Back in 2019, during what was arguably the pinnacle of comic book movies, Joker had helped further propel that specific subgenre of films to greater heights. Originally intended to be a one-off feature, the film would not only secure an unprecedented 11 nominations at the Academy Awards but also go on to earn more than a billion dollars at the global box office. And all of that pretty much ensured that Warner Bros. would be revisiting the Joker well before long. But does Joker: Folie à Deux manage to recapture what made the first movie a big hit or is it merely another cash-grab attempt by greedy corporate executives?
The new movie once again centers upon Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), the titular Joker who is now awaiting trial for the string of murders he had committed in the first film. Two years have passed since the events of the 2019 movie, and Arthur has spent most of that time being held behind bars. But when he meets and falls in love with a fellow inmate named Lee (Lady Gaga), it ignites a deadly passion in him as they both succumb to the effects of their shared psychosis.
From the moment I first heard that a Joker sequel was in the works, I was immediately skeptical. After all, the first movie had felt like a complete story unto itself, one that far exceeded its ambitions and could be considered a resounding success by every conceivable metric. But when I'd heard what route director Todd Philips was planning to take for that sequel, I became somewhat intrigued. I've always held a soft spot for musicals and their larger-than-life productions so I was at least interested enough to see how one would fit within the gritty, grounded reality of the first Joker film.
So regarding the musical element of the film, the filmmakers definitely made good on their claim that it was going to be a musical thriller. There were several musical numbers sprinkled throughout the movie, with more than a few recognizable classics as well as some original compositions. The songs themselves were decent enough, allowing Lady Gaga to once again flex her singing chops, while Joaquin Phoenix gave what I can only assume were his best vocal renditions. But none of those performances really stand out or stick with you after watching the film, or at least not like the way the songs from Chicago or Moulin Rouge did.
And at about halfway through the movie, a courtroom drama element is also introduced, which is where one would think the film would finally get to knock things out of the park, except this never rises to a level I can consider great courtroom drama, or even decent for that matter. Instead, what we get is some long-winded recaps of things that took place in the first movie, interspersed with glimpses at Arthur's warped version of reality.
My biggest grievance with the movie, however, was its overriding lack of excitement. The film meanders in a way that I quickly found tedious, with scenes that seemed to barely add anything to the overall story. To be clear, I have no problem with slow-burn movies or ones that favor mood and texture over plot or characters, provided they eventually arrive at a meaningful climax. But we spend so much time watching Arthur move through the motions of prison life that the whole thing couldn't help but feel drawn-out and overlong.
A knock-on effect of that slower pacing is it makes the narrative harder to follow. I mean, we already have to contend with having to piece together what is real and only a figment of our lead characters' imagination, so having long stretches where nothing of importance seems to happen only further complicates this. And speaking of climax, this is the one area of the story that I feel will leave viewers most divided and/or disappointed. I won't spoil how the movie ends except to say that I don't think that it had the intended effect the filmmakers had been aiming for, whatever that may be.
Joker: Folie à Deux succeeds as a half-decent musical but fails at nearly everything else. The story is a slog to get through, lacking all of the tension that helped propel the narrative of the first film. Which is a shame because I had high hopes for the movie, along with the legion of fans that felt it could be something truly special. But on the bright side, I guess the movie can serve as yet another example of why it is sometimes best to stay away from making cash-grab sequels without the requisite creative spark needed to make them work.