Joker: Folie à Deux
Joaquin Phoenix once again steps into the shoes of Arthur Fleck in this sequel, filled with musical interludes. The meeting with Harleen Quinzel (Lady Gaga) leads to a destructive love affair full of chaos and violence.
In 2019, Todd Phillips gave a fresh twist to the comic book adaptation by doing the exact opposite of a traditional superhero film. JOKER became a dark, profound exploration of the psyche of a man pushed to the edge by society, who eventually plunged into the abyss.
In this long-awaited sequel, we find Arthur locked up in Arkham State Hospital, awaiting his trial. There, he crosses paths with Harleen Quinzel, a meeting that spirals into an all-consuming and destructive love affair. Their shared madness, a case of 'folie à deux' (shared psychosis), drives Gotham further into chaos and violence, with far-reaching consequences for both the city and themselves.
JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX is not just a sequel, but also a response to the success of the first film. Todd Phillips clearly distances himself from the idolisation of the Joker, a character unintentionally seen by some as a symbol of anarchism. Furthermore, with the many musical interludes – JOKER: FOLIE À DEUX is a musical as well as a courtroom and prison drama – Phillips consciously defies the expectations set by his first film.