of the only good scenes in the film that feels an hour longer than its actual runtime. 

Not enough can be said about Lady Gaga in this film. Despite barely getting any screentime, she cements herself as someone born to be on the silver screen. It’s not simply that her voice elevates every musical aspect of the film but that she can bring such depth even to the weakest of scripts and direction. Phillips creates a version of Harley Quinn that has zero agency and is solely existing just to be a fan of the Joker versus her own entity. While sure you can argue this would be her first moments as Harley Quinn, the way she was written and even directed is entirely only to have her move along Fleck’s existence. And yes, the film is a Joker movie, but Quinn is an iconic character the world knows and loves, to completely change her and barely utilize her when being played by a legend such as Lady Gaga is such a squandered opportunity. Having a jukebox musical film starring Lady Gaga barely feature her is quite the fumble. 

There was a worry by some that there would be copycat crimes by some of the huge audience that saw the first film in theaters. In the sequel, it seems Phillips absolutely was riveted by that worry as he essentially uses the idea to create the most obvious, pointless ‘twist’ ending. An ending which is hinted at throughout the film about as subtly as an anvil being dropped in the middle of each scene. Taking a major swing that’s essentially a massive slap in the face of the fans of the first films is an interesting move but to do so within the last few minutes of the film is a choice that is hard to understand. Joker: Folie à Deux almost feels like a film searching for a purpose throughout its entire runtime. It never quite has an actual point or plot other than just getting Phoenix back in that face paint. 

 Joker: Folie à Deux is completely hollow with nothing new to offer and absolutely nothing to say. The film’s biggest crime isn’t that Lady Gaga is barely in the film but that the sequel is simply boring. Not only does Phillips seem to have no original ideas yet again but the refusal to embrace being a musical holds the entire film back from ever being enjoyable. The prison sentence wasn’t Arthur Fleck awaiting trial but was actually the audience watching this dreadful film.

Grade: D

Oscars Prospects:
Likely: None
Should be Considered: Best Supporting Actress (Lady Gaga), Best Cinematography

Release Date: October 4, 2024
Where to Watch: In Theaters