Joker: Folie à Deux establishes an ideal narrative for a potential threequel, yet that DC film is unlikely to ever come to fruition. Joaquin Phoenix continues to shine in his portrayal of Arthur Fleck, delivering another remarkable performance as the lead in Joker: Folie à Deux, likely earning him award nominations. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the film itself. Joker: Folie à Deux has turned into a box office disappointment, which is surprising given that the original Joker surpassed the $1 billion milestone.
Similar to its predecessor, Joker: Folie à Deux is a polarizing film. However, the primary issue lies in how this installment contradicts the essence of the first, offering minimal thrills and almost no captivating musical numbers, which makes its claim to be the first superhero musical feel squandered. The film’s conclusion has sparked outrage, contributing to the plethora of negative critiques from both critics and audiences. While it leaves a slight opening for a more promising sequel, that will regrettably likely never materialize.
The Most Contentious Element Of Joker: Folie à Deux is the film’s choice to clarify that Arthur Fleck is not the true Joker. This choice undermines the core theme of the original movie, which illustrated how Arthur’s struggles relentlessly wore him down until the troubled character erupted, adopting the Joker persona that gave him a sense of strength and danger. In Joker: Folie à Deux, Arthur grapples with his dual identities right up to the conclusion, with Phoenix’s character ultimately confessing that the Joker was never real—merely a figment of Arthur’s imagination.
To emphasize this point, the conclusion of Joker: Folie à Deux presents the most significant twist in the franchise. Throughout the film, a young inmate at Arkham makes occasional appearances, consistently admiring Arthur Fleck and drawing inspiration from “The Joker“.